Author's note: I meant for Yoruichi's eyes to be golden. Stupid typos. XD
"Hey Ichigo." Grimmjow said lazily. The two aliens were sunning themselves on a nice, flat rock nearby the river. Ichigo had taken off his shirt to catch some rays. That had been mildly embarrassing at first when Grimmjow had grinned at him and Shiro had looked him over, but they'd both gotten over it. "You say you're from beyond the sky, right?"
"Yes." He answered, leaning back. It really was pleasant out and the sun was very similar to the sun on his home planet, although a bit hotter. And the savannah was beautiful, the grasses and wildflowers flowing in the light breeze.
"So what's the world look like from beyond the sky?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo blinked. That was going to be tricky to answer, but he would give it a shot. The aliens were both very intelligent and deserved not to be lied to.
"Well, the world is round, to start." He said and Grimmjow frowned as Shiro looked up. "It's basically a ball floating in nothing."
"A ball floating in nothing? Are you shitting me?" Grimmjow said skeptically. Ichigo couldn't blame him, really. It sounded preposterous.
"How do things stay on the bottom?" Shiro wondered and Ichigo hesitated. Trying to explain gravity might be too much of a challenge.
"The world makes sure they do. And the world is so big, it doesn't look like a ball when you're on it, you can only tell from up in the sky." He said and Shiro and Grimmjow exchanged a look. Then Grimmjow shrugged. "It's really pretty though. All blue and full of white clouds. I wish I could show you." It would be a lot easier to convince them if he could show them the world from above. He considered asking Urahara for pictures then decided not to. They really weren't supposed to interfere with the natives too much.
"I could see that. The gods, looking down at our world like that…" Shiro mused before stretching out. "Mmm, nice out today." He said with a pleased sigh, his tail flicking gently as the sunlight caressed dead white skin. "Hey Grimm, should we hunt a bit d'you think?"
"Nah. We've still got those marrowbones to crack, and there's tons of flufflowers out. We can have flufflowers and bone marrow." Grimmjow said with a yawn. "And I want to be lazy. Lazy day, mm." Ichigo smiled as he watched the blue haired alien stretch. He looked absolutely gorgeous like this, his blue hair spread out around him like a puddle of liquid sky.
"Works for me. But I wanna go fishing tomorrow. We can go that shallow place an' stand in th' rocks. Those big fish should be coming back for spawning soon, bet we can catch some." Shiro said with a grin and Grimmjow nodded.
"As long as the raptors aren't too thick, the bastards." He said with a yawn. "Hey Ichigo, you know a lot about us right? I know it might be kinda hard but can you tell us about yourself? Your family?" Grimmjow asked and Shiro propped himself up on his elbows, giving Ichigo a curious look.
"Sure." He answered immediately. He was more than willing to talk about his family although, as Grimmjow said, it might be a bit difficult to explain. "I have a father and two sisters named Yuzu and Karin. My mother died when I was very young." It still hurt a little to remember but it had been a long time ago. "I also have grandparents, uncles and cousins on both sides, but I didn't live near them." Ichigo lay back, gazing up into the sky. It was a brilliant blue, a perfect match for his homeworld. "We lived on a world named Meritocracy." Ichigo knew the history behind the name and thought it was very idealistic but sort of absurd. Grimmjow tried to say the word and failed miserably, which made him grin. "We just call it Merit." That was much easier for Grimmjow. Although Shiro managed to say the longer version flawlessly, which got him the stink eye from his blue haired mate. "I lived in a pretty big town. It was nice." Sometimes he missed it a little.
"What's a town?" Grimmjow asked and Ichigo realized he'd used his own word for it. The aliens had words for small gatherings and family groups but nothing like a real town. He tried to explain as best he could and while Grimmjow looked fascinated, Shiro looked almost fearful.
"How could ya stand t'be around that many people?" He asked and Ichigo blinked. "It'd drive me mad!"
"Really? Wouldn't bother me a bit." Grimmjow sounded slightly surprised and Ichigo smiled. The two aliens were so different despite being so alike. "You said your mother died. How did you feed the babies?" The question was asked casually and Ichigo didn't notice the gleam of interest in bright blue eyes, or the way Shiro tilted his ears, paying close attention while struggling not to reveal it.
"Oh, they weren't that young. But it's not a problem for us. We use formula." Then he had to explain formula to the two aliens. It took some serious work but they both got the idea. Ichigo closed his eyes, enjoying the sunshine. He missed the meaningful look Grimmjow gave to Shiro or the white alien's answering nod.
He did notice when the sun was blocked out and a white hand rested on his chest. His eyes snapped open and Ichigo swallowed as he found himself looking into black and gold eyes.
"Shiro? What are you doing?" He asked, his breathing speeding up. He couldn't help it. Shiro was looking at him with such an odd intensity and Ichigo found his gaze being drawn to his lips. As pure white as every part of Shiro, they were delicately parted and a dark tongue flicked out, wetting them and making them glisten.
"Thinkin' bout what t'do with you." Shiro's answer wasn't reassuring, or the wicked grin that crossed his face. Ichigo's eyes went wide as white lips suddenly crashed against his.
For a brief, crazy moment, he wondered if kissing meant the same thing for these aliens as it did for his people. But he knew it did. He'd seen Grimmjow and Shiro kiss several times, and give each other playful nips. They were always affectionate gestures. So he really couldn't be misrepresenting this. He gripped Shiro's shoulders, unsure what to do, and his eyes widened even more as he heard a chuckle behind him. Then Grimmjow was there, pushing him forward so the blue alien could nestle behind him. Ichigo swallowed hard, trying to control his lust.
"Shiro, this isn't… we shouldn't…" Ichigo was at a loss. He knew he was gay, he'd known since high school. But while Shiro and Grimmjow were both beautiful and exotic they simply weren't his species. "Stop!" He gasped as Shiro's hand curled around his sex, stroking him in a very familiar way.
"Why? Y'like us, we can tell." Shiro said simply as Grimmjow chuckled again, the rumble vibrating against Ichigo's back. The white alien lifted his tail and Ichigo gasped as a familiar musk filled the air. It was like the scent from the stones, but stronger. Much, much stronger. Blue hair cascaded over his shoulder as Grimmjow turned his head, catching his earlobe in his mouth and giving it a slow, sensual suck. "Oi Grimm, is that sexy?" Ichigo blinked as he was reminded that the aliens didn't really have earlobes. Then Shiro squeezed him and he completely forgot about it, groaning as his body reacted to the touch and the pheromones around him.
"He's not complaining." Grimmjow pointed out as he let go of his earlobe with a pop. Black clawed hands pushed up his shirt, sliding over his chest to find his nipples. Ichigo groaned as they were teased to hardness.
"Uh…" Ichigo muttered, trying to push Shiro away. But his hands just ended up flat against that beautifully muscled chest. "Ah!" He gasped as Shiro rubbed against him. Then the albino hissed in displeasure, reaching down to remove his body coverings. Ichigo couldn't help but take a look. Grimmjow had no nudity taboos but Shiro definitely did, so he'd been unable to determine how the aliens differed from each other. To his relief, Shiro had a very familiar cock and balls arrangement and the proportions were human like.
"We need to switch places." Grimmjow said to Shiro and he nodded. Ichigo frowned.
"Why… oh!" The aliens shifted like the wind and suddenly Shiro was pressed against his back, his skin warming him even through his shirt. Grimmjow was straddling his waist with a feral grin and Ichigo suddenly understood. He'd noticed before that Grimmjow's sex was different from the human norm, and he'd suspected it might be different from his own species too. Now he was sure of it. "You're a hermaphrodite." He realized. Then he blushed as the blue alien gave him a curious look.
"Herm… whatsit? What's that mean?" He asked and Ichigo swallowed, hoping he wasn't offending. Although from the way Shiro's hands were gliding over his skin, he didn't think the aliens were about to stop.
"It means you have… male and female parts." Ichigo said. He knew it wasn't entirely correct but it was the easiest way to explain it to the aliens. Grimmjow chuckled, a soft rumble in his chest as he slowly and languorously rubbed his body against the xenosociologist's.
"We don't have a word for what I am." He said with a grin before giving his neck a nip. "'Cept for something rude anyway. But I'll show you what I can do." Ichigo swallowed hard at the promising tone. Despite being completely gay, Grimmjow's female aspects didn't turn him off at all. He looked masculine, with his hard muscles and flat chest. Then Grimmjow's hand dipped under his pants and he completely forgot about anything but the pleasure.
Ichigo helped the aliens strip away his clothing before deciding he wasn't just going to sit back and take it. The pheromones were filling the air, intoxicating and irresistible, and he obeyed his instincts, shoving Grimmjow onto his back. The blue alien groaned softly as blunt teeth nipped his throat, tilting his head back to expose the pale flesh.
Ichigo gasped as Shiro began preparing him. He wasn't sure what the alien was using for lube, but it was working and he rocked his hips back into those questing fingers. Lowering his head, he gently took one of Grimmjow's nipples into his mouth, sucking then blowing on the overheated skin. Grimmjow tasted good, salty yet sweet on the tongue. Ichigo grimaced a little in pain as Shiro stretched him uncomfortably wide. It had been a while since he'd had a lover and it hurt a little.
"Take me Ichigo." Grimmjow begged, spreading his legs wantonly. His sex was standing tall in the middle of light blue curls, shading to navy around his vaginal opening. Ichigo nodded, feeling breathless, and quickly positioned himself, sliding into that tight wet heat with a single push.
Then Shiro took him from behind and Ichigo gasped in a combination of pain and pleasure as he was stretched uncomfortably wide by that hot length. The alien was big, but he quickly got used to the burn, then groaned as Shiro found his prostate. That bounced him against Grimmjow and the blue alien gave a soft, blissful sound.
Shiro was the one who set the pace, driving Ichigo deeper into Grimmjow. The redhead wrapped a hand around the blue alien's straining erection, squeezing the sensitive flesh and getting a catlike cry of pleasure. Grimmjow's ears were flicking and his face was flushed, his eyes half closed as he gazed up at the man above him. It was an incredibly sexy look and Ichigo gripped a hard, muscled thigh with one hand, trying to deepen the penetration.
"Shiro, Grimmjow, god!" He gasped as Shiro nailed his prostate again. White hair slid over his shoulder, tickling him with the soft strands. "Fuck, ah…" He moaned, vaguely aware he'd defaulted back to his own language. But neither of the aliens seemed to care. Shiro was whispering endearments in his ear while Grimmjow panted, lost in the pleasure of the moment.
Ichigo kissed Grimmjow, nibbling his lower lip and drawing it out teasingly before letting go with a small pop. The alien groaned, his blue eyes glazed and Ichigo thought he'd never looked as sexy as he did at this moment. Then muscles rippled around him and Grimmjow cried out as a small spray of creamy cum erupted from him, painting his abdomen and chest. The sight of the blue alien so completely undone inflamed both his lovers and Shiro pistoned into Ichigo, taking him so quick and hard that it made the young man gasp. They both came almost simultaneously, Ichigo releasing into Grimmjow even as Shiro filled him with his hot seed. The three of them lay together for a moment, panting, before Shiro slowly drew away, leaving Ichigo on top of Grimmjow.
"That was so nice." The blue alien murmured and Ichigo blushed as he met lazy, contented blue eyes. "Hope you put a baby in me." He said sleepily and Ichigo froze for a moment in the act of pulling away.
Oh no. His eyes widened as he realized what the aliens were thinking. He knew Shiro was sterile, Grimmjow had mentioned it when he'd asked if it was normal for travellers to have so much trouble. And they just didn't understand how different he was. He looked very similar to them, after all.
"Grimmjow, I don't think that would work." He said awkwardly as he finished pulling away. The tip of Grimmjow's tail flicked as he looked up, mildly curious. "We're not the same kind. It would be like – like a raptor mating with a running beast." Those were the small, fast little creatures that lived on the savannah grasses. They reminded him a bit of rabbits, but larger, and almost everything preyed on them. Grimmjow and Shiro would only eat them if there was nothing better because they had very little fat.
"You don' look like a raptor to me." Shiro said teasingly from behind him and Ichigo blushed as the white alien fluffed his hair. Grimmjow just shrugged.
"I'm probably sterile anyway. My scent says otherwise, but that can be wrong. You won't mind if I hope a bit, hey?" He asked and Ichigo shook his head with a small, sad smile. Grimmjow was clearly used to disappointment but Ichigo had no doubt that his desire for a child was very real. No wonder Shiro had been jealous of him.
It was a good reason there was no real need for that jealousy. This incident would have been hard to hide if Grimmjow actually could become pregnant.
"…And be careful. Ichigo says the alien who lays claim to that particular area shot Shiro in the stomach with an arrow, when he first came to the area." Urahara said. It was early morning and he was at the breakfast table, giving out assignments. He frowned as he glanced around. Everyone was looking at him strangely and there were a few stifled giggles. "Is something wrong?" He asked, a chill entering his voice.
"N-Not really." Renji answered, sounding a touch breathless. Urahara frowned at him and reached down to pick up a piece of bacon.
Then he blinked as his hand touched nothing but china. Glancing down he was astonished to see his plate was completely clean of food, although still streaked with syrup. A black, clawed hand slipped out from beneath the tablecloth and began to gather the sweet liquid. Laughter broke out around the table and Urahara blushed, wondering how long the alien woman had been stealing from him before he noticed. Flipping up the tablecloth he smiled as Yoruichi gave him a wide, pleased with herself smile.
"And how is the biochemistry evaluation coming?" He asked with aplomb. They really didn't want to poison Yoruichi, although the young female didn't seem to be showing any ill effects. But nutritional deficiencies could show up more slowly.
"Almost done. So far the biochemistry of this planet appears to be extremely earthlike." The man in charge of that said. "We should have the full report for you by tonight."
"Excellent." That eased his mind somewhat and he smiled at Yoruichi, who was pouting a bit at not getting a better reaction. "Yoruichi, would you mind helping us with our work?" He asked, switching to her language.
"Sure!" She said happily, licking off her finger. It was adorned with a bright pink, gummy flower ring. The young alien liked it just as much as the wedding band she'd traded for it. "What can I do?" She asked and Urahara smiled, playing with his fan.
"We wanted to take some samples from you. Hair clippings, nail clippings, a bit of blood, that sort of thing. If you don't mind?" He didn't think she would. They had already gotten samples from Shiro and Grimmjow, both of whom seemed to place no importance on such things. Yoruichi nodded, bouncing a little in place. "Also, I was wondering if you could help us make contact with the green one? He lives on the other side of the river and we need to put up some equipment there." He said, leaving out the details of what it was for. There was no need to tax Yoruichi's understanding. The young female frowned slightly.
"I don't know… maybe. Do you have any scent markers from him? They could tell me a lot." She said and Urahara blinked, captivated by the idea.
"What can you tell from the scent markers?" He asked, intrigued. Yoruichi grinned.
"Everything! If someone is old or young, male or female, fertile or sterile, if they're sick… our scent markers are great! I love to sniff them." She said happily and Urahara choked, suddenly imagining Yoruichi sniffing another alien like a dog. He didn't think she would hesitate for a moment.
"Well, we have plenty of scent markers. We weren't sure what they were at first, so we collected them." He said and Yoruichi giggled at the thought. "Would you follow me?" He said as he stood and Yoruichi nodded.
"Sure!" He led the young alien woman to the tent with the collection of stones, only pausing to grab a bit of extra bacon. Kisuke nibbled on it, passing Yoruichi a piece with a smile. She was strange but really starting to grow on him. The young woman crunched it with gusto and he noticed that she attracted attention from every young man she passed, probably due to the tight black pants and the lacy yellow camisole she was wearing. He held open the tent flap for her and Yoruichi ducked inside with a giggle.
"Why are some of them in cages?" She immediately asked as she looked over the stones. Urahara smiled as he looked them over. One of their geologists was also an amateur jeweler and she'd brought some copper wire with her. Since they were allowed to take a few souvenirs, she was turning a few of the gems into makeshift necklaces.
"Our people like to wear them." He explained and Yoruichi gave him a disbelieving look. "We can't read the scents like you can, but they smell nice and look pretty."
"But they come from our butts!" Yoruichi said with a grin, jerking a thumb at her nether regions. Urahara blushed and coughed, hiding his mouth behind his fan.
"Yes, well… we weren't planning to mention that when we trade them." He said humorously and Yoruichi laughed. "I believe this one is from Green." He picked up a green stone that was flecked with black. Yoruichi sniffed it curiously and wrinkled her nose.
"He's mated already. I don't like the scent. It's not that it's terrible, it just doesn't suit me." She said and Urahara wondered what that meant. But Yoruichi probably wouldn't know the why behind her own reactions. "He might not like my scent either, but I'm a fertile female so he wouldn't hurt me. I could try… are any of these others from people close by?" She asked and Kisuke could hear an odd note in her voice. He frowned but nodded.
"This one is from Shiro." He offered her a large white teardrop. It was beautiful, milky white flecked with gold. Yoruichi sniffed it and blinked.
"Sterile and sick!" She said and Urahara blinked. He'd already known Shiro was sterile, but sick? She put the stone back disapprovingly and he reached for another.
"This is Shiro's mate." Mindful of the name problem, he'd avoided actually using Grimmjow's name around her. Grimmjow's stone was a lovely blue flecked with green. Yoruichi sniffed it and stood absolutely still for a moment before uttering a yowl. Urahara started, shocked by the reaction and wondering if she'd somehow been hurt. But then he saw the wide grin on her face.
"Family! This is FAMILY! Someone else survived!" Yoruichi caroled and Kisuke stared as she clutched the stone and twirled. "Fertile female, someone close to me! Sister, aunt or cousin! Oh, who could it be? But it's blue… do you know the name? Who is it?" She demanded and Urahara hesitated a moment. But if Yoruichi's family didn't believe in the name taboo then there was no reason not to tell her.
"His name is Grimmjow." He said, making note of the 'fertile female' comment. That didn't make much sense.
"My weird cousin!" She said happily and Kisuke smiled at her joy. "He's sort of a female! Strange, but he was always great to be around. Oh, I have to meet him! Can I meet him Kisuke?" She asked him, her golden eyes wide and pleading. Urahara nodded.
"Of course you can." Now that he knew the two aliens were related, it was only sensible to take Yoruichi to them. Perhaps she would want to stay with Shiro and Grimmjow. The thought made him feel regretful, but it would still be better for her to be around her own kind. Kisuke thought the aliens were undergoing a watershed moment, a time when their population had been drastically thinned. Such a thing could lead to evolution or extinction, and every possible genetic source would be needed for their future. "Would you like to go right now?" He asked and Yoruichi bounced on the balls of her feet.
"Yes please!" Her happiness was infectious and Kisuke smiled to himself as he took her to one of the ATV's, signaling Soi Fon to provide them with a few escorts. He didn't think that Grimmjow or Shiro would react violently, but there were plenty of raptors around. And you couldn't be too careful. He was the leader of the expedition and Yoruichi was a young, female alien.
They were both important, in their own ways.
