A/N: Hey, everyone! I hope you are all doing well and having a wonderful week so far. I apologize for not updating for the last couple of years. I have been concentrating on another fanfiction, and trying to jumble two works at the time was taking more time than it should and was confusing me.

For the last couple of months, I've been reading through this to re-familiarize myself with what was going on and the plot so I could start working on this again. Except, I soon realized that the story needed an overhaul with grammar and some dialogue changes, and I needed to rework my OC's past. So, I decided to go back and rewrite the chapters. The primary plot line remains the same.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Also, there are a lot of characters involved in the story, but I wasn't able to list them all. While the primary focus is on my OC, Grimmjow and Coyote Starrk, the shinigami Kisuke Urahara, Yumichika and Ikkaku - both a little OOC throughout, and have important roles, and with Ichigo, here and there. Of course, the Espada, cluing in Ulquiorra, Lilinette, and Nnoitra, along with a few others much later in the story. So, a ton of supporting roles. There is a possible future pairing in the end. I have an idea of who the pairing is, but I will share a poll on my profile once I've established key relationships.

A/N: Update 07/30/2024: I'm rewriting Chapter 12 again as I had a different scenario pop into my head. Chapters 13 and 14 will be getting some finetuning as well before re-updating. As you can see I no longer have 15 thru 25. They have been deleted so I can post upcoming rewritten chapters as new ones.

Once I get everything polished up, it should be smooth sailing from now on.

Again, so sorry for all the constant changes, and how long it's taking me to fix everything.

ENJOY THE READ! :)

A/N: 10/25/2024: If you are a digital artist looking for collaboration please refer to my bio page. I have a section specifically made for you.

... 8:37 a.m.

A flutter of wings from a turtle doves lands on a windowsill, looking in at a sleeping form. Its head tilting sideways curiously.

The caw of a crow alerts the turtle dove to move, but remained at the window, allowing its newest visitor to land. The crow looks in. It's beady black eyes peering through the pane. It caws loudly once, then twice.

The dove pecks at the window, tapping to alert the sleeping form.

"The fuck," someone grumbled, muffled even from the glass.

Both the crow and the turtle dove swiftly take their leave. Accomplishing their goal for the morning.

~ooo~

The bountiful rays of the golden sun beamed through a windowpane, lighting the face of a severely bruised sleeping Grimmjow. His eyes slid open from the blasting rays shining on his closed lids but snapped shut from the bright day. With an unpleasant groan, he awoke. He tried adjusting himself to escape the brightness, only to wince sharply as an unbearable pain bloomed in his chest. He attempted to cradle himself but discovered his arm wrapped in bandages and a sling.

Of course, it confused him, but his confusion shortly turned into a panic. He is unsure where he is and is in agony.

What the hell, Grimmjow thought.

He then hears a sound.

... CAW ... CAW

The hell is making that noise.

There is then pecking above his head. Grimmjow tilts his head back, gazing upwards at the two birds. Confusion contorting his features.

"The fuck?"

They quickly flew off, leaving him bewildered.

Where the bloody hell am I? Is this ... hell?

Grimmjow discovered bandages in various places on his body. He looks down at himself to investigate the extent of his injuries. His abdomen and chest are wrapped and ached from what appeared to be a bruised or cracked rib. His left arm was bandaged, and he could feel that his legs were as well. He is not sporting the Espada uniform. In fact, he wore nothing underneath the soft cotton sheets. He's naked. Grimmjow's icy blues scanned the environment around him, finding his hakama and jacket sitting in a corner.

He uneasily took in his surroundings some more once he located his clothing. Grimmjow figured he was in a bedroom. It is a serene and tidy room with unfortunately ugly beige walls, but the touches of lavender and light blue made it a little more appealing. It's somewhat better than the white he was used to in Las Noches. Wait, is he even in Las Noches? He looked around once more, realizing he was in the living world. The last thing Grimmjow recalled was him walking down the white halls of Las Noches and avoiding a confrontation with the number Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra.

He groans painfully, then tries jumping out of the comfortable bed he laid but fails miserably. Grimmjow's legs shot in pain, and his chest made a sharp painful jab that he gasped for air.

What the fuck happened? And where the fuck am I? Grimmjow thought to himself.

"You mustn't move," a silvery voice suddenly disturbed his wandering mind.

Alarmed, Grimmjow snaps his gaze where the voice came from. His eyes landed on a woman, a pretty one at that. She's tall, at least from what he can tell lying down. She could be of average height; not like he cared right now. She has mid-back straight ash blonde hair that reminded him of the sands of Hueco Mundo and bright turquoise eyes. She has a firm gaze on him as she approaches Grimmjow with a tray in her hands. She had medical supplies on the large silver plate and a warm herbal teacup.

"If you move anymore, you could reopen those wounds of yours, so just relax." The woman replied as she sat near him and offered the tea.

He didn't take it, just eyed the woman with a mix of apprehension and needles to say arrogance before growling. The woman didn't even flinch or step back from him, which showed that she was not afraid.

Damnnit, did I lose my aggressiveness? Grimmjow thought as he continued to eye her.

"I know you're on edge since you are unfamiliar with your surroundings, but you have to calm down. You took quite a beating."

"What are you talking about?" Grimmjow finally managed.

He realized that his voice was raspy and dry from the lack of fluids when he spoke. He eyed the cup again, wondering if he should take it or not. Except, his alertness and stubbornness prevented him from doing so.

"It's an herbal tea with some medicine to help heal your wounds. From the looks of it, you could use something to drink. There's no poison if that's what you're concerned about."

He timidly grabbed the cup and drank the warm liquid without saying anything. There was a hint of mint in the tea, but he could also taste the medicine. It wasn't bad as he thought it was going to be. It was rather tasty and soothing. He downed the rest hastily, then sighed in satisfaction.

"I guess I should have brought the kettle with me since you haven't had any liquids for the past two days."

"Two days?" Grimmjow echoed, confused.

"As I said, you took quite a beating. If it wasn't for me stepping in to rescue you, you could have very well died that night."

"You rescued me? What exactly happened to me, woman?" Grimmjow snarled.

The woman eyed him in surprise, but her gaze changed when she reminded herself that he had a bandage around his head.

"I shouldn't be surprised you wouldn't be able to remember what happened since you have a nasty bump on your head. You were in battle and losing, too. I heard you and the blind dark man fighting, so I came to check what you were fighting over. Unfortunately, the blind man knocked you down hard and was about to deliver the final blow until I barged on the scene. He would have killed you if I hadn't been there at the right moment."

Grimmjow then put the pieces together as he sat there with the empty cup. His injuries, waking up in the living world in this woman's room, Kaname Tōsen did this to him. He remembers now. Grimmjow was in Las Noches, where he avoided a confrontation with Ulquiorra because he had asked him where he was going. He had enough of that place. He had enough of being ordered around by the sadistic and egomaniac freak, Aizen. He even had enough of dealing with the Cuatro Espada and was tired of constantly losing to him. Grimmjow was fed up with the brewing war between the Shinigami and Lord Aizen's army of Espada. He decided on a whim to quit and escape that hell hole he called home.

He remembered telling the Cuatro that he was leaving Las Noches and was not returning. Was it wrong of him to say anything to him? Of course, it was wrong to tell Ulquiorra he was leaving because the Eo Bat probably went and told Lord Aizen about it. He must have sent Tōsen to deal with the traitor Grimmjow became. These injuries were his fault because he was tired of living there. He wanted his damn freedom and independence and not give a shit about the damn war. Grimmjow was stupid to leave, and he's paying the price by staying in this girl's room heavily bandaged.

Grimmjow then wondered how this girl could see him let alone fend off Kaname from landing the final and devastating blow. Who the hell is this girl? And why did she save him?

"How is it you can see me, woman?" Grimmjow questioned.

"I have been able to see spirits since I was young, so you are no exception." She replied quickly, ignoring the tone he gave her. She didn't care if he had an attitude with her at all. He had woken up in a stranger's room and was unaware of what had happened to him, so he would be on edge. She had nothing against him in showing his uncertainty and agitation, so all she could do was let him roll his frustrations out.

"So what? I'm not exactly a good one to keep locked up, you know."

"I've noticed, but I'm not afraid of your hostility or agitation. I'm usually a patient woman and can handle most people letting off steam. It was in my best interest to bring you here and care for those wounds. It's the least I could do."

"Why, though? Why did you save me from that asshole?"

"He said it was for the sake of justice which I didn't see any justice in ending a person's life when they are lying flat on their back. I would not let a ruthless blind man finish you off like that. It was your fallen sword that I fought with to land several devastating blows to pay him back for that wound on your chest. He retreated after that. Frankly, I don't understand my reasoning for saving you. I guess I jumped in on instinct instead of thinking logically. I could have gotten myself killed just from attempting to save you, and I would not be able to know what the circumstances were afterward."

"You're an idiot then for doing something so reckless, you stupid human girl," Grimmjow growled somewhat groggily and nastily. His eyes grew heavy from the medicine she put in his tea, which was probably for the best since he could use some more rest. However, he battled the sleepiness away to further the conversation with the human and learn her identity.

The girl again brushed off his tone to evaluate his injuries and check the bandages to see if they needed changing. She cautiously eyed Grimmjow's muscular physique and tone muscles. She readjusted some of the medical tapes on his sternum, then slowly trailed her eyes down his arms to his bruised knuckles. She remembered how hard he fought to defend himself against his opponent without his blade and wondered what he was thinking at that moment. His knuckles proved he was afraid of being defeated, and he tried hanging on as much as possible.

The sight of his bloodied knuckles and severely injured body played through her mind as she continued to eye his hands. Just thinking of him fighting before she arrived on the scene made her wonder what would have happened if she hadn't been there for him. Would she still have heard him but came much later to find him dead? If she had seen him lifeless, what would she have done then? Leave him out in the open and rot? Or try to bury him on the spot? What would have happened if she never followed the sounds of clashing metal? She didn't know what to think when it occurred to her that she may not have been in the area to save him. She wasn't sure if a shinigami would notice his body if they came? If they did, would they have helped? Probably not. She doesn't trust them anyway.

The more she thought of it, the lighter and softer her touch became. It's a tender touch, and she could tell Grimmjow was eyeing her strangely because of it. His gaze didn't stop her from examining her previous work, though. She just continued while he watched her with interest. As she gently guided her fingers across his body to his shoulder, Grimmjow couldn't help the shiver from her tender, cool feather-light touch. It's soothing, to say the least, especially when the tips of her fingers are soft. It calmed him to the point of surrendering to sleep that was overcoming him again, but he fought it back again. He's not sure why a human girl would affect him like this.

However, her careful fingers caressing him for a short time prompted him to wonder if she knew what he was, let alone know what kind of situation she just got herself in. Grimmjow is no fool to know that Kaname immediately reported to Lord Aizen what happened. He would eventually return to eliminate him and this girl. Besides, the war is still going on, and she could get caught up in the mix, which is a predicament that she shouldn't be in.

"You probably didn't even think what kind of situation you would be in once you brought me back here, did you?" Grimmjow asked as he watched her move her hands to adjust the bandage around his abs.

"I'm not entirely sure what you are implying?"

"I'm saying you got yourself in one hell of a pickle for helping me, you stupid girl. Just because you chased him off doesn't mean it's over. You probably haven't realized that you got yourself stuck in the middle of a war between the Espada and shinigami."

"I was not aware that there is a war between two worlds that are not my own. However, I realize that your attacker could very well return here with a vengeance because of my actions. But you must realize that he got injured from my retaliation, and it may take him a bit to recover, unlike you. You have a substantial amount of injuries that will hinder you from leaving, so you are stuck here for the time being. So you should make yourself comfortable because you will be here for a while."

The woman soon finished her inspection and stood away. She momentarily took the tray and started to leave the room. Grimmjow is not exactly fond of staying here, let alone being restricted from moving until he gains some strength. He eyed her for just a moment before he called out to her.

"Hold on, dammit," Grimmjow started as he sat up harshly, which only prompted him to wince in pain.

He groaned from the searing pain in his chest and then looked back at the girl who blankly stood by her door. He doesn't understand this girl, and quite frankly, she was beginning to get on his nerves that she hadn't explained who she was yet. She's defiantly kind-hearted since she brought him here and has this fearless attitude that he is beginning to admire.

"Just who the hell are you, woman?"

She closed her eyes briefly at him, then turned away to face the hall before her.

"My name is Hiromi Watanabe. Now please, get some more rest. You could use it." She replied and was about to step into the hall when Grimmjow stopped her again.

"Are you not in the least bit curious about who I am?"

"I am," she answered promptly.

Hiromi shifted her gaze back to him and shot him a small smile. "But I can wait to learn your name when you get some more rest. If you ever need anything, there's a bell on the table by the bed that you can use to call for me. I will be in the kitchen preparing a meal for you, so I won't be far if you call." Hiromi replied, then turned away and disappeared down the hall.

Grimmjow is then left in silence, curious as to why a human girl like Hiromi would rescue him as she did. He doesn't understand why he doesn't frighten the young woman. She was very calm and collected with him, which only intrigued him more than being confused. Despite his curious mind, Grimmjow fell back onto the soft pillow with a huff to sleep. At first, it was hard because of the sun still spilling from the window above the bed, but he allowed himself to think of something to succumb to a deep slumber. He willed himself to recollect his savior, Hiromi's, feather-light touch. He remembered how soothing it was and that he wanted to fall asleep at that point. His skin tingled in delight from remembering that sensation but at the same time missed it. He wanted her to continue that special touch, but Grimmjow had to settle on the feeling instead. Before long, Grimmjow fell into a deep but much-needed sleep, dreaming of pure bliss and contentment for the first time.

The woman, Hiromi, stood behind the door, watching her charge fall into a deep slumber. She scanned his body critically, observing her work from a distance. Once she realized everything was in place, her eyes glided to Grimmjow's resting face. His features were relaxed, and his mouth hung open slightly. Hiromi knew better than to stare at the handsome man in her bed because he could wake or sense her nearby. She wouldn't want him to catch her ogling.

When he's not snarling, this guy is quite cute, Hiromi thought to herself.

SNORT

Her features hardened, deadpanning from Grimmjow's obnoxious snore.

Really, now?

She noticed his hand move, causing a trickle of panic. Hiromi thought he would lazily wave to humiliate her but that didn't happen. Instead, he reached down past his hips and scratched himself.

Her lips curled into a grimace and flushed red.

Ugh, not so attractive anymore, the freaking pig, Hiromi thought.

She turns away from the door, leaving it ajar so Hiromi could hear him from the other room and make some lunch for him.

Once she was out of sight, Grimmjow's lips curled into a playful, wicked grin.

Updated 04/26/2022 with dialogue and grammar fixes