Seven Reasons We're Together
Part 2: Kitten
Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the author of Bleach.
One way or another, Grimmjow and Halibel found themselves stuck in the world of the living after the Garganta system mysteriously malfunctioned, so they basically have to make do until a week passes and the rift to Hueco Mundo can be restored. But then again, a whole week here could give the two Espadas enough time to spend with each other... exactly seven days.
**
Day: Monday
The week sure had passed fast, Grimmjow thought as he tromped through Hueco Mundo's unforgiving white sands under the white moon. Excellent! The human world was a bore, anyway, and this was where he belonged. He could feel his massive spirit energy reserves coursing through him as he sought his target and found him: the black-robed, orange-haired Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki was in sight. The foolish boy wanted to invade the home land of the Arrancars? So be it. Grinning fiercely, Grimmjow stepped right in Ichigo's way and drew Pantera, his Zanpakuto. The metal blade rasped dryly as it slid out from the sheath and Grimmjow held it in the ready position.
"So, it's you... Grimmjow," Ichigo said in deadly seriousness, stopping and removing Zangetsu from his back, removing the bandages that normally sealed it. "Then I won't go easy! Ban... kai!"
The familiar black spiritual energy of Ichigo's swelled in size, the boy's robes changing and Zangetsu becoming long and thin, with a manji for its hilt. Grimmjow pounced and the two exchanged deadly blows with lightning speed, kicking up sand and inflicting scratches on each other as they traded blows, trying to force their way past the other's defenses.
Skidding back, Grimmjow re-assessed the situation and Ichigo's attack pattern. He was breathing hard, but this tough fight was exactly what he wanted, he thought as he watched Ichigo take a similar breather. Not wanting to give the boy too much chance to recuperate, Grimmjow launched his renewed assault, releasing his Zanpakuto as he went.
"Grind, Pantera!" Grimmjow roared as he zoomed through the air, and Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as the Sexta Espada transformed into the sleek white panther, his hands becoming clawed paws and his canines grew into fangs. He pressed this advantage as hard as he could, driving Ichigo back and nearing his victory. This was it...!
Then, Hueco Mundo seemed to be fading away, Ichigo growing bigger and bigger. Grimmjow made a cat-like grunt of surprise, his feline eyes widening in wonder and rage as his world was transformed. Then, he suddenly felt very fuzzy, and giant things around him were making a lot of noise.
"What the...?" Grimmjow said, or tried to say. Looking at his paws, Grimmjow was even more shocked when he found gentle, rounded white paws instead of his black, fierce ones. His voice came out as a gentle meow, meek and high-pitched. He also felt very small and warm, and found several kittens around him, seeming huge. He was also in a barred cage in some kind of shop... wait! He was a kitten! In a pet shop!
"Ooooooh, look at this one! It's so cute!" the familiar orange-haired girl, Orihime, glowed as her gigantic form approached him, casting a shadow as she looked down on him. She opened the cage door and picked him up, her giant hands grasping his entire soft body.
"Let me go, girl! I'm in the middle of a fight!" Grimmjow roared, but only a kitten-ish meow came from his mouth, and his growl of frustration was only an adorable purr.
"Oh, I love this one!" Orihime cheered, nuzzling the kitten Grimmjow against her cheek, horrifying him greatly. Then, an equally enormous Rukia approached, wearing human clothes.
"What did you find, Orihime – what a wonderful kitten!" the girl said, taking Grimmjow and flipping him over, rubbing his soft tummy with her finger. "What's his name?"
"It says 'Grimmjow Jeagerjaques'!" Orihime said excitedly, pointing at the name card on the cage Grimmjow had come out of.
"Hello, Grimmjow!" Rukia said upon learning his name, raising him close to her face, her blue eyes like suns before him. "Would you like to come home with me?"
"No way, Rukia. I saw him first!" Orihime protested, snatching him back. "I'm getting him, and will show him to everyone."
"No one's taking me anywhere! I have a fight to finish, if you don't mind!" Grimmjow attempted to argue in vain, only making another kitten meow, his fuzzy tail swishing in anxiety.
"Hey guys, what do you have there – kitten!" Yachiru, the lieutenant of squad 11, said when she wandered over, hugging Grimmjow against her bosom so he could hardly breathe. "Forget you guys. I'm buying him and showing him to Ken-chan!" she announced. Then, Momo and Ranguku showed up as well, and Grimmjow changed hands at least a million times, with rising voices from the girls seeming to blur together in an accelerating blur as Grimmjow wished with all his might that he could escape this humiliation –
With a gasp of air, Grimmjow bolted upright, the bed covers flung aside. He grasped his face with his hands, breathing hard and sweating. What the...? Where was he now? What day was it? It took a minute for Grimmjow to realize that he held himself with his own fingers, and had no fur on his body and no tail. He lowered his hands and found himself in the bedroom of his and Halibel's rented house, with bright morning sunlight streaming in as birds chirped outside to welcome a new day.
Halibel!
Grimmjow whipped his head to the left, and found Halibel next to him as she sat up as well.
"Grimmjow?" she asked in a sleepy voice. "What's wrong? You're sweating..."
Grimmjow tried to slow his breathing down, relaxing. "It was... just a nightmare," he muttered as he realized what it was. Yes, just a nightmare. "And what day is it?"
"Today's Monday," Halibel said, and checking the bedside clock. "And it's 8:36 in the morning. Did you say you had a nightmare?"
She rested a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder, stroking his arm to comfort. Everything was back to normal and the way it should be, he thought as he felt the touch of Halibel's hand and the shock of the nightmare faded. Grimmjow shook his head and now gently pulled on Halibel's arm to lean her closer, then gave her a good-morning kiss on her cheek, the feeling of her warm skin fully bringing him back to reality.
"Feeling better?" she asked him with a smile.
"Yeah. I'm okay, I was just going to get up…" Grimmjow said, swiveling around and sliding his feet onto the floor, stretching. No one other than Halibel would have been able to ground him back into reality after the ridiculous kitten nightmare, he realized as he heard Halibel getting out of bed too. Whether something trivial like this or something important, she was always there to support him and keep him going, and he felt a rush of gratitude for her at that moment.
"Hey, I think I realized something," he said presently.
"What would that be?" Halibel asked.
"There's another reason why we're together – because we give each other support during hard times, keeping each other going. And… you do that for my unconditionally for me, and I promise I'll return the favor sometime. I'll be there for you."
"Thank you, Grimmjow."
Then, an idea popped into Halibel's head. "Why don't we do a little window shopping today?" she suggested.
"What kind of store?" Grimmjow asked. Hopefully, something interesting.
"The pet store, to see all the kittens!"
Grimmjow nearly had a heart attack, until Halibel comforted him again, prying his hand away from his heart and wrapping an arm around his opposite shoulder. "I was only kidding!" she laughed. "Do you have to take that so seriously?"
"I think that's the 'fun' part coming back," Grimmjow wheezed, but he felt amused all the same. "But thanks, Halibel."