Felis Domesticus

A/N: I am not ashamed to say that I just about cried when I saw the feedback to this fic, which the idea most probably just popped into my mind in the middle of the night. Words are inadequate to describe how grateful I am for the continuous support. I would bake everyone a virtual cookie, but my culinary skillz are about as good as a tentacle monster's… x.x'

So instead, I shall just update another chapter. :D

3

Grimmjow didn't remember the last time he was this angry.

His round luminescent cerulean orbs only blinked, but inside, he was absolutely seething. He believed he had reached a new level of angry. This boiling emotion within him screamed livid, incensed, and enraged. He was thoroughly beside himself. All his previous morals were flushed down the drain right before his eyes. Perhaps it was the fact that he was physically soclose to the orange-haired Shinigami, never having his nose so reeking with the smell of the teen. Perhaps it was the fact that Ichigo's face was softer than usual, for the first time gazing down at him without a fierce scowl. Or perhaps it was the fact that his sorry ass was just saved by his arch-nemesis. Whatever happened to Grimmjow the Independent? Whatever happened to Grimmjow the Prideful? And certainly whatever the hell happened to Grimmjow the Self-Sufficient? Now he was robbed of an honorable death fighting to the last.

He watched closely as Ichigo tilted his head a little, the scowl returning as he examined his feline form. Grimmjow didn't care anymore. He stretched back his lips, bared his twin canines, and gave a spiteful bite right below the collarbone. Judging from the smell, he was sure a droplet of blood had leaked out from the force.

The reaction was instantaneous.

"Gah! What the hell?!" Ichigo reared back in shock, flinging Grimmjow away from himself. "What the hell was that for, you ungrateful cat?!" Much to Grimmjow's sadistic delight, the scowl was firmly planted on Ichigo's face, dark brown eyes glaring down at his form on the sidewalk. Grimmjow had forgotten he had lost the ability to speak, and he opened his jaw to retort, but somebody beat him to it.

"Ichigo! ICHIGO!" The clacking of fast-paced footsteps approached them, and the redhead turned towards the voice calling his name, before a small fist collided against the side of his skull. A dull whack echoed down the street, and Ichigo found himself reeling back a second time, nursing another injury to his body. When he had regained his senses, he looked down incredulously at his attacker.

Kuchiki Rukia glared up at him with an unusual passion in her large dark eyes. A warm breeze fluttered by, ruffling the folds of her white summer dress. She raised one index finger, pointing it centimeters away from Ichigo's nose in a dramatic display. Her impossibly large eyes widened even further, her mouth firmly set in a stern line. "Ichigo! How dare you manhandle such an adorable creature!" The fiery passion in her eyes increased, and she swiftly turned on her heels, crouching down towards Grimmjow.

Ichigo was speechless. Did Rukia suddenly go blind? Hadn't she seen him heroically save the cat from impending doom just a few minutes ago? "Me?! Manhandle?! I just saved that cat from becoming a Hollow's snack, and it bit me! And now you're telling me that I was the one who was- … Hey Rukia, what are you doing?" The redhead cut himself off, staring in wonderment at his Shinigami friend. Rukia had kneeled so she was almost eye-level with Grimmjow, one hand scratching underneath the cat's chin while the other hand was rubbing a spot right between the twitching ears.

Surprisingly, Grimmjow learned another important concept facing his enemies. He had initially feared that the female Shinigami – who looked awfully familiar, perhaps he had fought her before? – would be able to sense his reiatsu and conclude that he wasn't an ordinary house cat as he seemed. But she did nothing of the kind; instead, she only knelt down and began rubbing between his ears. A pleasurable, relaxing sensation tingled down his entire body and he couldn't help a purr slipping from his mouth. Something sparkled within the Shinigami's large eyes, and she raised another hand to scratch under his chin as well, earning her another contented purr. Grimmjow couldn't believe the noises he was making, but he'd be damned if he didn't admit the girl's fingers were working magic on him. It was like receiving an immensely satisfying massage. His muscles were almost forced to relax.

Ichigo raised an orange brow at the scene. He supposed Rukia always had a special place for small furry animals within her heart, if her drawings were anything to go by. It didn't stop him from still feeling a little sore at the fact that the cat had attacked him when he was the one who had saved it. Speaking of which, Ichigo couldn't fathom why a Hollow would want to attack an animal in the first place. Granted his reiatsu detection wasn't one of his strengths, but a Hollow usually preyed upon human plus spirits. He could be considered an expert in the field of human plus spirits after all, so the situation before him didn't make the least bit of sense. "Hey, Rukia… How often are there Hollow attacks on animals?"

The question seemed to have taken Rukia by surprise. Her back suddenly straightened and a frown marred her pale features, as if she hadn't thought about the strangeness of their current situation. "Hmm… It is rather strange now that I think about it. Hollow attacks on anything other than plus spirits are extremely rare. Animals simply don't have the amount of reiatsu that would normally attract Hollows. When they die, they almost always directly go to Soul Society and don't linger."

Ichigo frowned, taking in Rukia's information. "So what do we do with it? It's obviously still alive, so we can't perform a soul burial…"

At this, Rukia suddenly rounded on him, eyes flashing. "It's a he." She managed a half-hearted glare, mouth pouting a little. She returned her attention to the cat. "He doesn't have a collar, so I don't think he belongs to anybody in particular. As for his reiatsu, it's fluctuating rapidly… which is extremely abnormal for an animal."

Grimmjow huffed, not used to people talking about him as if he wasn't there. He supposed he should feel grateful that his gender was finally recognized. However, he had learned that because of his reiatsu fluctuations, he was now a target for Hollows. Had Aizen known this would occur? Suddenly, Grimmjow was hit with exactly how complicated his situation was. Not only was he virtually defenseless, but now Hollows will be after his tail. In a burst of anger, he tried summoning his reiatsu; didn't the female Shinigami say that she could sense it within him? His reiatsu was indeed different from before. When he was still an Arrancar, his reiatsu was solid and practically hummed underneath his skin, easily manipulated. It now felt almost slippery, escaping him when he tried concentrating on it. It frustrated him when he knew his power was still with him and so close, yet unreachable.

Ichigo's eyes were still trained on him. "Then maybe we should give him to Urahara. He can take a look at it. After all, doesn't Yoruichi also prefer a cat's form?"

Rukia frowned at the idea. "Yes, but that's because she's a Shinigami and has mastered the transformation technique. This one's only an animal and his unstable reiatsu occurs subconsciously." She gave one last pat behind Grimmjow's ears before standing up, turning to face Ichigo. "Besides… I… well… I kinda want to keep him…"

"Are you serious?!" Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief at Rukia's words. "Where is he going to stay? My house?! I don't think I can afford to take care of a pet when I have full Shinigami duty!" He began rubbing below his collarbone, where Grimmjow had bitten him. "Besides, he's not exactly friendly… and ungrateful too! We should just dump him off at Urahara's…" He eyed Grimmjow with outright distaste.

Rukia pouted again, her eyes enlargening with an almost pleading look. "But Ichigo! Hollow's are after him! You're a Shinigami! You can make sure he's not going to be hurt by taking him in! It works perfectly!" She crossed her arms below her chest in an unsatisfied way. "Besides, you'll get more Hollow action since they're attracted to him."

Ichigo still looked doubtful. He knew Rukia's obsession with small furry animals, but taking care of a pet was very new to him. He'd never had one before and he'd heard stories of how cats would scratch the furniture and shed fur all over the house. Or maybe that was a dog? If he did take the cat in, he'd have to buy a litter box and start adding cat food to his shopping list, not to mention checking him out for any diseases. The cat meant nothing but more chores and responsibility on his part. If you ask him, school and Shinigami duty was already more than enough responsibilities for a fifteen-year-old like himself. And he also didn't know how his family would take the sudden news. However, Rukia did have a point on how there would be more Hollows to fight if he kept the cat.

"Rukia… I don't know…" He looked down at the cat skeptically. "Does he even want to stay with us?"

Grimmjow hadn't even thought of that question yet. Did he want to stay with his arch-nemesis and a Shinigami? Back in Las Noches, he would have laughed at the mere ridiculous idea and then promptly killed the smart bastard who suggested it. But now, the situation had changed. He could no longer deny that he couldn't control his powers and would have been rotting in a Hollow's stomach by now if it weren't for his enemy's timely intrusion. For once, Grimmjow decided to use his brains and weigh his options. The two Shinigami before him knew nothing about his transformation and his identity, and it was extremely unlikely that they would anytime soon. He stood no chance against any type of Hollow in his current form and as the female Shinigami pointed out, he would be protected if he stayed with them. He would at least have a roof over his head and be relatively safe. Grimmjow laughed at the irony; it was almost like back in Las Noches: a roof over his head, relatively safe, and even a master to answer to. If it meant keeping his life until Aizen collected him back, perhaps he could stand it for his own sake. Besides, he knew from his fights with the orange-haired Shinigami that he contained a massive amount of reiatsu that affected his surroundings. If he stayed near him, there was a chance that his reiatsu could stabilize and be accessible. Not like he could do anything about it if the two Shinigamis decided to keep him anyway.

"Well… he's not running away, is he?" Rukia gestured to Grimmjow with one hand. "Just because he doesn't like you doesn't mean he doesn't like me…" Without waiting for further argument from Ichigo, she knelt down again and scooped up Grimmjow into her arms. Finally, she could experience having a pet. Animals besides Hell butterflies were rare in Seireitei, and her nii-sama would never have allowed an animal roaming inside their home. She turned on her heels, eager to arrive back at the Kurosaki residence. She was sure that with her charms, it would be easy to convince Ichigo's father to allow her to keep the cat.

Ichigo muttered something incomprehensible under his breath; something told him the situation wasn't as easy as Rukia made it to be. However, Rukia had her mind set, and was already walking away with the cat. The idea of the guilt trip he would undoubtedly feel if he were to refuse her didn't sound very appealing. Ichigo sighed, giving in to his friend. He quickened his steps to catch up to Rukia, feeling the warm late afternoon sun suddenly heating his back.

"So… what are we naming him?" Rukia had a content smile adorning her small face. She started stroking the cat again as she walked, earning her more purrs. "It needs a nice name since it's so special…" She beamed down at the bundle of fur nestled within her arms.

Name? Ichigo suddenly had a flashback of the time when they had found the stuffed lion plushie as a body for Kon. He had been the one to name the mod soul at the time as well. At least the cat wouldn't fight him as hard as Kon did if he didn't like its name. The redhead glanced around, hoping something name-worthy would pop into his mind. The houses of Karakura Town were all in neat rows and were similar on the outside, except for the front lawns. Walking down the street, Ichigo noticed the different flowers growing in the grass. Spring was well under way, and the flowers were almost in full bloom, their multi-colored petals swaying in the gentle breezes and catching passerby's attention. The duo was close to Inoue Orihime's empty apartment and as Ichigo passed by solemnly, he spotted a pot of brightly colored hollyhocks out on her windowsill. It was a miracle the flower had survived without her care, relying only on the rain and sun for sustenance.

He turned his head to regard the cat. To his surprise, it was watching him with intense cerulean orbs. The mild glare sent a strange tingle down his spine, the shade of eyes reminding him of something else. The redhead's face suddenly turned contemplative as an unbidden image of Grimmjow materialized within his mind. Yes, those deep cerulean eyes reminded him very much of his rival. They were the same exact shade, and Grimmjow somehow always reminded him of a feline. The Espada's released form didn't help to lessen the image. Even the cat's fur held a blue tint that was unique among cats; the color could be vaguely connected to the Espada's unique hair. The only thing missing was Grimmjow's jawbone, calling to attention his wide mouth. Ichigo scoffed, not even when his rival was safely tucked in Las Noches could he leave him alone. Somehow, the bright colors of the hollyhocks returned to Ichigo's mind.

"Aoi."

It was feminine, but strong. Even a bit forward and boisterous if he bothered to analyze it enough. Just like Grimmjow. Rukia, however, rounded on him again. "Didn't you hear me when I said it was a he?! Aoi is a girl's name!"

Ichigo shrugged. It wasn't the first time he had given an uncool name to someone. His mind briefly flickered back to Kon. "Hey… you asked me. Can't take it back now…"

Rukia rolled her eyes. So that's how Ichigo wants to play it, huh? An unfitting name in exchange for letting her keep the cat. She supposed it was only fair; Aoi was a nice girl's name anyway. "Fine. Aoi-chan it is!"

In all honesty, Ichigo was surprised at the lack of more resistance from Rukia. But he let it go, since more argument would only leave him a headache. They were close to his home and Ichigo started to run over in his mind excuses he could tell to his dad for the unexpected appearance of a cat. Though he had no doubt Rukia's charm would win him over in the end. Really, how did he agree with this mess in the first place? The rest of the walk home was silent, but Ichigo couldn't shrug off a feeling that a storm was coming. And for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why it had anything to do with the cat.

A/N: Yes, "it's feminine, but strong" definitely came from Dane Cook. XD Kudos to anyone who noticed that beforehand. I really couldn't help myself.

Well… I suppose with this chapter, though lacking action, means that the plot is under way. Basically, this whole fic will be composed of nasty surprises, unexpected plot twists, and just plain madness in general. Oh, and with a dash of yaoi, of course. :D