Author's Note:

Major thanks to both scarletsaber and Ferris for the lovely reviews! Ferris, in answer to your comment about Ichigo's fighting skills: he's very good for a human, but beating up human bullies is different than going toe-to-toe with an espada. I see it as the difference between a first degree and second degree black belt: there's not much difference, but a little is enough to matter! Grimmjow specializes in barehanded combat, and he's fought like that for decades. Ichigo can certainly hold his own against Grimmjow, but he doesn't have the years of practice that Grimmjow does.

Alright everyone, here's a new chapter for you! Near the end, there's a quote from the Konjaku Monogatarishu, which comes from a translation done by Zack Davisson. The Konjaku Monogatarishu is a Japanese collection of over 1,000 folk tales, written approximately a thousand years ago. I have no idea what Japanese students would read for a literature class, so I decided that they're studying it. If that's unrealistic, I apologize.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 5: Common Courtesy 101

"School?" Grimmjow yelped, staring indignantly at Ichigo. "You want me to go to school?" He said the last word in tones normally reserved for dental surgery or surprise exams.

The orange-haired teen snickered. "Yes, school. You're coming to school with me today." He rolled his eyes at Grimmjow's bewilderment. "What did you think would happen when you decided to pose as a German exchange student? You can't just sit around my room all day, you know."

Grimmjow bared his teeth, glaring at the ugly gray uniform that Ichigo had nonchalantly handed him a few minutes previously. "And I have to wear this?" He wrinkled his nose as Ichigo nodded. The espada hadn't woken up in the best mood – a restless night, punctuated by half-remembered, unsettling dreams, left him irritable and sleepy. The dull ache of his shoulder didn't help matters. The wound in his gut was healing nicely, but the puncture in his shoulder was barely scabbed over. Did that bitch put poison on her blade, or something? Even Urahara's salve couldn't ease the pain entirely. Grimmjow had suffered far worse injuries, but they had never left him feeling as helpless as this one; his fingers itched to hold Pantera again. The vivid tattoo on his uninjured shoulder only reinforced the disconcerting feeling of powerlessness. If that bitch Arietta comes back, it won't be pretty. Ordinarily, he could pulverize her without breaking a sweat, but the power limiter made that significantly less likely.

He frowned. Does she know that? Is that why she showed up last night? Or was she simply taunting me? From what he recalled, Arietta was not the brightest bulb of the lot – she had problems with impulse control, and could never resist jeering at an enemy. Maybe last night was another one of her idiotic schemes. But he couldn't shake the thought that it had been more than that. The notion dug at his mind like a tick, burrowing in and refusing to let go.

So he couldn't prevent the angry growl that escaped his lips when Ichigo casually informed him that they were leaving for school in fifteen minutes. The substitute soul reaper smirked. "It's really not that bad," he told Grimmjow calmly. "It's not like you'll have to do any of the homework, or anything." He cast a disparaging glance at his math textbook and the reams of notes scattered across his desk, and added, "And you don't have to take a calculus test, which you should be grateful for." His shoulders slumped, and he sighed as he swept the notes into his bag.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "So what am I supposed to do all day?" he demanded, plucking at the fabric as though it would disappear if he glared at it long enough.

Ichigo exhaled heavily and fixed Grimmjow with a hard stare. "Pretend you're human," he ordered. "Don't make trouble; don't pick a fight with my friends." His lips thinned. "If you scare Orihime, you get to spend the next week cleaning Urahara's shop." The teen's voice was deadly serious. He balanced on the balls of his feet in a combat-ready stance – if he had been in soul form, his hand would have been on his zanpakuto.

"Give it up, kid," Grimmjow huffed. "I won't hurt your friends. I already promised that, remember?" He was a bit offended by Ichigo's reluctance to trust him, but he understood the teen's position. Still, does he really think I'd hurt the woman just because I can? I know how stupid that'd be. He held no grudge against the girl, and she was no threat to him. Hell, if she doesn't run away screaming, maybe she can heal this damn shoulder.

Ichigo relaxed, giving Grimmjow a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I just don't want Orihime getting hurt. She's been through enough already." Grimmjow blinked in shock. An apology was the last thing he had expected from the substitute shinigami. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out, and he shut it again with a snap. Ichigo, oblivious to his internal confusion, just shrugged and motioned to the uniform in Grimmjow's hands. "You should get changed now, or we'll be late."

The pants and shirt were more comfortable than Grimmjow had expected, but the last item in the pile bewildered the former sexta. He stared at the long, thin piece of fabric, turning it this way and that to discern its purpose. It wasn't a belt or an obi, and it was too small to be used to strap a knife to his side. Besides, I don't think most humans walk around armed. Grimmjow snorted. Humans are dumb. Which meant that he shouldn't have any trouble navigating their world. But he had to admit that the odd item was puzzling.

Finally Ichigo took pity on him. "It's a tie," he explained, taking the fabric from Grimmjow. "Not everyone wears them, but it's useful to make a good first impression on the teachers."

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. "Uh-huh," he replied dubiously. "And how do you wear it?" As far as he could tell, Ichigo wasn't wearing a similar contraption.

"It goes around your neck." Ichigo draped the tie around his own neck as an example. "Here, I'll tie it for you." He stepped closer to Grimmjow and looped the tie around the espada's throat. Grimmjow shivered as Ichigo's fingers brushed the sensitive skin near his jugular – the touch was cool against flesh that suddenly felt overheated. He let his head fall back, giving Ichigo room to work as his eyes slid partway closed.

In Hueco Mundo, a hollow who gave an enemy access to their throat was signaling their complete submission; it was tantamount to committing suicide. But the same gesture held a very different meaning when among friends or lovers. Grimmjow felt his breath catch in his throat as the fabric tightened, cinching into a comfortable snugness. The rumble of a purr started in his chest as Ichigo ran his fingers over the tie, smoothing it down before stepping away. "There," he announced, giving Grimmjow a pleased grin. "Perfect."

Grimmjow's eyes snapped open. Fuck! he swore mentally. What the hell am I thinking? He's an enemy, idiot! Hollows and shinigami were born to kill each other; that was the natural way of the world. And you don't ever bare your throat to an enemy, he berated himself. Only weak, good-for-nothing losers gave up like that.

But he didn't feel like an enemy just now, did he? a little voice murmured in the back of his mind.

Shut up, Grimmjow snarled back. He shook his head roughly, dispelling the unwanted thoughts. "Thanks," he muttered gruffly, taking a quick step backwards to put more space between him and the teen.

Ichigo's smile faded as he took in the bewildering blend of emotions chasing each other across the espada's face. "You okay?" he asked slowly.

Grimmjow scowled. "Just shut up, Kurosaki," he growled, striding towards the door. "Didn't you say we were going to be late?" He didn't bother to wait for an answer as he yanked the door open and stalked down the hall. Ichigo followed with a mystified expression.

Grimmjow's odd behavior abated as they neared the school and the espada returned to his usual surly self, which pleased Ichigo immensely. He could handle Grimmjow's unpredictable temper and moodiness, but not whatever had caused the espada to act so weirdly that morning. Is it just because he has to go to school and interact with other humans? Is that what was bothering him?

Ichigo's hollow snickered. You're so clueless, King, it muttered, before vanishing back into the depths of his mind. Ichigo scowled after it, demanding answers, but it only laughed at him.

Fine, Ichigo thought petulantly, kicking a battered can out of his path. Be that way.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow as Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets and quickened his pace. "I thought you said school wasn't that bad," he remarked, glancing sidelong as the grumpy teen. "So what's got your tail in a twist?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Besides the major math test after lunch?" Let's see… there are only a thousand things that could go wrong today, and most of them center around you. But he couldn't exactly tell the espada that. Besides, he might actually behave himself. Ichigo snorted. Yeah, and the sun might rise in the west tomorrow. The probabilities were approximately equal.

When he didn't add anything more, Grimmjow barked a laugh. "Come on, you've been studying for that thing for days. How hard can it be?"

Ichigo gave him a dirty look. "Says the guy who has never done calculus in his life," he muttered. "Trust me, math is hard." Unfortunately, it was also necessary to get into a good college.

Grimmjow chuckled and patted him commiseratingly on the shoulder. Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin at the contact, which only made the espada laugh harder. "You'll do fine," he told Ichigo, clearly attempting to sound reassuring. The resulting tone was an odd blend of condescension, amusement, and awkwardness, but Ichigo wasn't about to tell Grimmjow that. The espada nudged Ichigo with his shoulder, and continued, "It can't be as hard as fighting Aizen, and you survived that. A stupid human test shouldn't be an issue."

"It's hard in a different way," Ichigo replied, scowling at the ground. "Fighting Aizen was…" He trailed off, and shrugged. "Well, you can guess." Grimmjow nodded slowly, a pensive expression on his face, and Ichigo sighed. "Whereas math is…" He hesitated, trying to find the best way to explain calculus to an arrancar. "Math is very rules-based. You can't just try things until they work; you have to do it one particular way. And if you don't memorize a hundred finicky rules about derivatives and integrals and limits and series, you're screwed." It felt like it shouldn't be too difficult, but every problem had a trick to it, and he couldn't quite get the hang of all of them.

"Still complaining about math, Kurosaki?" Uryu called across the street, abandoning his post against the school gates as they walked up. His eyes landed on Grimmjow and narrowed, hand reaching for the bracelet around his wrist. "What is he doing here?"

"Calm your tits, quincy," Grimmjow drawled. "I'm not going to hurt anyone." He shoved his hands into his pockets and gave the slender student a sneer; Uryu returned it.

Ichigo heaved a sigh. "It's a long story," he told Uryu. "And I'd rather only tell it once. Have you seen Chad and Orihime yet?" He glanced about, but couldn't spot Orihime's distinctive hair or Chad's bulk towering over the crowd.

Uryu slowly lowered his hand from his wrist, letting the accumulated spirit particles drain back into the atmosphere. "Not yet," he said reluctantly, casting a suspicious glance at Grimmjow. "But they should be here soon." He glared at Ichigo. "What were you thinking, bringing him here? Have you forgotten what he did?" Though he kept his voice low, Grimmjow heard, and scowled.

"I'm right here, you know," he pointed out sardonically. "And, like I said, I promised that I wouldn't hurt anyone." He paused, and a sadistic grin spread across his features. "Unless they ask for it." The threat in his tone was obvious. Several passing students gave him an odd look before hurrying past them, joining the streams of students heading towards the school.

Uryu lifted an eyebrow. "You're welcome to try at any time," he informed the espada coldly. Spirit particles coalesced around his fingers in a blatant response to Grimmjow's challenge; Grimmjow's spiritual pressure rose in response.

"Alright, that's enough," Ichigo interrupted. He turned to Uryu. "Grimmjow is only here for a few days, and he swore that he would behave himself while in the human world. So please don't pick a fight with him." He transferred his gaze to Grimmjow, who snorted. "Same goes for you. Don't antagonize him."

"Yeah, whatever," Grimmjow muttered. He and Uryu wore similar expressions of disdain; Ichigo could practically hear the subtext of 'you're not the boss of me.' I can't believe I ever let Urahara talk me into this insane idea. He couldn't imagine what the eccentric scientist had been thinking. I'll be lucky if I survive the morning, much less the entire day. At least it was Friday – it had to be easier to keep the espada out of trouble during the weekend. And then he can go home, and this farce will be over. He studiously ignored the faint murmur of discontent that ran through his mind at the thought. I can't wait.

Uryu's expression suddenly brightened, and he waved at someone across the street. Ichigo turned to see Orihime and Chad hurrying across the crosswalk, clutching bulging bags of books to their chests. Orihime waved happily at the trio, but her cheerful expression faltered as she identified Grimmjow. Ichigo tensed. Please, please, don't be upset, he begged silently. At least Chad didn't look perturbed, but then, nothing ever ruffled his feathers.

Orihime came to a halt a few feet away from the group, brown eyes wide and startled. She clutched at the hem of her short gray skirt with white-knuckled fingers, nibbling on her bottom lip as she stared at Grimmjow. Uryu immediately detached from the trio and strode to her side, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her mouth worked as she glanced from Ichigo to Grimmjow and back, silently mouthing something that Ichigo couldn't make out. His heart ached to see her so visibly tense, but he couldn't think of any words to reassure her.

Eventually it was Grimmjow who broke the uncomfortable silence. "Hey," he started, scuffing his foot along the ground. "Woman... uh, Inoue. Look…" He trailed off with a grimace. Jamming his hands deeper into his pockets, he muttered, "Look, I'm not gonna hurt you, okay? Stop giving me those rabbit eyes."

A spark of laughter danced into Orihime's eyes at that. "Rabbit eyes?" she asked tentatively.

Grimmjow scowled. "Big, scared, like you're going to bolt at any second. Rabbit eyes." He glanced awkwardly at Ichigo, who shrugged back.

Orihime giggled. "Rabbits have cute eyes! They match their cute little noses and floppy ears." Her expression softened. "Sometimes I think it'd be fun to be a rabbit, don't you? They're so soft and fluffy." She glanced at Ichigo, and giggled, "Except the ones Rukia draws. Those don't always look that fluffy." Her humor dissipated as she looked back at Grimmjow, shoulders tensing. Ichigo winced in anticipation of her reaction, but Orihime didn't burst into tears or start screaming. Instead, she gave Grimmjow a tremulous smile and asked, "Grimmjow-san, what are you doing here?"

Ichigo heaved a sigh of relief, feeling vaguely guilty about his earlier worries. I should have known that she wouldn't freak out if she saw an espada; she's stronger than that.

Your friends are far less fragile than you give them credit for, Zangetsu intoned, and Ichigo sighed.

I know, old man, he replied wearily. You've told me that before. It was just hard to believe sometimes. But they've gotten a lot stronger over the past couple years. He needed to remember that; Orihime in particular had grown up. She wouldn't let Ulquiorra or Grimmjow bully her now – not that she really did back then, either. He could still see the terrified resolve in her face as she defied Grimmjow's order to heal him, despite her total lack of power.

None of that terror lurked in her stance now. When Grimmjow didn't answer her question, she turned to Ichigo with an inquiring look. "Ichigo-kun?" Chad nodded in silent support of the question.

Ichigo ran his fingers through his hair, leaving messy spikes behind. "It's a long…" he began for the tenth time.

"Iii-chiii-gooo!" Keigo's familiar voice broke through the conversation. Ichigo rolled his eyes and braced for the brown-haired teen's attack as Keigo hurtled towards the group, arms outstretched. "Iii-chiii-gooo!"

Moments before impact, Grimmjow grabbed Keigo's collar and yanked him backwards. A low growl rumbled from his chest as he drawled, "So, what the hell are you?" He lifted Keigo onto his toes, studying the teen with a disdainful expression, and Keigo gulped.

"He's a friend," Ichigo informed Grimmjow, laying a calming hand on the espada's arm. Much to his surprise, the espada relaxed a fraction under the touch, though he didn't release Keigo. The exuberant teen was dancing on his tiptoes, both hands clutching his collar as he panted for air. Little breathless whimpers tumbled from his lips, and he shot a pleading look at Ichigo. "Can you put him down now?" the orange-haired teen requested dryly.

Grimmjow snorted and dropped him. "You have weird friends." He shoved his hands back into his pockets, brushing against Ichigo's shoulder as he stepped backwards.

"What was that for?" Keigo complained, rubbing at the marks on his neck. His face was slowly returning to its normal color, but a dull flush remained under his skin.

Mizuiro, who had followed Keigo at a more sedate pace, shook his head in disappointment. "Really, Asano-san, you should know better," he chided.

Keigo turned on him with a look of betrayal and began berating him for failing to use Keigo's first name; Ichigo sighed. "Come on, guys, I'll explain the whole mess on the way to class," he promised. Uryu, Chad, and Orihime fell in line with him as he led the way to the front doors, launching into the story of Nel's sudden appearance and her 'present' for him. He kept his tone low, mindful of the looks that the group was receiving – everyone was interested in the muscular, tattooed new student.

The tale drew to a close just as the bell rang, and Orihime clapped her hands. "Oh, that's so sweet," she announced, beaming at Ichigo. "It's like something out of a fairy tale!" She giggled. "Redeeming the evil monster, you know." Grimmjow growled subvocally, and she flushed. "Oh, not that you're a monster, or anything," she added hastily.

Grimmjow gave her a feral smile, baring his canines. "Don't be so sure," he purred softly. His reiatsu rose around him, laden with dark menace, as his smirk widened.

Ichigo drove an elbow into his ribs. "Stop it," he scolded. "What did I say about trying to scare people?" He glanced around warily, but no one had noticed their little exchange yet. It was always hard to know, in Karakura Town, who might have just enough sensitivity to notice an odd fluctuation in spiritual pressure. So it was better to keep the displays of spiritual power to a minimum.

Grimmjow shrugged off the blow and furled his spirit energy. "You're no fun," he muttered resignedly.

The bell chimed again, and Orihime jumped. "We're going to be late!" she blurted out, snatching up her book bag and glancing around anxiously. "Come on!" She dashed off down the hall, closely followed by Uryu and Chad.

"Don't forget, you're a German exchange student," Ichigo hissed as he hurried after them.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he grumbled, scuffing his feet against the tiled floor as he followed the substitute shinigami. "I'm not stupid, you know."

Ichigo heaved a sigh. Stupid, no. Reckless and arrogant, yes. He could only hope that Grimmjow could maintain a pretense of humanity for the next four hours, and had the sense to make up plausible answers to the inevitable questions.

"So, Jaegerjaquez-san, you're from Germany?" Yukimura-sensei asked disinterestedly. Grimmjow nodded silently, and the middle-aged teacher sighed. "I'm guessing that you have not read the Konjaku Monogatarishu, then."

Grimmjow shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Uh, no… sensei," he replied, belatedly adding the honorific. Ichigo resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. I was really hoping to avoid this. He'd gotten lucky during his first three classes – the teacher for homeroom had simply waved Grimmjow to an empty desk and proceeded to conduct the class like usual, while the instructors in chemistry and history had ignored him after brief welcomes. Ichigo had hoped that the day would continue so smoothly. But unfortunately Yukimura-sensei, who taught literature, wasn't quite as willing to tolerate intruders into his classroom – especially if they hadn't read the ancient collection of folk literature that the class had been studying for the past month.

The instructor rolled his eyes. "You can share Kurosaki-san's copy, then." He turned his pale, chilly eyes on Ichigo. "I trust that you remembered to bring the book today, at least?" he challenged, tone laden with disdain. Ichigo nodded politely, forcing a scowl away from his face. He barely tolerated the strict teacher, and the feeling was mutual. Ichigo's numerous absences had only increased the animosity.

Then again, Yukimura-sensei didn't seem to like anyone. I don't know why he chose to be a teacher, I think he hates all teenagers. Ichigo huffed a sigh. It's not like this class is useful anyway. Who cares about some dusty old book? It certainly wouldn't help any of them get into a good university, or get a job after college.

Yukimura-sensei's eyes narrowed, and Ichigo shuffled his feet guiltily. Guess I didn't manage to keep a blank face after all. But the literature teacher didn't launch into another interminable lecture on respect. Instead, he merely sighed and turned his gaze back to the papers on his desk. "Jaegerjaquez-san, you may take a seat next to Kurosaki-san. No talking, no passing notes, no cell phones or other electronic devices. Though you have not read the material that we will be covering, I expect you to pay close attention to the lecture." He waved a dismissive hand. "You may take your seats."

Grimmjow's reiatsu shifted irritably, and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir," he muttered sarcastically, baring his teeth.

Before Yukimura-sensei could react, Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow's hand and towed him towards the back of the classroom. "Don't start a fight you can't win," he ordered subvocally, shoving the espada towards an empty desk.

Grimmjow sneered. "He's just a human," he declared derisively, a little too loudly for Ichigo's comfort. A couple students glanced around curiously, then hastily averted their eyes when Grimmjow glared at them.

Ichigo groaned and slumped against his desk, burying ohis head in his arms. "Not. The. Point."

Oh, come on, King, you can't deny that you've fantasized about punching a teacher or two, showing them who's boss. His hollow snickered. Proving that you're so much better than them, so much better than all of them.

That's your desire, not mine, Ichigo snapped back. Eerie laughter was his only response. He groaned again and slumped further into his seat, glancing at the clock as though it might suddenly speed up. Only an hour until lunch.

"Alright, class. Today we'll be discussing the thirty-sixth tale of the Konjaku Monogatarishu." The class quieted instantly as Yukimura-sensei rapped on the top of his desk. He scanned the room, a thin smile playing about his lips, as students scrambled to open their books to the correct section. "Jaegerjaquez-san, since you're new to the work, would you oblige us by reading the passage that begins on the top of page 89?"

Ichigo hastily passed his battered paperback to the espada, who grimaced as he stared down at the page. "Uh…" A curious mixture of rage and humiliation swirled through his spirit energy, making nearby students flinch. Orihime looked up at him with wide eyes, then gestured vigorously at Ichigo.

Ichigo stared at her in puzzlement before switching his gaze back to Grimmjow, who was still scowling at the text. "I'll read it, sensei," he interjected, reclaiming his book.

Yukimura-sensei flapped a hand. "Very well. Proceed."

"Once upon a time, Tosuke Ki was traveling to his estate in Mino province," he began, conscious of Grimmjow's gaze burning a hole in the back of his shirt. He hadn't even thought to ask if Grimmjow could read, though in retrospect it seemed like an obvious question. Where would an arrancar learn? I kinda doubt Aizen bothered to teach them, and it's not like Hueco Mundo has a library or something. Ichigo sighed. Sorry, he apologized mentally, continuing to absentmindedly read the short story out loud to the class. I guess school was an even worse idea than I originally thought.

"Of course I can read!" Grimmjow snarled hotly, glaring at Uryu. He shifted awkwardly. "Just not well."

The quincy pushed his glasses up his nose and gave the espada a supercilious look. "There's nothing wrong with admitting that you lack the skill," he informed Grimmjow loftily. He leaned back against the old oak tree behind him, crossing his legs primly. The entire group – Ichigo, Grimmjow, Chad, Orihime, and Uryu – had claimed a spot in the courtyard for lunch; the bickering had begun only moments after they'd sat down.

Grimmjow snarled audibly at Uryu. "Shut up, quincy. I can read enough, alright?"

Orihime patted him on the shoulder and gave him a gentle smile. "It really is alright if you can't," she told him kindly. "I can teach you if you want." When Uryu opened his mouth to protest, she sent him a quelling look, and Ichigo had to hide a grin. She really does have him wrapped around her little finger.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and bit into the sandwich that Yuzu had made for him that morning. "Just drop it," he ordered rudely. Orihime's expression dimmed, and he sighed. "Alright, fine. I guess you can teach me if you really want to," he muttered gruffly. She beamed at him.

Ichigo couldn't hide his smile any longer. Clearly Uryu wasn't the only one affected by Orihime's charm. It's rather adorable, actually, the way Grimmjow backed down once she gave him a sad look. He dug into his sandwich, smiling appreciatively at the delicious combination of flavors. Grimmjow had already devoured three-quarters of his, despite his protests that morning that he didn't want or need a sack lunch. He'd given in then, too. First Yuzu, and now Orihime… who would have guessed that Grimmjow had a soft side? If only it showed up more often.

An upperclassman girl strolled past them, nose buried in a book, and Grimmjow wolf-whistled appreciatively. "Cute ass!" he declared, just loud enough for the girl to hear. She didn't bother to look up from her book, but her footsteps quickened as she hurried away.

"Grimmjow, you really shouldn't say such things," Orihime rebuked, giving him a chiding look.

Grimmjow lifted an eyebrow. "Why? It's a compliment, isn't it?" He smirked, casting a lecherous glance after the girl. "Plus, it's true. She's got a smoking hot ass in that short skirt of hers." As he turned his attention back to his sandwich, clearly assuming the conversation over, Ichigo shifted uncomfortably on the bench. Why does Grimmjow have such a talent for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time? It was as if he couldn't behave himself for more than a few minutes at a time.

Orihime sighed, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "It's not a compliment," she explained patiently. "It's harassment." When Grimmjow rolled his eyes uncomprehendingly, she asked, "How would you feel if guys were continually whistling at you and yelling rude comments?"

Grimmjow snorted. "That'd be great!" He waved his hands in the air, sketching the shape of an hourglass. "Hot guys, hot ladies, they can whistle at me all they want! It'd be awesome." He flexed his muscles, reminding Ichigo of the preening way Yumichika constantly adjusted his hair and clothing.

"No, it wouldn't," Orihime countered. "Think about it. Every day, without fail, people yelling at you, whistling at you… And when you don't respond, they often start cursing at you, calling you a bitch, or a prude, or..." She faltered, a faint blush tinting her cheeks pinks, but continued, "Or, well, worse names." Grimmjow glanced away as she fixed him with a firm stare. "Trust me, it's not pleasant. The guys aren't trying to compliment you, they're trying to prove that they have power over you." She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt and glanced away, shoulders hunched.

She must get that a lot, Ichigo realized. Though she was only sixteen, a casual observer would probably guess that she was in her early twenties. With her, well – he blushed to think about it – figure, she must get a lot of guys hitting on her. He never noticed it, but this wasn't the first time she had commented on it.

It was, however, the first time she had talked about it in any detail. Unfortunately, Grimmjow appeared unappreciative. "It's just a compliment," he repeated, sounding baffled. "So I told her she's got a great ass. So what? I'm not trying to insult her or something." He ran his fingers through his electric blue hair, leaving behind messy spikes.

Orihime toyed with her hem for a moment longer before taking a deep breath. "Alright, look at it this way. Let's say the person whistling at you is a vasto lorde, and you don't know them. However, you know that they're stronger than you, that they could easily overpower you if they chose." Grimmjow nodded slowly. Orihime bit her lip, and continued, "If you ignore them, they're likely to insult you, and possibly attack you. But if you respond positively, they might take that as a sign that you're interested in them, and continue the interaction. What happens if you don't want that? What if you simply want to go home?" Before Grimmjow could say anything, she added fiercely, "Remember, this is a vasto lorde. If they choose to attack you, there's little you can do."

"Hah," Grimmjow scoffed. "Not gonna happen. I don't yield to anybody." Then he scowled. "But yeah, if it was someone Barragan's level, or Starrk's level, it might be a bit of a problem." At Ichigo's incredulous stare, he snorted. "What? I'm not that dumb, okay?"

"I didn't say anything," Ichigo replied, returning Grimmjow's scowl.

Orihime raised her hands peaceably. "So, imagine that it's Barragan," she suggested, shivering. Uryu touched her shoulder lightly, and she forced a smile. "If he started hitting on you, how would that feel?"

Grimmjow's mouth puckered as if he'd bitten into a lemon. "That'd be disgusting!" he objected. "That guy was a total creep, almost as bad as Szayel." Ichigo nodded in sympathy – he had heard stories of the ancient hollow. Wasn't he the one who took Soi Fon's arm and Hachi's hand? He was a real piece of work.

Orihime nodded. "Exactly. It'd be disgusting. That's what it feels like when a random guy wolf-whistles at us." Her shoulders tensed further, and Uryu wrapped his arm around them. She sighed and relaxed, mahogany eyes dark with unreadable emotions.

Grimmjow looked bewildered. "But… don't you like being complimented?"

Uryu intervened this time. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he explained coolly, "Grimmjow, 'great ass' is not a compliment. 'You look beautiful in that scarf' is a compliment, as is 'I love your new haircut.' However, crude commentary on a part of a girl's body, neglecting to acknowledge the fact that she is a person, not an object placed on the earth for your pleasure, is not a compliment." He gave Grimmjow a superior look. "Make sense?"

Grimmjow bared his teeth at Uryu's condescending tone. "Watch it, quincy," he warned. "I'd be happy to kick your ass any time you want." His reiatsu, muffled as it was by his gigai, couldn't rise much, but Ichigo could feel the increase in pressure.

Before things could devolve further, Ichigo announced, "Hey, I think lunchtime is almost over." They still had fifteen minutes, but that couldn't be helped.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Smooth, Kurosaki," he muttered. "Always protecting someone." He sneered at Uryu, who gave him a hard stare in return.

"I don't need his protection," he bit out coldly, one hand on the quincy cross dangling from his wrist.

Grimmjow opened his mouth to say something snarky, but Orihime cut him off. "Boys, boys, don't fight," she implored them, spreading her hands wide. Uryu reluctantly eased backwards, but Grimmjow scowled.

"I still don't get why girls can't just accept it as a compliment, the way it's meant," he objected petulantly.

Orihime took several slow, deep breaths. "Grimmjow, if Barragan told you that you have a…" she blushed, "great butt, would that be a compliment?" She couldn't quite look him in the eye as she finished the sentence.

"Yeah," Grimmjow began. Then he hesitated. "Well, I guess it'd be kinda creepy," he allowed. "But that's cause it's Barragan."

Orihime lifted her eyebrows. "So it's creepy to be hit on by people you don't know very well, who have the ability to overpower you at any time?" Her chocolate brown eyes hardened as she fixed them on Grimmjow's teal ones.

Grimmjow shrugged. "Sure, I guess." His tone evinced his lack of complete comprehension, but he didn't outright sneer at Orihime. It's better than nothing, I guess, Ichigo concluded.

Orihime sighed. "Yes, it's creepy. Which is why girls don't like it – it's not a compliment!" Her voice rose slightly on the last words before she exhaled slowly. Standing, she pasted a bright smile on her face and smoothed down her skirt. "Anyway, Ichigo-kun is right; lunch is almost over." As the rest of them began to rise and pack up their lunchboxes, she hurried into the school. Uryu followed at her heels, but not before casting a baleful glance over his shoulder at Grimmjow.

Chad, who had remained silent the whole time, nodded once at the espada. "Listen to her," he advised, before following Uryu and Orihime into the school.

Grimmjow stared after the trio in bewilderment. "It's… oh, screw this," he snarled.

Ichigo heaved a sigh. "You'll learn eventually," he muttered. "Come on, let's get to class." I've got a math test to complete.