"You want me to do what now?" Grimmjow looked at him in disbelief, cleaning one ear out with his pinky. Ichigo took his courage into his hands and continued, moving closer to the Espada. They were outside, having a private conversation as his sisters ate breakfast.
"I want you to enroll my sisters in a local academy. I have a list." He said, determined. He'd already done his homework. Apparently, things were pretty quiet in the Seireitei right now but dangerous in some of the Rukongai, so he'd been forbidden to go there. But Ichigo hadn't wanted to anyway, not with this idea on his mind. Finding out all the information about five different schools, including their tuition fees, uniforms and schedules had taken a long time. Grimmjow was still looking at him like he was insane.
"An academy? That shit is for nobles!" He protested and Ichigo blinked, suddenly wondering. When had Grimmjow died? What had his life been like? "And girls? They take girls? I've never heard of shit like that…"
"Of course they take girls. You've probably seen some of the girls going to them, they wear uniforms." He offered Grimmjow the brochures he'd picked up and the arrancar took them with a bemused expression. "Things have changed a bit, you know. And shinigami can be women." Ichigo was fairly sure that was the only reason that the Seireitei had girls' academies. Soul Society wasn't exactly noted for moving with the times, but the influence of female shinigami would have an effect. Women didn't have all the same rights as men, though. Grimmjow's next question pulled his mind away from the inequalities.
"Wait, I'd have to pay for this? Shit, it's expensive!" Grimmjow had found the bottom line and Ichigo winced to himself before he felt his resolve hardening. Yes, it was a lot of money but he was going to get this. "I can't afford this!"
"I need this Grimm, I really need this." Ichigo rested his hand on the Espada's arm and blue eyes snapped up to look at him. "I'll do… anything…" He tried to imitate the arrancar's bedroom voice and from the way Grimmjow's eyes widened, it was working. But then the Espada took a deep breath and shook his head.
"Look, Ichigo, I don't care if your sisters go to school or not. If that's how people do things now, fine. But I don't have enough money." His voice was firm and Ichigo frowned. "Look, I keep track really close. You want to see my budget?"
"I… what?" Apparently even after well over a year of living together, Grimmjow could still surprise him. He would never have guessed the arrancar kept a budget. The Espada grunted before going back inside to fetch it. He came outside with a rather ratty notebook and tossed it to him. Ichigo frowned as he opened it and turned to a random page. His frown deepened as he saw the amount Grimmjow started the month with. It wasn't bad, but it was clearly an amount designed to keep a bachelor man in relative comfort with a small cushion for frivolous things. To his surprise, Ichigo saw that Grimmjow was actually putting away a bit of money every month under two categories… stuff and repairs. Although they were both empty now, used up to fix the backyard. Flipping through the months he realized the food budget had gone up a lot when Karin and Yuzu had joined them, but Grimmjow's 'salary' hadn't increased. Maybe…
"You know, you should ask someone to increase your allowance." He said slowly and Grimmjow frowned. "I bet the ones with fraccion get paid more than this."
"Fraccion get their own allowances. But I think some of them do get more." Grimmjow rubbed his thumb along the edge of his mask fragment, then scowled. "I'd have to talk to Tosen. That fucker doesn't like me. But he's a goddamned bookworm… which of these schools were you thinking about?" He asked and Ichigo hesitated a moment before picking up one brochure.
"This one. It's the closest, they could easily walk and it's one of the best, quality wise. But it's not the cheapest." He warned as Grimmjow flipped through the thing and winced at the bottom line. But the Espada shrugged.
"I can't afford any of 'em and if I get Tosen to fund this, might as well go for the best." He tucked the pamphlet into the pocket of his hakama. "I'll see when I can get in to see him, might take a week, he's really fucking busy with this new shit going down." New shit? Ichigo almost asked before thinking better of it. It hurt but after the news about the square, he'd realized it was actually better not to know. There was nothing he could do for anyone else… but he could still help his sisters. "Oh shit! Are they going to need dowries?" Grimmjow sounded so panicked that Ichigo burst into laughter.
"Grimm! They're not getting married tomorrow!" He said merrily as the Espada's expression indicated he wasn't amused. "We don't really do dowries much in the Living world. I'll have to look up Soul Societies customs on that." Because Yuzu probably would want to get married. Karin though… "Karin will probably want to be a shinigami." She was powerful enough for it and if she did that, she wouldn't be getting married anytime soon. Grimmjow looked slightly relieved.
"Okay. Shit, kids are a lot of work. I'd forgotten." He complained then blinked as Ichigo smiled and gripped the edges of the Espada's jacket. "Huh?" Then blue eyes went wide as Ichigo kissed him. Grimmjow was shocked for a moment but quickly responded, wrapping his arms around his pet. "You know, I haven't managed this yet…" He said as they parted and Ichigo nodded before nuzzling him.
"I know. But you're going to try." That was all he could ask. If Tosen said no, it wouldn't be Grimmjow's fault. "Do you want your reward now, or later?" He said, making his voice as insinuating as he could. It really wasn't that easy… Grimmjow chuckled warmly, kissing him again.
"You need to work on your seductive shit. But I'll take it now, Red doesn't get up that early anyway." Ichigo smiled, feeling almost giddy as Grimmjow drew him inside. Vaguely, he realized this was the very first time he'd initiated sex with the Espada. It felt… good. He really wasn't sure why.
Maybe he'd figure it out someday.
"Holy shit. This is beautiful." Grimmjow said in awe and Ichigo smiled widely. He honestly loved the reaction.
"How did you get the pond Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked, every bit as awed as Grimmjow.
They were looking at the new garden. It had taken over a month of work and for the last couple weeks he'd been very, very busy. The result was absolutely gorgeous. There were little paths of grey stone and large flower beds surrounded by natural stones. In the middle was a water feature, a rather gorgeous pond. He couldn't exactly call it a koi pond – the backyard wasn't big enough for a proper Japanese garden so he'd gone for a more casual style – but it was very pretty. There was a fake waterfall feeding into it. He'd also put in a few bonsai trees, although keeping them trimmed would be difficult. Still, right now, it was gorgeous.
"I had to spend a bit." Ichigo admitted. "That guy who came by last week put it in." That had been expensive but he'd managed to save a bit from Grimmjow's budget. The real problem had been finding someone willing to come anywhere near an Espada's house. That was a common problem, though. Grimmjow had dealt with it already when the roof started to leak.
"It's really nice. I'll definitely do my homework out here." Karin said and Ichigo impulsively hugged her. "Ow! Hey, what the hell?"
"Nothing. Just feeling good." It made him feel great, hearing her talking about homework. It had taken a solid week for Grimmjow to get in with Tosen, but he'd brought his budget as well as the pamphlet. Tosen had immediately been in favor of sending the girls to school and apparently, he'd been just as surprised as Ichigo by Grimmjow's money management skills. The Espada has actually been given a raise to accommodate the increased food and other expenses. His sisters had been wearing cheap, second hand clothing but now they need uniforms, notebooks and other things that came out of Grimmjow's pocket. Fortunately, the Espada didn't mind and with the small increase in salary he could afford it.
"I like the barbecue. I can totally use this." Grimmjow said approvingly and Ichigo smiled as he let go of Karin. The barbecue was a very simple charcoal thing, the most practical type in Soul Society. Grimmjow could ignite the charcoal with a tiny cero and he enjoyed grilling meat. "Just don't blow this up."
"Oh, come on! It was an accident." Ichigo protested and Grimmjow grinned at him as Yuzu laughed. Even Karin smiled and Ichigo resigned himself to another thing he would never be allowed to live down. "Oi. What's for supper?"
"Pizza! I made it from scratch!" Yuzu said happily then looked at her watch. "Oh, it should be almost done!" She bolted into the house and they all followed. Yuzu made excellent pizzas, she even had a well-seasoned pizza rock. Soon they were all digging in and Ichigo laughed as Grimmjow managed to make the longest mozzarella string he'd ever seen. The Espada sucked it up before biting into the pizza a second time and brown eyes met smoldering blue for a moment. Ichigo blushed as he felt the heat in that gaze and turned his attention to his pizza. It was pepperoni and cheese with olives, his favorite.
That night, Ichigo got up the courage to ask for something he'd been thinking about for a while. He wasn't sure Grimm would even consider it, but he was having a crisis. He really thought he was gay but… he wanted to be absolutely sure. And Ichigo was fairly sure that Grimmjow wouldn't want him straying. So he posed his question and watched as the Espada looked at him like he was completely insane.
"Let me get this straight. You want me to be a woman for you?" He asked and Ichigo blushed as he nodded. "So you can see if you're gay? Or is this just for science? What does a vagina feel like?"
"Grimm!" Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at that. "I want to see if I'm gay." He admitted and Grimmjow grinned.
"Take my word for it, you're queer. But…" Grimmjow tilted his head back, clearly thinking about it. "You know, I'd kind of like to know how it feels for a woman. Okay. But you better make this good shinigami." He warned and Ichigo blinked before biting his lip. Could he give a woman a good time? But then Grimmjow was sitting on the bed, his eyes closed as he took on an expression of calm. Then 'female' Grimmjow was sitting in front of him and Ichigo paused to examine 'her' for a moment.
She really was gorgeous. She was wonderfully muscled, reminding him of how Grimmjow looked as a man. But there was a cushion of body fat, enough to give her nice curves and pretty, well-formed breasts. Long blue hair fell down her back, framing a fine boned face that had a feral kind of beauty. Grimmjow took a deep breath and stripped 'her' jacket away, letting it fall to the floor. The hakama followed and Ichigo swallowed, reaching for her. He hesitated, trailing his fingers over those breasts as Grimmjow watched him curiously. This was his first time with a woman, even if it was Grimmjow. What would it be like?
"Oi, you're scared to death." Grimmjow observed and Ichigo blushed. "Let me take control." He… she said and Ichigo nodded, almost relieved. "I'll ride you – huh?" Ichigo caught her hand and swallowed as he met blue eyes.
"Okay, but from the front. I want to see…" He was afraid that if Grimmjow rode him in the reversed position, it would be too similar to a man. The Espada looked very surprised for a moment and Ichigo knew why. That was the mate position. But then Grimmjow grinned.
"You want to see my boobs bounce, don't you?" She asked, highly entertained. Ichigo wondered if it was possible to die from embarrassment. It felt like he was going that way. "If you're okay with it. Now…" A warm hand encircled his limp dick and Ichigo began to explore Grimmjow's curves, cupping those lovely breasts and running his thumbs over the dusky nipples.
It felt strange. Grimmjow's hand felt good and soon he was erect, but Ichigo found he wasn't really getting into it, not the way he did when Grimmjow was a man. That thought left him as Grimmjow spoke, her voice slightly breathy.
"Hey. Touch me here… like this…" The Espada gripped his wrist and pulled his hand down, bringing it to her sex. "See, that's the clit… uh, yeah, like that…" Ichigo smiled as he slowly stimulated that small nub of flesh before sliding a finger into Grimmjow's folds. That let him rub her clit with his thumb as he stimulated her inside. "Shit! Feels good…" The Espada was trembling slightly and Ichigo could see a fine shine of sweat on her body. Desire rose a bit more and he spoke in her ear.
"Are you ready?" He asked and Grimmjow hesitated a moment before nodding. He pulled his hand away and the Espada gripped his cock before impaling herself onto it in one smooth move. Ichigo gasped as he was suddenly enfolded in incredibly tight, wet heat. However, the look on Grimmjow's face wasn't pleasure.
"Ow! Fucking damn shit…" She growled and Ichigo blinked as he realized the Espada was a virgin as a woman. It sort of made sense, he'd never taken this form for this before. He bit his lip and held himself still, letting Grimmjow have time to adjust. "Uh… okay, I got this…" Grimmjow said before moving, raising herself up before going down. Ichigo gasped and responded, thrusting up into that clutching heat. He looked into that beautiful face, watched those full breasts bounce and felt…
He wasn't sure. This was good, Grimmjow felt good around him, but it wasn't… enough. It wasn't really kindling his desire. Strangely, that let him continue for longer then he might have otherwise. Normally Grimmjow made him cum first, but not tonight. Ichigo shuddered as he felt Grimmjow's insides clench around him, looked up into her face as she came. Her lips were peeled back in a feral snarl and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Ichigo wondered for a moment… was this how Grimmjow looked when he came?
Ichigo wasn't quite there, though. Grimmjow rested her hands on his chest and gasped as he gripped her hips, thrusting up faster and harder. But he just couldn't get there. He couldn't reach his completion and after a moment bright blue eyes opened and looked at him.
"Not working, shinigami?" Grimmjow sounded amused and Ichigo winced, closing his eyes as he tried to find his orgasm. "I think you need some help."
"What do you… mean… unh!" Ichigo gasped, his eyes going wide as Grimmjow moved. The Espada slid so she was facing away from him, reaching down. One hand caressed his balls as the other went for his opening and Ichigo arched as a wet finger breached him. "Grimmjow, shit…" He panted, gripping her hips and thrusting with sudden vigor as she explored inside him, finding his prostate and roughly massaging it. "Unh!" That sensation joined with the wet heat around his cock and Ichigo found himself cumming inside her. It felt good but it was also a huge relief. If he hadn't been able to finish, well, that would have been mortifying. He relaxed against the bedsheets then blinked as the meaning of this penetrated. "…I really am gay, aren't I?"
"Well, you did pretty well. But yeah, I think so." Grimmjow said as she slowly pulled away, a line of his cum trailing down her thigh. "That was interesting to try. Not gonna do it again." She said decisively before abruptly shifting back into a man. Ichigo tested his own feelings and found that he was relieved. "Having my hymen broken hurt like a bitch."
"It doesn't regenerate. I'm just pointing out." He added as Grimmjow glared at him. Then the Espada grinned.
"Yeah, women would be pissed as shit if it did. You know that paradise for warriors with booze and every renewing virginity? My wife heard about that once and she was like, paradise is just for men huh?" Grimmjow laughed and Ichigo smiled. Then the Espada was snuggling up beside him, running a hand down his sweaty chest. "It was nice seeing you like that. Want to see it again." His voice was full of heat and Ichigo swallowed before nodding.
"Maybe someday." He almost whispered, wondering why he was thinking about it. Was Grimmjow getting into his heart? Yes, he was. It was gradual and it had taken a long time but if the violent Espada died tomorrow, he would grieve. Sighing to himself, Ichigo closed his eyes and turned on his side, curling up beside his master.
Even if they were getting closer, he was still a pet.
Grimmjow scowled at the little thing in the crib and wondered where the hell things had gone wrong.
He was a warrior, a hunter. He lived to kill and eat. In the course of that, he'd devoured a few hollow cubs. And why not? They were tender, defenseless and a decent source of the power he craved. If the parents couldn't protect them he would damned well eat them. That was how the world worked.
It wasn't supposed to be how things went for shinigami but the world was cruel, sometimes. Grimmjow growled to himself as he glanced down at the mother of the squalling thing in the crib. She'd tried to stop him with a sword and he'd taken her out, assuming she was another warrior. A really shitty one, but incompetence got around. He'd only realized he was in a nursery after the bitch was dead.
"Why are there always fucking civilians?!" He growled, glaring at the child again. He wasn't sure if it was a boy or girl. It was damned noisy, though. Rubbing his forehead, the Espada tried to decide what to do.
He and the others were cleaning out a rebel nest in the Rukongai. Compared to the shit in the square, this was a surgical strike. This one building was some kind of headquarters, according to Ulquiorra. So he and Nnoitra had led the main attack while the bat led the teams that were handling the hidden exits. These people had put way too much faith in tunnels. It was going to be another massacre when they were done, but only the guilty were going to die.
Well, mostly. That brought his thoughts back to the squalling infant and Grimmjow sighed to himself. It hadn't been like this when he'd been alive. The brutal, corrupt tyranny his people had labored under had spawned plenty of rebels but they'd mostly been men like him, death heads with no family left to care about. Some of them had lovers, of course, but most were careful to avoid real entanglements. Men with families didn't usually join the rebels, no matter how bad things got. They did offer support, though. Atrocities tended to make rebel groups very popular, in Grimmjow's experience.
So he had no idea what to do with a damned baby. The simple option, of course, was to kill it. The thought made Grimmjow slightly queasy although he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because the shinigami pup wasn't good eating. Or maybe it was his vague recollections of the family he'd once had, the children he'd held in his arms. Hollow cubs weren't humanoid and he'd never felt anything for them, but human and shinigami babies were identical. Yeah, maybe that was it.
But if he didn't kill it what in hell could he do with it? Grimmjow grunted as he thought about it. In his day and age, orphanages were where infants went to die. It wasn't that bad in small towns – someone was usually nursing and willing to spare milk – but in cities, the nuns ran the orphanages and they never had enough money for goat's milk or wet nurses available. So they watered it down and when the tots starved, added them to the mass graves. Grimmjow was willing to bet the Rukongai was no different. Maybe the Seireitei was but would they just accept some random child from the Rukongai? Not likely. The Seireitei was reserved for citizens of the Seireitei.
Could he keep it? Maybe, but Grimmjow was ambivalent about the thought. Babies were messy, they woke you up all the time and they cost money. Also, it wasn't his. His instincts were pretty keen on his own offspring but someone else's, well… and this brat had no real reiatsu to speak of. Not that a baby would have much anyway but Grimmjow didn't think it was going to improve, if the mom was anything to go by. And were Ichigo and his sisters up for caring for a kid? This all seemed like an enormous hassle…
"Oi, Grimmjow! Where the fuck have you been?" Nnoitra barged through the already ruined door and Grimmjow scowled. "You missed some fun – hey, what the fuck is that?" He said as the infant screamed again.
"It's just a – NNOI!" Grimmjow couldn't react fast enough. He hadn't expected Nnoitra to slice the crib in half, silencing the screams with a brutal finality. "FUCK! I was thinking of doing something with that!" He complained, looking at the spreading pool of blood. Nnoitra gave him a look like he was insane.
"Like what? Don't tell me you were thinking of keeping the little fucker." Grimmjow's jaw tightened. He wasn't going to admit that was exactly what he'd been thinking, it did make him feel like a bit of a pansy. Nnoitra grinned. "Oi, you were! Just find a bitch to knock up, if you want a brat. Me, I think they're a waste of time but different strokes and all that shit."
"…Hmph. Whatever." Grimmjow muttered before turning away. What was done was done, he couldn't change it. "Let's go find some loot." They'd been given permission to take anything they found. Grimmjow was sure they wouldn't find much in this rathole, but he was willing to have a try.
He already had a family to take care of. He didn't need another mouth to feed.
