Summary: He couldn't believe he was doing this. How was it that he always managed to get into these awkward situations? When Shuhei, a freelance writer damaged by his past is hired to interview an up and coming author, he never in a million years would think that he would have anything in common with the guy. After all, they're complete opposites…right?

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

-;-

As soon as Rangiku got off of work, she assured Toshiro that she would be home before midnight and that she was just going to go out for a couple of drinks with Shuhei for his birthday celebration. The white haired male simply rolled his eyes and waved the busty woman off, his focus directed at something on his computer screen, so Rangiku assumed that all would be well and left for home. She wanted to at least change out of the uncomfortable cotton pants that she was forced to wear for work before going to the bar and meeting Shuhei.

As she walked out to the car, she mused on the fact that Shuhei had actually taken her up on the offer of drinks this year. Usually, he turned her down in favor of hanging out with Kira for the day. Maybe the blond had been called into work? Meh; either way, she was going to go out for drinks tonight. Maybe not the way that she'd originally planned, but she was going to get them.

Checking her phone, she was pleased to note that she'd received another text that actually specified which bar and what time he would meet her there, which was also something new. After all, it wasn't like Shuhei was one to go and try someplace new; he was usually able to be found at the usual bar off of Second Avenue with a couple of other writers on the weeknights.

Rangiku didn't even give it a second thought that it might not actually be Shuhei that she was going to meet, too set on actually being able to spend some time with one of her friends to care.

-;-

"So, are you going to send what you have over to Gin, or are you just going to continue ignoring me asking and just keep writing?" Kira asked, reclining back in his chair and raising a brow in question to Shuhei. Said dark haired male narrowed his eyes slightly, backspacing several times, before typing in the remainder of his train of thought and turning to look at his friend.

"Perhaps if Gin himself were to appear and ask, I could possibly manage to find a copy for him." The grey eyed male smirked indulgently, linking his fingers together and setting his chin on them. "Then again, I could just do as you have just suggested and merely ignore you until I'm done my entire novel. Wouldn't that be unfortunate?"

The blond male groaned, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to walk over to the wall and introduce his face to said surface. "You know, even though I know the reason you act like a complete and utter ass all of the time, I keep forgetting how much of an actual ass you are when you're doing it."

"Thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I have a chapter to finish and then a pizza to put in the oven." Shuhei replied vaguely, turning back around in his chair and going back to writing after a slight pause. He had to collect his thoughts and condense them into something that would work for his idea; he knew what he wanted and where he wanted to go with the book- now all he had to do was put it into actual ink on paper, hypothetically.

"Ass."

"Twitch." The dark haired male countered smoothly.

"I always knew there was a reason I didn't like you."

"The same could be said for you."

"Shut it."

"Make me."

-;-

Grimmjow toyed with the phone in his hands with mild interest, occasionally pausing and grabbing his glass of beer to take a long draught before going back to doing the same thing he'd been doing for a good twenty minutes. He was early- that much he did know, but the blunette realized that he would probably have to have a couple of drinks in his system if he was going to be having meetings with anybody that he didn't know.

"Hey, you want another drink?" Barragan inquired from down the bar, raspy voice barely heard over the base of the speakers that were set up across the room. Grimmjow shook his head, holding up his still half full glass to show that he was still working on the one that he had now. But knowing the old man, he would most likely be getting another drink before the one he had now was finished. Call it a feeling, if you would. Or it could just be because that the elder man had also been in the same gang that he had, once upon a time. Wasn't exactly the friendliest and didn't like being ordered around, but nice enough if you knew him long enough. Luckily, Grimmjow was classified as being known long enough, and was usually welcomed with tolerance and a dry smirk whenever he walked through the door.

"Alright."

Grimmjow shook his head, thoughts repeating themselves as the very same thought decided to make a re-entry into his main thought stream. Ah, if only his life were so simple. Being narrow minded and dull could take a lot out of someone, after all. Luckily, he wasn't one of the dull people that always seemed to linger about, spreading their words of 'wisdom' and thinking themselves above everyone else even though they weren't all that intelligent in the first place.

Reclining slightly on the stool, the blunette glanced around the room again, eyes keeping an eye out for the busty strawberry blond he was scheduled to meet. He still hadn't managed to figure out why the kid would even have a woman like that down in his contacts in the first place, and he'd come up with just about every theory under the sun in the meantime. The one that he thought of first and foremost, was that the two of them were in some kind of affair, but then dismissed it. The kid might be good looking, but there was no way that he would pick up a woman like that unless- well, he didn't really know how. The next theory was that they were friends, but again, he didn't really know how that would have come about either- unless they were co-workers. That was by far the favored opinion in his theories, and he would be sticking with it unless otherwise corrected.

The phone buzzed, and Grimmjow looked at the screen, realizing quickly that he was receiving a call from someone. Mind, considering the time and the person he was here to meet, it wasn't hard to deduce who was calling him.

Swiping across the screen, he held the cellular device up to his ear and casually glanced over to the door, noting that there was now a strawberry blond woman dressed nice and neat standing in the entrance and looking lost.

"Hello?" he asked smoothly.

"Who is this?" the woman asked immediately, and Grimmjow smirked slightly as her brows furrowed. "Where's Shuhei?"

"If you're talking about the kid who left his phone in my apartment…well, I was hoping you'd be able to help me with that." Grimmjow replied, watching as the woman's eyes roamed the bar, coming to rest on him. Lazily, he pulled the phone away from his ear and waved it in the air, and Rangiku's jaw dropped.

"Shuhei got laid!?" she squealed, both into the phone and into the open air. Flipping her own phone closed, efficiently ending the call, Rangiku bustled across the bar, skinny jeans moving sleekly and the tight tank top and jacket leaving her rather impressive cleavage barely visible. Though it wasn't hard to catch the bounce, so all was well for the male populace in the room.

"Oh my God, he knows how to pick them!" she said breathlessly, almost immediately launching into conversation as soon as she hopped onto the stool next to the blunette. "You are absolutely fucking gorgeous!"

Okay then, Grimmjow thought in mild disbelief. The kid wasn't having an affair with the woman- he was gay. That narrowed down his possible theories extensively.

"Actually, he didn't get laid." The blunette shrugged, at least looking a little put out by that fact. "Although it's flattering to see that you think so."

Rangiku's face almost immediately shifted to a mixture of concern and anger. "Then how did he end up leaving his phone in your apartment? He warned me about you, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, and I'm not stupid."

Well, that complicated things. He was hoping that she wouldn't have known about who he was.

"How do you-"

"Who do you think sent him after you looking for that article, you ass?" the blond hissed, suddenly not looking all that friendly. "He told me about how you threatened him, and let me tell you, buddy, I am not amused with that behavior. He was working on my orders, and I get it if you're a self-obsessed prick, I really do, but kindly do not slam the door on my friend and fellow writer's face. Because I will give you this warning, and this warning only- if you fuck with my friends, I will personally hunt you down, kick down your goddamn door, and give you the worst ass-kicking of your life."

Grimmjow slowly felt himself subconsciously cringe further down in his seat and try to appear as if he no longer existed. Somehow , this was so much worse than if she'd been friendly. If she was friendly, he had a bad feeling that he would have flirted with her, and if he'd flirted, he had an even worse feeling that he would already be dead.

"So at least, in the future, just tell people who knock on your door that you don't feel like giving out a story to the press or something like that, because common decency and intelligence might actually get you somewhere in life rather than having me rant at you like a mother hen." Rangiku continued, finishing with her arms crossed and cheeks lightly flushed. As she crossed her arms, Grimmjow caught sight of a thin silver band around her ring finger, and he further internally cringed. It was definitely a good thing that he hadn't hit on her. As much fun as it would have been, he didn't feel like getting the shit kicked out of him anytime soon.

"Alright, alright, I was an inconsiderate ass. I'll admit to that. But now, I'm curious about the kid you sent. Shuhei, right?" the blunette asked, raising a brow and receiving a puzzled nod in return. "What can you tell me about him?"

"Shuhei? What- why do you suddenly want to know about him?"

There was a suspicious look in Rangiku's eyes, and to be perfectly honest, Grimmjow didn't blame the woman one bit. He was a little confused about it, too. But after the events that had led up to the kid even being brought to his apartment, Grimmjow now found that he was genuinely curious about the male. The puzzle pieces just weren't lining up with what he'd seen. The two very different people that somehow inhabited the same body intrigued him, stirring something deep in the back of his mind that he hadn't felt in a great many years.

"Hey. I found him in an alley in the middle of the night. He passed out, so I took him home and left him on my couch. Nothing untoward." The man said defensively, holding up his palms in the universal I-come-in-peace sign.

"Good." Rangiku snorted, looking very much like a bull that had been eased off from a rage. Grimmjow found himself letting out a slow breath, realizing very suddenly that this woman was in no way anyone to fuck around with. She had a set of bearings that would match the most hardened trucker, and if her deceiving appearance didn't give her away, then it was the look that she gave him that gave it away. She was one hard-assed bitch.

"You're not like most women." He said warily.

"Thank you." She replied primly, waving Barragan over and placing her order. "Now, what do you want to know about Shuhei?"