Nami was sitting at her desk daydreaming instead of typing the report that was due in two days. Her fingers played across her lips as she recalled the dream she had last night. Visions of blue had danced in her head all night long, mostly dominated by thoughts of the less than a human, more than an animal creature. She halfway expected to wake up with him beside her some of it was so real. Rubbing her hands together, she recalled the softness of his humungous hand sized paws that were incredibly gentle when he touched her. Sighing softly, she shook her head. With a private smile she chided herself once again for becoming a crazy cat lady. If his pattern held true, Grimmy would be returning to her tonight.

"Nami," Kisuke called in his sing song voice.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. Forcing herself to plaster on a sunny smile, she managed to look like a clueless dingbat. She hoped her ability to look stupid prevented him from asking too many questions.

Kisuke smiled at the overly happy Nami holding her gaze instead of allowing his eyes to drift down to her shirt that could actually stand to be buttoned up a little more but it was not like he was going to complain. He propped one butt cheek on the corner of her desk as he folded his arms across his chest.

"How's that report coming?" he asked, permitting his eyes to rove downward when she turned her attention to the computer.

"Just fine, sir. I will have it ready when I said," she assured him, shuffling the pages to find the correct place to begin.

"Nami, can I take you out to lunch?" he inquired getting to his point without wasting any more time.

"No," she answered curtly, finding her spot to start typing.

"Aw, come on! It's just lunch," he whined, hopping off her desk.

"It's never just lunch with you," she muttered, typing like a madwoman.

"Please," he begged, turning his deep gray puppy dog eyes on her.

'I like cats, not dogs,' she almost told him but figured the double meaning would be lost on him. He might also assume she was a lesbian which would only excite him further. Huffing loudly, Nami glared at him but his eyes were focused on her chest.

"Was there anything else you needed, sir?" she questioned him, purposely folding her arms under her breasts to push them up to indulge his perversion.

"Uh, no, that will be all," he responded nervously, before taking his leave.

Nami speculated he would have to take a lengthy stop at the restroom to take care of something that had suddenly popped. Astounded but amused by her wildly perverse thought, she snorted when she tried to suppress her laughter. Her phone buzzed and began to vibrate across the desk. It was a text from Ichigo inviting her to lunch. Smiling to herself, she typed back an acceptance of the invitation.

~...~

"I really am sorry about the other night," Nami told him, reaching across the table to touch his hand.

"I shouldn't have tried to force you further than you were ready to go in our relationship," Ichigo rejoined, taking her hand into his to hold it.

"I'm glad you understand. I like you. I really do," she said, trying to explain her feelings which she did not fully understand herself.

"But?" he helpfully prompted her.

"But there's just something holding me back," she added not wanting to admit what that something was.

"If Grimmy comes back why don't you meet me and Renji at the park on Saturday?" he inquired, letting go of her hand.

"Sure. Hey, I can even bring a picnic lunch. We never did have that picnic," she stated jokingly reminding him of when she had asked him out.

"That's true. And that was your idea. That sounds great," he said, giving her one of his smiles that still warmed her heart.

~...~

"Meowr, meowr, meowr," Grimmy called, pawing at the back door.

"Right on time," Nami announced, opening the door for him. She had already filled his food and water bowls because she knew he would be famished. "Come on in, you two timer."

"Mew!" he mewled, rubbing against her legs.

"Yeah, yeah, cuteness gets you everywhere. Go eat," she ordered him, watching him pad across the kitchen floor to his bowls. "I'll be in the living room."

Nami took her usual position of lying on the couch to watch television. She did not move when minutes later he came into the room and hopped onto her belly. A giggle escaped her when he rubbed his cheek against hers. Scratching him behind his ears, she looked into his fabulously blue eyes.

"Is it really you? Can it be?" she asked the cat, stroking him down his long body. He meowed as if responding to her before he licked her cheek like he was confirming her question.

Nami continued to pet him, allowing herself to believe it. Her mind starting recalling information from the report detailing the experiments on him. What would be the repercussions of this? If this cat truly was a hybrid of feline and human DNA, a real life werecat, how would he be expected to live? A normal life would be an impossibility. How long would it be before Kisuke and Mayuri found him? What kind of experiments would they perform on him when they did? How could any of this possibly be true?

Sighing heavily, Nami continued to pet the cat while pushing the thoughts out of her mind. It was all too weird to try to come to terms with it in one night.

~\0/~

Nami saw Ichigo from across the park and waved as she approached with the picnic basket. She saw the rusty brown shiba inu sitting beside him that must be his beloved dog, Renji. Setting down the basket on the bench, she knelt down on the ground in front of the dog to be greeted with a sloppy wet kiss.

"Hey, there!" she giggled, petting his head as he continued to try to lick her.

"Renji! Stop that! Down!" Ichigo ordered, pointing at the ground with a scowl on his face.

The friendly dog whined plaintively then did as he was told by lying down on the ground. He rested his head on his front paws, looking up with big brown eyes.

"Aw, Ichigo, it was okay. He was just saying hello," she pled for him, siding with the dejected looking canine who turned his pitiful, suppliant eyes on her.

"I'm just jealous. I would like to do that to you but you won't let me," he kidded her, hugging her briefly to greet her while she chuckled.

"You silly thing. Who knows? Once of these days I just might let you lick me all over," she teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmph," he snorted like a grumpy old man. "I won't hold my breath."

"Awww, poor baby," she muttered, reaching out to ruffle his spikes like she was placating a pouting child.

"Wanna play?" he asked Renji, pulling a tennis ball out of his pocket.

The dog hopped to his feet and his tail that curled into a tight circle on his back began to wiggle happily. Ichigo threw the ball and he took off after it, thrilled and joyful once again.

"Did your cat come home?" Ichigo inquired while they were waiting for the dog to return with the ball.

"Yep. Right on time. I suppose this is just how it's going to be with that damn cat," she sighed, bending down to pick up the drool covered ball the dog laid at her feet.

"Turncoat," he snapped at the dog, smiling when she threw the ball. "That's why I prefer dogs. They're always there. Right by your side. Faithful, dependable, loving…kind of like some men, you know."

"Yeah. Then there is the other type of man that's like my cat," she returned, catching his drift that he was hinting at his attributes more than the dog's. "Disloyal, undependable, two-timing…the kind of man like my father."

"Not all men are like your father," he spat out a little more vehemently than he meant to. "I'm not like your father."

"I know," she mumbled, thankful for the distraction of the dog as he trotted back to her.

"Do you think you'll ever want me as more than a friend?" he asked, grasping her by the arm to get her attention.

"I honestly don't know," Nami answered, finding it hard to breathe as she stared into his eyes. She tried to protest but her words were cut off by his lips pressing to hers for a passionate kiss. Her fingers twisted into his hair and she sighed into his mouth when his tongue invaded hers.

A white streak appeared from the nearby bushes, darting between them. Ichigo backed away from Nami, both of them staring in the direction it ran.

"What the hell was that?" Ichigo balked, staring at the tree up which it had ran.

"I have an idea," she muttered, walking to the tree. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she gazed up into the branches until she saw her cat sitting on a limb, flicking his tail angrily as he stared down at her. "You bad thing! You came to join the picnic as an invited guest."

Nami jumped in surprise when Renji barked in aggravation. She looked down at the dog who placed his front paws against the trunk and was staring up at the cat as if he had discovered a new chew toy. She patted his head when let out several more angry barks. Grimmy arched his back, hissing and spitting at the canine.

"Good doggie. If he comes down, eat him. You have my permission," she said, turning to be face to face with a very amused Ichigo.

"So would that give new meaning to the phrase eating pu-"

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't be so filthy," she admonished him but could not stop herself from laughing.

"Speaking of eating, I'm starving. What did you bring me?"

Nami wordlessly took Ichigo by the hand, leading him back to the basket. She spread the blanket on the ground beneath a tree other than the one her cat was hiding in. Bending over to smooth out the corners, she yelped in surprise when her companion grabbed her hips and pressed himself against her behind.

"Ichigo!" she shrieked, falling to her knees on the blanket with him hanging on to her. She gave in to the fit of giggles he stirred up by tickling her.

After rolling around a bit on the blanket with her trying to get away from his relentlessly probing fingers over her ribs, they came to a stop with him lying half way on top of her. Nami pressed her hands to his face while looking into his eyes. She could see now that this man was going to make life hard for her. He was not going to give up in his pursuit of trying to make her fall for him. Her eyes fluttered closed as he lowered his lips to hers once again.

"Nooooo!" the cat howled from his hiding place.

"Shutup, Grimmy!" they yelled in unison.

Nami pushed Ichigo off of her since the cat had ruined the moment.

Grimmy sat in the tree watching them, his tail still swishing in his highly agitated state. It was time to step things up a bit.

~\..'../~

Nami was sitting in her kitchen eating her breakfast when there was a knock on her front door. She was greeted with a spectacular vision of Grimmjow dressed in jeans and a white button down shirt.

"I told you I'd be here," he proclaimed with a wide grin.

"Come in," she said, moving aside so he could step in past her. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," he answered enthusiastically, following her into the kitchen.

Nami handed him her plate containing the rest of her omelet then went to the refrigerator to take out the ingredients to prepare him another one. She set the pan on the stove to heat up while she beat the eggs and dared to watch him eat.

"What would you like for me to do first?" Grimmjow asked, shoveling in the food greedily.

"You're going to give yourself indigestion eating like that. It won't run away. Slow down," she scolded him, pouring the beaten eggs into the skillet.

"It's really good," he complimented around the mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she reproved, sprinkling cheese over the eggs.

"Yes, mom," he muttered.

"Don't be a smart ass," she snapped, carefully folding the fluffy eggs so she did not turn it into scrambled eggs. She smiled cheerily enjoying their lighthearted banter.

"Yes, dear," he returned.

Nami turned with the plate in her hand just in time to see him wipe the smile off of his face. It was strange how they seemed to pick right up where they left off as if no time or distance had passed between them. She was comfortable with him but elated by his presence at the same time. Despite his obvious social awkwardness and sometimes just plain weirdness, she liked him. Maybe it was actually those things that made him endearing to her. He was a unique and bizarre mix of overt masculine sexuality with an innocent, childlike personality.

"I would like for you to fix a leak on the roof first. It's supposed to start raining this afternoon," she said, handing him the full plate and taking the empty one.

"Okay. I'll start right after breakfast."

~...~

"Ow! Dammit!" Grimmjow howled in agony after hammering his thumb for the fifth time instead of the nail.

"Are you all right up there? Are you sure you can do this?" she asked with some concern for his physical well-being.

Nami screamed when Grimmjow suddenly dropped down from the roof right in front of her. "ARE YOU CRAZY? YOU JUMPED OFF THE ROOF!" she hollered at the top of her lungs while he looked at her with amusement that made his blue eyes sparkle mischievously.

"I'm fine. Roof's fixed," he notified her hoping it would distract her. Once again he had forgotten normal human beings could not and should not do the things he can do.

"I think that's enough for the day. Besides, it looks like the rain is moving in," she said, looking up at the darkening sky while pulling her sweater around her body more securely. "Come inside. I'll fix you some lunch."

Grimmjow struggled to contain his enthusiasm over the possibility of snuggling up with her. Rainy days with her had always been his favorite. She would curl up on the couch to read a book while drinking hot cocoa or hot tea. He would lie on her feet to keep her warm or wiggle his way into her lap so she would pet him while reading. Disappointment flooded him when he realized he could not do that today, but he would think of something to get close to her.

~...~

"Here," Nami said, pushing the steaming mug of hot chocolate into his hands.

"Thank you," Grimmjow responded politely, surprised when she sat down beside him and leaned against him.

Nami stared out of the window, watching the rain fall outside. She always loved rainy days. Sighing wistfully, she thought of Grimmy. Lifting her mug to her lips to hide her lascivious grin, she realized she had something much better to keep her company on this drizzly afternoon. She felt him shift behind her and leaned up so he could make himself comfortable. When she leaned back, she was able to recline against his strong chest.

"Is that better?" he asked, nuzzling her head. He allowed himself a brief sniff to inhale her scent before he creeped her out again by going too far.

"It's perfect," Nami sighed, taking comfort in the regular rising and falling of his chest as he breathed.

She no longer felt the need to be hesitant around him. Unadulterated curiosity was pushing her to explore the possibility of what could occur between them. A smile tilted her lips when she thought about how openly and outlandishly he had expressed his interest in her from the moment she met him. Her skin prickled with exhilaration then rose into goose bumps when he stroked her cheek and neck with his fingertips.

"Mmmm…Grimm," she sighed, leaning up slightly to set her mug on the coffee table. His touch was amazingly relaxing and she did not want to fall asleep with the cup of hot liquid in her hands.

Grimmjow did the same so he could have both hands free to touch her. When she was comfortable on his chest again, he resumed stroking her cheek, then her neck, allowing his hand to roam over her shoulder and down her arm.

Nami sighed with contentment, turning on her side to snuggle into him. His warmth and gentle movements coupled with the steady beat of the rain on the roof were making her drowsy. His chest vibrated beneath her cheek and she knew he was about to speak.

"Nami, there's something I need to tell you," he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

"What is it?" she yawned, feeling her body growing heavy.

"There's something very important I need to tell you about me. Please don't be afraid of me, but I'm –" He stopped when he heard a soft snore from the woman in his arms. Unbelievable. He finally works up the nerve to tell her and she falls asleep. Holding her tightly in his arms, he decided to give into the delightful sleepiness that had been trying to overtake him as well. He would confess another day. Maybe.