Grimmjow growled, lacing his fingers into the messy hair at his waist and tugging. The woman pulled off his dick and glared up at him.

"Hey, rough play will cost you double," she said. Grimmjow snorted, but eased up his grip.

"Che, but isn't it a bonus if it's something you like?" he asked. The woman rolled her eyes.

"But I don't like it, so it's extra," she said, and went back to giving the man head. They were in some back alleyway, near where Grimmjow had found the prostitute. He hadn't actually been looking for this, but he supposed since he had a photo shoot tomorrow he should at least try not to get roughed up, so he needed something besides fighting to entertain him. And he'd happened to see the hooker and well… the mood struck. It wasn't as exhilarating as actually trying to get someone into bed, but it was pretty satisfying in a fix. That, and he wasn't sure where he could go to find some suitable bed partners… or even where he could take them. He was pretty sure prissy paws would just get pissed off if he showed up with some slut.

Grimmjow growled again, tightening his grip unconsciously. The prostitute was too into it to reprimand him this time, but Grimmjow probably wouldn't have noticed anyways. The man shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Now was not the time to be thinking about some punk brat…!

Grimmjow sighed as he came in the woman's mouth. She made an annoyed noise, but swallowed. She stood, wiping her mouth.

"Ever heard of a warning?" the woman asked, holding out her hand. Grimmjow grinned, handing over the money he owed.

"Not what I paid you for," he said, tucking himself in as he walked away. The woman huffed, but returned to her corner. Grimmjow wandered around the red light district some more, looking for more entertainment.

"Hey! You!"

With a sigh, Grimmjow turned to glare at whoever it was. He paused. It was the guy with the mohawk, grinning with a girl on either arm and some guys around him.

"Yeah?" Grimmjow asked as the guy lumbered over, bending to be closer in height to the girls.

"You were pretty good in that fight. How 'bout coming out with me and the boys? You're new in town, right? Tough guy like you, I definitely would have remembered your face," he said. Then he snorted. "Or at least that crazy hair."

"…che, you're one to talk," Grimmjow said, smirking. "Were you trying to imitate a plant?"

The guys around mohawk started to get angry, but the big man just laughed. Letting go of one of the girls, he slung an arm over Grimmjow's shoulders.

"You know, I like you, Devil Cat," he said. Grimmjow snorted.

"Devil Cat?" he asked, letting himself be led. He took notice as the girl that mohawk had let go of slid an arm through his.

"Yeah, it's the ring name they gave you, since you jumped around so much," mohawk said. "Like how they call me Fuji for being so big."

"Is that so?" Grimmjow asked, smirk widening. "Devil Cat. Not bad."

"Mm, but do you have a real name?" the woman on his arm asked. She was giving him a look to say she was interested, and Grimmjow felt like this night was gonna be interesting.

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaques," he said. The woman, some petite blonde thing, blinked.

"Oh! It sounds so cool! Is it foreign?" she asked, snuggling closer. Grimmjow snorted.

"Something like that…" he said. He thought a moment, then looked up at Fuji. "What about you? Pretty sure Fuji ain't your real name."

"Eh? Oh, well it's really plain, so I like Fuji better," the big man said.

"Che, whatever," Grimmjow said, noting that Fuji still had an arm slung around his shoulders. Huh, interesting.

Grimmjow was led to a club; a dirty hole in the wall with little light and music pounding through the building. Looked like there were two floors; they entered on a metal landing above a sea of writing bodies filling the entire floor below. There was a way leading upstairs, to various rest areas and the bar. Grimmjow grinned; he liked it already. Fuji seemed to be a regular, taking his group to one of the private areas with a circular couch around a table.

"Alright, first order of business…" Fuji said. "Let's get drunk!"

As the night wore on, Grimmjow came to realize several things. One, he liked alcohol. He liked alcohol a lot. Two, Fuji was completely straight, he just happened to be very affectionate. Three, this club had back rooms.

Looking at the digital cloak, Grimmjow swore. He got up from the bed, pulling on his clothes in a rush.

"Aw, you don't want another round?" the blonde whined. Grimmjow smirked.

"Sorry, gotta run," he said. The girl sighed.

"Come back some time, okay?" she said. Grimmjow rolled his eyes. She was a good lay, but her high pitched voice was starting to get on his nerves.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," he said, taking his leave. Being a little tipsy, it took him a bit to stumble his way out of the club. He didn't see Fuji on his way out, and assumed the guy was having a good time on his own. The Arrancar fumbled his way through the streets, getting lost twice before finally making it back to the residential district. The buzz was finally wearing off, and Grimmjow felt the start of a headache. Grumbling to himself, he just made it to the Kurosaki residence before transforming. The headache seemed even worse in this form, and the cat had to concentrate more than usual to make his way up to Ichigo's window. Pushing the glass contraption open, he stepped onto the bed. Ichigo was asleep, and didn't seem to notice the fluffy blue cat come in. With a snort, Grimmjow considered jumping on the teen to make his way to the desk, then decided against it. He moved to the end of the bed and curled up there, hoping that when he woke up the headache would be gone.

"Hey, Kurosaki-kun, are you alright?" Orihime asked. Ichigo blinked, then jumped back in his seat. He hadn't even noticed her get so close… and when did the teacher stop talking…?

"Huh, yeah, I'm fine, why do you ask, Inoue?" he asked, looking around a bit. Orihime blinked, standing straight.

"Oh, well, you just seemed to be thinking about something very intently…"

"You mean he was spacing out like an idiot," Tatsuki said.

"Hey!" Ichigo said.

"She's right," Uryuu added, not looking away from his book. "And someone like you can't afford not to listen to the teacher, Kurosaki."

"What do you mean, someone like me…?" Ichigo asked, picking up on the implication that he was stupid. Uryuu ignored him.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you sure you're alright?" Orihime asked. Ichigo turned to look at her. At her earnest gaze, he sighed.

"I guess I just… have a lot on my mind," he said. Then, out of nowhere, he was pulled out of his seat and dragged outside. "Wha- R-Rukia?"

"We need to talk," she said shortly, pulling him through the halls and to the roof. Then she let him go.

"What, is it a hallow?" he asked, looking at his badge. Rukia sighed.

"No, your badge is working fine," she said. "I want to know if you're alright; and I mean really alright."

"Rukia, I'm fine," Ichigo said automatically.

"Don't give me that!" Rukia said, pointing a finger in Ichigo's face. "I know I've been busy lately, but even I can tell you've been more pensive recently. Is it him? Did he do something?"

"What… oh," Ichigo said, realizing what she meant. He stared a moment, then sighed.

"He hasn't done anything," he said, moving to sit against the fence. "We don't really interact that much. When he's in his human form, he goes off and doesn't get back until after I'm asleep. When he's a cat, I'm here at school. The only time we really talk is when we're both cats."

"So then he said something to upset you?" Rukia asked, sitting next to him. Ichigo snorted.

"Not really. Well, I mean, he pisses me off most of the time, but it's not that," he said. Rukia leaned to give him a serious expression.

"Then what is it?" she asked. Ichigo met her gaze, then looked away and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, I guess… last night, he was almost… being nice, I think?" he said. Rukia blinked, then snorted, smiling wryly.

"That guy? Nice?" she asked. Ichigo snorted and smiled himself.

"Yeah, guess it must have been my imagination," he said. Rukia could sense an edge to his words, but she couldn't figure out the emotion behind them. With a soft sigh, she knew she probably wouldn't be getting Ichigo to admit much more than that.

"Probably," she said. "Hey, I should be around more, so if anything happens…"

"I can take care of myself, you know," Ichigo said. But then he smiled. "But thanks."

"Someone has to keep you from being an idiot," Rukia replied playfully, standing to go back to class. Ichigo snorted, following suit. He felt a bit better now. Of course it had been his imagine, no way Grimmjow would try to be nice to him.

…right?

"Hey, I'm back…" Ichigo said, walking into his room. He paused. The entire room was destroyed, and in the middle of it was Kon astride a medium-sized dog. Grimmjow was presumably under the bed, since the dog was struggling to get under there. Ichigo sighed.

"Welcome back!" Kon yelled over his shoulder. "While you were gone, I decided to take care of this pest-"

"Kon, get the dog out of my room," Ichigo said, glaring. Kon flinched.

"Wha- but-"

"Out. Now," Ichigo said, pointing to the door. Kon deflated under the death glare and, with some grumbling, led the dog out of the room like a horse. Looking around the room, Ichigo sighed. He set his bag down, then crouched to look under the bed. He was met with glaring blue eyes in the shadows. "Hey Grimmkitty, the big scary dog's gone now."

Grimmjow hissed, jumping forward and scratching at the teen. But Ichigo moved away before the cat could do any damage. He stood up, ignoring the bristling cat as he started picking up his room. Grimmjow, snorting, jumped up on the desk, moving the disarray to make a place to sit. He watched as Ichigo cleaned the entire room, and then curled up on the bed when the teen started his homework. Ichigo rushed, knowing he didn't have much time. He only got halfway done before he changed.

"Where do you even go all night?" the tabby asked, jumping up on the bed. Grimmjow, whom had been dozing, peeked one eye open.

"Depends," he said. "Follow me if you're so interested."

"Right," Ichigo said, rolling his eyes. He sat down, looking out the window. After a few moments, Grimmjow stretched and sat up.

"Hey, does alcohol give you a headache?" he asked. Ichigo blinked at him.

"Yeah, it's called a hangover," he said in a voice that meant 'no shit, sherlock'. "The more you drink, the worse the headache."

"Got it," Grimmjow said. Both cats looked away from each other, and the silence was almost tangible.

"Uh, about the other day…"

"What?' Grimmjow asked. Ichigo started to growl, but stopped himself.

"You weren't… trying to be nice, were you?" he asked instead. Grimmjow blinked in surprise. Then he snorted.

"Hell no. Why the fuck would I be nice to you?" he asked.

"Huh, yeah, that's what I thought," Ichigo said, feeling relieved.

"Then why did you bother asking?" Grimmjow muttered, curling up again. The awkward silence returned. Ichigo fidgeted, looking around the room. Grimmjow sighed. "Just say it."

"… even if you weren't trying to be nice, thanks. For listening."

"… che, whatever," Grimmjow said. It was silent again, but it was more comfortable this time. Ichigo curled up with a sigh, but he still wasn't sure what to think. After a few moments, a weight settled on top of him. "What is it now?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, not even bothering to move. Grimmjow half sighed, half growled.

"You're almost shouting, you're so loud," he said. "There has to be something wrong."

"… tch," Ichigo said, deciding to ignore the other cat.

"Out with it, prissy paws," Grimmjow said. When Ichigo didn't respond, the blue cat got more annoyed, and started grooming the tabby. Ichigo instantly struggled to get away.

"Alright, alright, geez!" he yelled. Grimmjow snorted, but got off the other cat. Ichigo growled a little as he glared. Then after a moment, he looked away.

"… I don't know. I guess… I'm confused," he said. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"That's very descriptive," he said. Ichigo gave him a flat look.

"Do you want me to talk or are you just trying to annoy me?"

"Is both an option?"

"… you know what, forget it," Ichigo said, moving to jump off the bed.

"Che, so touchy, will you just come out with it already?" Grimmjow said, irritated. Ichigo, glared at him, then sighed.

"If you weren't being nice, why did you bother asking me all that stuff last night?" he asked. Grimmjow paused. Ichigo waited, although the silence spoke volumes.

"I was just trying to get you to shut up, is all," Grimmjow said after a few moments. "Animals are more deeply connected than humans are; when you get all fidgety it makes me feel fidgety. It's kind of like a… an aura, or a pheromone or something."

"… a pheromone?" Ichigo asked. Grimmjow sighed, irritated. Ichigo was starting to feel irritated himself, and started shifting between his front paws. Grimmjow looked at him, and suddenly was hit by inspiration.

"See? Like right now; your dumbass questions are pissing me off, so you're feeling it, too," he said. Ichigo opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. He tilted his head, considering. Grimmjow seemed annoyed by his silence too. He watched the blue cat a few moments, and, sure enough, felt himself getting more irritated.

"I see," he said. Grimmjow blinked, then walked closer to the other cat.

"Oh, do you?" he asked. Ichigo growled; he was definitely catching Grimmjow's irritation now. He stood, tensing. Grimmjow grinned, and Ichigo felt ready for a fight…

But instead, the big blue cat just pounced forward to lay on top of him again.

"Then learn to control it so I don't have to deal with your emotions," Grimmjow said, tension dissipating. Ichigo was lost for words for a moment, then relaxed with a sigh.

"… yeah, fine," he said, realizing Grimmjow was probably right. "… are you just gonna stay up there or…?"

"You're still too loud, so yeah, until you learn to shut up, I'll keep doing this," the blue cat said. Ichigo sighed again, then flinched when Grimmjow shifted and he felt a rough tongue on his ear.

"Hey…!"

"If you would just stay still, this'll help you relax," Grimmjow said. "And when your all clam and shit, you're a lot quieter, so just shut up and stay still."

Ichigo wanted to reply, but he bit back whatever smart remark he had. Grimmjow was the more experienced one when it came to being a feline, and he hadn't seem to lie so far, so the tabby decided to trust him just a little. And, he had to admit, the grooming was relaxing. After a few minutes, he couldn't stop himself from purring. That was when Grimmjow stopped. The blue cat got up and moved away a bit.

"See? Quieter," he said. Ichigo just stared. He couldn't really tell the difference, so he just took Grimmjow's word for it. The tabby curled up, feeling tired from all the conversations about his emotions today. Grimmjow watched a moment, then snorted and walked over to the window. He pushed it open, looking out for Kon and his dog before heading out.

As he walked down the street, tail held high, he couldn't help but think that maybe Ichigo would never be able to hide his body language. It certainly would take a long time, without the instincts… the strange thing, however, was that the thought didn't bother him as much as he thought it should…


hey guys! sorry for taking a bit longer this time, had a bit of writers block... that, and writing multiple fics at the same time...

but thank you for all your comments so far! i love hearing what you guys think! and i'm glad you're enjoying the story!

oh and, sorry for self advertisement, buuut... i have another bleach fic called The Alterverse, which is about an OC of mine, and if you have time, i'd appreciate if anyone would read it, especially since there's a vote for the next chapter going on right now! there is a little grimmichi in there so far, but it's not really the main plot, but i hope you'd still like it!

well, until next time!