Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Contract
By : NeemaAdaeze
Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female
Views: 10965 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor make money from it
Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Contract by Boogermeister

Chapter 3- Crimson Waxing Torrent

Inhaling the seemingly poisonous tar, he soon exhaled out the disappearing white smoke. How long since he had been in Karakura Town, thirteen years more or less....? For humans, those years were plenty for them to change. But to him, it could be an equivalent to a day with his prolonged lifetime. His footsteps tapped cleary across the ground, as he walked past large rows of warehouses that were closed for the night and took another hit of his cigarette. He ignored the chill in the air, his body temperature was already higher than normal underneath his dark grey suit. His subordinates should be preparing his supplies by the time he gets there, but he wasn't in any rush. He had plenty of time to get settled in his new residence.

Taking a right turn, his narrowed garnet-colored eyes caught sight of one warehouse at the end of the lot that was still opened, but he still kept his stride. As if sensing his coming presence, a few workers that were outside to carry wooden crates paused to see him.

"Oh.... Good evening, sir....!" one of them greeted with a nod of a head. "We were expecting you later--"

"Yeah, yeah, my ride came in earlier than expected so here I am," he sighed. "So.... is everything's ready for this coming week....? Because I already put in the investments three months ago."

"Yes, sir, your operation will be up and running within days," nodded the workers.

"Perfect...." he grinned, with the white smoke seeping through his sharp white teeth. "My plan will set in.... getting those naive humans to work for me will be a piece of cake. Then I'll get what I want soon enough...."

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Frowning in disgust, Ichigo stared down at Grimmjow sleeping on the couch the first thing in the morning. Dressed in her school uniform, the teen looked at the sight of the demon slumped comfortably in the nest of cushions and spare bedsheets, decked in nothing but a pair of boxers and a spare T-shirt. Grimmjow didn't seem to notice her presence at all, he couldn't be blamed for having a good night's sleep after years of making beds out of sticks and dead leaves.

But Ichigo blamed him for even being here at all, she scoffed as she moved for the empty kitchen. She didn't want to wait for the rest of the family to wake up, as she quickly gathered her breakfast. She didn't want to think.... or even remember the times the demon himself used to roam around here. It had never popped up in her mind before, now it suddenly flickered up.

A brief remembrance of Grimmjow, smirking stupidly while balancing bowls and boxes of cereal as he tried to grab the milk for the girls.... She remembered that, being eight at the time and was happy about being with him. In a way, he was like an older brother to her but now.... he was just a stranger, someone whom she didn't want to know. As soon as she left the kitchen with a toast in her hand, she heard a faint sound of movements from the couch before a head of tousled hair stuck out.

Grimmjow let a deep long yawn, his white and abnormally sharp teeth bared from the action, before he rubbed at his face. Ichigo stiffened when Grimmjow was finally aware of her standing nearby, when he glanced up to see her. ".... Morning...." he mumbled tiredly.

"... Tch...." Ichigo scoffed softly, glaring away as she turned for the front door. Grimmjow could only frown, he expected that as he stood up from the couch.

".... I'll see you after school then, Ichigo," he said, but Ichigo froze in her movement by his statement. She whirled around in surprise, but Grimmjow just blinked at her, before she scowled.

"After school....? You can't be serious...." she huffed.

"We're partners from now on, I have to watch your back and inform you on assignments," he explained. "That's why I'm here, Ichigo. You can't do things on your own anymore."

"Oh yeah....? As if I'd see you by my school," scoffed Ichigo. Grimmjow frowned, as the teen moved to open the door and finally left. The resounding shutting sound was sharp to his ears, as he shook his head. He had a long day to deal with, beginning with himself re-educating for the current human world. But Ichigo had no reason to establish a partnership with him, since it was already complicated as it is.

".... Mister Grimmjow?" Grimmjow turned to the sound of Yuzu's soft voice, before he saw the little girl coming down the stairs. "Did Ichigo leave already? I thought I heard her voice," she asked, letting out a light yawn.

".... She seems to be in a rush, but it's still early in the morning," he muttered. "Sorry about this, it looks like she doesn't want me around even though this was your father's idea."

"Oh, that's okay.... Ichigo has that stubborness about her," she nodded, fiddling at the hem of her pajama shirt. "So...."

"Yes....?" Grimmjow frowned a little.

"What do you like to eat, Mister Grimmjow?" she asked. "I'm sure that different types of demons like to eat certain things but is there something you would like to eat....?"

Grimmjow sighed deeply, it had been a while since he had a proper meal. That was his luxury when he had lived with humans, when decades before he had lived as a wild animal and thrived on deers and small animals. Even the past several years he had relied on his former instincts, though he was more discreet with him being isolated from the human population.

".... I liked eggs, I hadn't had those in a long time," he shrugged. At that, Yuzu smiled in surprise and nodded.

"Great....! I'll get started right away," she smiled as she turned for the kitchen.

"Oh, you don't have to do that for me--" Grimmjow replied when he followed her.

"That's okay, I'm responsible for most of the houseworks," she shook her head. "Might as well do the cooking, I'm much better at it than Dad and Karin." Grimmjow, with his cyan eyes catching every movement of her gathering the items for breakfast, blinked when he noticed that Ichigo wasn't mentioned.

"Is.... Ichigo a decent cook then?" he inquired.

"Hmm, she can make a few things for herself, but that's just it. She's not the type to make meals, but considering her new role as a hunter, she probably wouldn't have the time...."

"I see...." Grimmjow moved to sit by the small square table, his eyes not leaving Yuzu when she worked on the stove. That was one of his quirks as a demon. No matter how mundane it was, anything moving cannot leave his sight. ".... Didn't your father tell you much about me? About how I knew you guys?"

"Oh.... Dad did mention once in a while that Mom used to work with a demon," Yuzu replied in realization. "It has to be you, of course. But I can't seem to remember much about you, now that I think about it...."

"Hmm...." sighed the demon. ".... I used to look after you guys, from when you were young cubs."

"Cubs?" she mimicked in slight confusion, and Grimmjow realized his mistake.

"Sorry.... I meant babies, that's what humans called their young," he smirked slightly.

"Anyway, your parents didn't mind that a strong demon like me was looking after children of hunters when they went on with their normal lives. To the other regular humans, of course, it seemed strange that I was doing it."

"Really, how so....?" By now, Grimmjow's keen senses alerted him to the smell of food being cooked before Yuzu moved quickly to gather a plate.

"Looking at me, they wondered why a scary-looking person would baby-sit kids," he remarked. That seemed to make the little girl giggle, as she turned to him. Sure enough, he felt his stomach tightened in hunger now that he saw his food. He hadn't eaten much since returning to Karakura Town yesterday, and even with the plate piled with scrambled eggs and bacons this wasn't sufficient in his diet. But it was better than nothing, as he took the food.

"Thanks...." he nodded.

"No problem....!" smiled Yuzu. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna wake up my sister." She left him alone, leaving Grimmjow to eat his meal. Awkwardly holding his fork, he shoved bite after bite of eggs, and before he noticed it everything was gone within seconds.

"Huh...." he sighed, licking his lips as he stared at the now empty plate. "Just like the first time I've eaten the yellow stuff...."

"Talking to yourself, Grimmjow....?" Grimmjow looked behind his shoulder to see Isshin walking in. The former hunter noticed the empty plate before smiling a little. "I see that Yuzu had made you breakfast," he nodded.

".... Her cooking's similar to Masaki," he complimented and Isshin chuckled a little.

"Is that why you asked for your favorite food?" he asked. Grimmjow simply shrugged, again his eyes habitually watched him going for the cabinet to take out glasses. "Let's see.... it seems that Ichigo had left unusually early, huh?" he inquired.

"Yeah.... she didn't like it when I told her I'll meet her after school," muttered Grimmjow. "I don't know.... maybe if I haven't come here so soon--"

"Don't worry about it, her stubborness comes from me but she'll relent to the idea of partnership," Isshin replied, walking up to him with one glass full with water.

".... It's not the partnership I'm worried about...." he sighed and the hunter knew. "It's true that the other agreement is no different than the ones made with demons.... but I'm not sure if I'm even capable of it. I mean.... I myself is a mixed offspring of two different demons."

"I know that.... but your own parents are of a similar kind to one another, and that makes you unique in your own way," he said.

"That's the thing.... I don't even know my father, yet I got most of my powers from him," sighed Grimmjow. "That and my 'foreign' name. I was only raised by my mother and I thought I would be like her. Then Masaki was the one who pointed it out in the first place. And with you hunters and your modern technology regarding genetics, I can see why I'm considered unique...."

"Well.... you're practically the first and maybe the only one to be such a hybrid," Isshin said, by now taking out a carton of orange juice from the fridge as he glanced back at Grimmjow. "A bakeneko.... a Japanese cat demon said to have magical abilities including shapeshifting into humans and creating hitodama flames. But.... you're also a werecat, whose powers based off the lunar phases much like werewolves of the Western world."

"Yeah, I'm a freak of nature even within the demon world," frowned Grimmjow. "And what we're doing with Ichigo.... it might cause even more trouble for both me and her."

"I know, I don't want it to happen to Ichigo," nodded Isshin. "But Masaki had a hunch about it since she was born. That was a part of her powers since she was descended from a line of priestesses." Grimmjow could only frown, he didn't want be reminded so constantly about Masaki.

But it couldn't be helped. He was her partner, ever since she found him half-dead in the woods. Back then, he was hostile to humans and even more so against hunters, yet she didn't back down from his growls and threats. Even with the rules that any hostile demon will be put to death should they harm hunters, when he slashed at her for getting so close, Masaki managed to convince him for shelter and food. He remembered the first ever time he ate cooked eggs, finding it more delicious than the raw bird eggs he would find in forests.

It took some time to figure out the human world, including basic education and eating real food and even wearing proper clothing. He trusted her and only her, even when she was being courted by Isshin over twenty years ago. But now.... this former hunter before him was the only person he can turn to, regarding Ichigo, as Isshin glanced at him again.

".... You didn't wear the pajama pants I've given you last night, Grimmjow?" he asked in slight confusion.

"I wouldn't wear something that atrocious," Grimmjow frowned. "I may have been living in the woods for seven years but I know what's ugly...."

"But that's my favorite pair, there's nothing wrong with it," he playfully pouted.

"Then you should wear it."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Ichigo just stared ahead, her fingers coiled around her pen as she kept tapping the tip against her papers. She had been feeling irritated since this morning, all because that idiot demon mentioned about meeting her here. No doubt her father will give him directions for here, but she wasn't going to see him anyway. There were plenty of ways to avoid him upon dismissal, but that was only a temporary plan, since he would have to see him back home. Which was all the more irritating, as she scoffed under her breath.

".... Ichigo....?" She glanced to look at Rukia, who seemed worried and confused about her odd behavior. ".... What's wrong?" she whispered quietly. Ichigo just frowned. This wasn't the place to discuss it, as she shook her head.

"I'll tell you later...." she murmured. Rukia got the meaning and simply nodded, it was obviously demon-related so it couldn't be discussed openly among the normal humans. But Ichigo was still upset about this half-assed plan. If they think they could make her do this then they are mistaken. She could stay this stubborn as long as she could, until Grimmjow will finally give up and leave her alone. Maybe then her father and her mentor would get it.

It wasn't long until the lunch period arrived, and with that both she and Rukia went to their usual eating spot on the school rooftop. Ichigo let out a deep sigh as she sat next to her friend, taking out a store-brought pastry out of a paper bag. ".... I have bad news to tell you, Rukia," she frowned.

"Huh....? What is it? Don't tell me your dad's pulling you out of becoming a hunter," said Rukia, munching on her sandwich.

"No, it's worse than that...." she grumbled. "My dad and Kisuke decided-- without my consent-- that I'm getting a partner."

"So that's the worst part?" she questioned in confusion.

"My so-called partner's a demon," scoffed Ichigo. Again, her petite friend was still confused before taking another bite of her food.

"Uh-huh.... well, Kisuke has a demon partner so I don't get your opinion about it," she said. Ichigo stared at her with an annoyed frown, and Rukia frowned back. "What? There's nothing wrong of working with a demon--"

"If it was any demon, I might give it a shot but this is different," she frowned. ".... Do you remember Grimmjow, Rukia?" At that, Rukia blinked in surprise and she smiled a little much to her friend's dismay.

"Grimmjow's back? It's been forever since we last saw him--" she said but her smile dropped by the look on Ichigo's face. "Oh.... right, I remember. You still think that he's the cause of your mother's death," she muttered with a frown.

"Obviously," she scoffed, taking a big bite out of her pastry.

".... Now that I think about it, it's coming up next month, right? The anniversary of her death?" Rukia asked quietly. Ichigo grimaced, mostly out of surprise, when she realized how close the date was.

"The month after that, April ends next week," she reminded. "A worse way for me to have Grimmjow as a partner. Dad couldn't have pick a worse time to do it."

"Ichigo.... you ever thought about a reason why Grimmjow's here, that him being partner with you is a way of redemption of sort?" Rukia pointed out. Ichigo didn't answer, stuffing her face as she glared away. "Maybe.... there was something that he couldn't go with her on that day. Do you ever thought about that?"

".... There was no reason that he couldn't go," Ichigo muttered bitterly, looking up at the sky with only a few clouds floating by. But on that day.... June was known for having constant rain storms, but anyone would have to go somewhere. Even Grimmjow. She remembered the demon often picking her up either from school or her karate classes during those times, even though Grimmjow had appeared irritated of being in the gloomy weather.

Her mother had often joked that him being a cat demon, rain would make him moody since it involved getting wet. Maybe that was why he opted out to get her and her mother went instead on that rainy day.... and because of that, Grimmjow should be blamed for his own selfish reasons.

".... I'm not gonna do it, and that's that," huffed Ichigo. "If Dad thinks Grimmjow's doing it for my sake, then what good would it do for me? It's not gonna bring Mom back...."

"Ichigo...." Rukia sighed sadly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bum you out," she shook her head. "Anyway, he said that he's gonna meet me here after school. But he won't see me, I'll take a different exit."

"Uh, but he's a demon, wouldn't he sense you anyway?" she pointed out.

"As if he would make a scene around people," frowned Ichigo. "You're coming with me, Rukia. I really need to get away from this bullshit."

"But-- ugh, fine.... but if I get in trouble for this, I'll kick your butt," sighed Rukia. "But really, Ichigo, you need to stop having this grudge. It's that type of reason why even the best hunters often die from demon attacks." Ichigo just frowned, plenty of times she had to be fixed up from her reckless fights with demons but she had never came close to dying. Maybe that was why Isshin was forcing her into a partnership.

"Whatever...."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Isshin was still the same as he was over twenty years ago, jovial yet idiotic at the same time with a bizarre taste of clothing. Maybe that was why Grimmjow couldn't find any sensible shirt by the former hunter. After years of living in the forests, he didn't have a chance let alone money to buy better clothes and had to settle with Isshin's hand-me-down. ".... Tch, this one's more uglier than the last," he grumbled, holding up a bright yellow button-down with printed pineapples. "I swear, Masaki, what the hell did you see in him in the first place....?"

Tossing it away, he resumed browsing through a small pile he was given. So far, he managed to find a pair of old jeans that fitted him though it was hanging just slightly off his hips. He should have expected it to happen, that not only his own clothes were gone from this house but so was any traces of his presence before Masaki's death. But he didn't blame Isshin for that; only the blue-haired demon possessed the very few things he cherished the most in his duffel bag. He had already explained to Yuzu about not looking through it, since it was his and his only.

"Tch, I guess.... this isn't so bad," he frowned, when he picked up another shirt. It was light blue patterned with overlapping white flowers. It seemed subtle enough but he still made a face about it. "Oh well...." He put on the shirt and sighed, it was short-sleeved but his body temperature was usually higher than humans so today's weather wouldn't bother him.

"I'm finished dressing up.... What time does Ichigo get out of school?" he called out, standing up from the couch.

"Huh? You're still gonna to meet her?" frowned Isshin, stepping out of the kitchen. He was already sporting his doctor coat, indicating that he had been working throughout the day. "There's a good chance that Ichigo will try to avoid you the moment she sees you, you know. I doubt that she would relent to the partnership just like that."

"I know, that's why I want to try and re-establish the relationship between us, before that day...." he sighed deeply.

"Fine then, if you insist," sighed Isshin. "You know where her school is, Grimmjow?"

"Yeah, one of your dutiful daughter gave me the directions," he replied. At that, Isshin's expression perked up before he grinned.

"My precious Yuzu told you? Oh, she is always so helpful!" he grinned stupidly and Grimmjow frowned at his expression. That was the face he despised plenty of time. "Fine, you go on. Tell me if anything happens."

"All right," Grimmjow nodded as he walked for the foyer. But he suddenly paused and glanced at the former hunter. "Let me ask one question, though...."

"Hm? What is it?"

".... Why did you remove any picture of me with the family from this house?" he asked quietly. Isshin blinked at that then frowned, letting out a deep sigh.

"You should know why, Grimmjow," he said. "With Masaki dead and Ichigo truamatized, there was no reason for you to stick around then. What would be the point of keeping even a hint of you around after all these years....?"

"I see.... I'll see you later," Grimmjow muttered as he turned for the door.

"But, if it makes you feel any better, I've never thrown them out," Isshin assured and the demon glanced back at him in surprise. "I only hidden them away. Masaki would've been mad at me for taking away such memories like that. Don't worry about it so much, Grimmjow."

"Okay.... thanks," he nodded, kneeling to put on a pair of borrowed sneakers. With that, he finally left the house, warm sunlight beaming down on him. He gave off a light shudder, his demonic instincts urging to relish but he naturally supressed it. There was no need to show off his true form, but he could use his supernatural senses to find Ichigo.

Even from early this morning, her scent was imprinted into his mind. It was an artificial smell of pomegranate body wash, and his sharp ears knew that she traveled to the right when she left the house. The directions was still good enough, as he followed it through the designated streets. He soon noticed various passerbys staring at him with a sense of wariness, bringing him back the odd nostalgia. Maybe it had to do with his hair or his slouchful posture, or it could be the humans' instinctive reaction of staying away from him since he was a demon in disguise.

That was something he didn't really like. Most humans were afraid of the unknown, and through that they would always try to destroy said unknown. That was how he lived for most of his life, stealing and attacking villages for the sake of survival. To him, it was kill or be killed ever since the death of his bakeneko mother. He didn't develop the abilities of emitting fire or even manipulating one's dreams. He wished he could have asked her about his foreign father, since to the humans he appeared as a European man.

Back then, he should have known about himself being different than a supposed bakeneko. Whenever there was a full moon, he would feel himself getting stronger and transform into his true form. Even in the daylight he could still transform, but.... he couldn't deal with days that were full of rain. Masaki knew of that soon after meeting him, and that was the secret he would rather keep to himself.

Looking up, he saw a high concrete wall down the street, with a large building behind it. His sharp eyes soon caught teenagers in grey-colored uniform mingling in front of it, this must be Ichigo's school. As soon as he got close to it, some of the students noticed him and stared with the same amount of wariness like any human would. But unlike the adults, the teens stared at him a bit differently with some of the girls seemed intrigued by his rough looks while the boys felt itimidated by his presence.

"Who is he....?"

"Never see him before....?"

"Looks like a Yakuza gang member...."

A gang member? That was a first to Grimmjow, who heard the whispers before turning his attention to the students. "Hey....!" he called out, and many of them froze by his growl-like voice. ".... Do you know where I could find Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Huh? Kurosaki....?" they murmured again, still wary of this stranger. Grimmjow should have expected that, his appearance always scared people no matter what.

".... I'm a friend of her father," he explained. "She's supposed to come to this part-time job I offered to her but she didn't call me in advance. I was wondering if I could find her here...." Once again, he heard their mumblings and he frowned. Kisuke's idea of this lie doesn't seem to be working.

"Um...." one girl spoke out, stepping forward. "I saw Ichigo.... but she left through the back courtyard with her friend just moments ago."

"Oh.... okay," Grimmjow nodded but deep down he was a little surprised. Ichigo was willing to avoid him after all. "Thank you for your time...." He turned and walked away, but he took in a deep inhale. It was pretty faint since the scent of Ichigo's body wash would be gone by now, but he still smelled it as he decidedly traveled to a new direction.

"Damn it, Ichigo.... you can't do this every day," he frowned.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Ichigo chugged on her can of juice, her mind completely absent of Grimmjow. She was glad that she hadn't seen him around when she and Rukia left school. There was absolutely no reason to see that demon, when she can handle her role as a hunter by herself. "You know.... you still have to see him once you go home," Rukia pointed out, and Ichigo scoffed.

"Thank you for bursting my bubble," scoffed the teen, as they walked through the busy city streets. "What's next, you're gonna say I'm stuck with him for the weekend since today's Friday?"

"Well, if you want, you can stay over at my place," she suggested. "But first I have to explain to Brother why you should stay...."

"Forget it. Dad and Kisuke might become persistent about this situation with Grimmjow," Ichigo frowned. "There's no way of getting out of it unless I stay stubborn about it."

"And then what? Are you willing to last weeks, even months, until your father gives up on the idea?"

"Of course," Ichigo challenged, and Rukia frowned at her.

"Geez, I could see why Brother thinks of you as a toublemaker," she sighed deeply.

"Byakuya can say what he wants, but I could care less," frowned Ichigo. "He may be the head of your family, but he's a hard ass. Good thing Kaien's more lenient about what I do."

"Because the Shiba clan is pretty.... odd," Rukia said. "Nobody wants to be married to that family, that's why your dad took up the Kurosaki name."

"Yeah.... something like that," she sighed. She had often wondered why her father took her mother's name, but thinking about she had never heard of any family member on her maternal side. Maybe he only took it so the family name wouldn't get lost forever. But she wouldn't ask him, not when she was still mad at his decisions to have Grimmjow back.

There was just no way....

Suddenly, she felt a shiver and froze in her steps. She knew that feeling so well as she looked around with an intense glare. "Hm? Something wrong, Ichigo?" Rukia asked but her friend squeezed her shoulder.

".... You don't feel it, Rukia?" she muttered. The petite girl blinked but she soon shuddered by the air around them. "There's a strong demon nearby. Pretty strong aura even with so many people around," she whispered.

"I know.... can you pinpoint where it's coming from....?" frowned Rukia. Ichigo glanced around, ahead of them were sections of restaurants and cafes. She felt the presence being stronger there as she cautiously walked ahead. "Be careful...."

"I know that...." she muttered.

"You don't have your weapon with you. The best you can do is observe and relay your findings to your superiors," Rukia reminded. Ichigo's frown deepened, since she was still a novice she would have to report to her mentor Kisuke. She wished she didn't have to but there was no choice in the matter, as they walked up to one cafe. It had a bright yellow awning with pastel-colored circles and dot, typically a general theme for such a cafe. There, they saw the demon with no mistake about it.

Ichigo narrowed her eyes, it was obvious that the demon had veiled himself as a 'human' but it seemed more than that. He appeared tall with some muscles, when she noticed his biceps bulging through the sleeves of his yellow T-shirt. He had bright crimson hair tied back into a spikey ponytail, and he sported a white bandana to cover his eyebrows that seemed to be tattoo'd. Ichigo looked at the demon again, who was attempting to hand out flyers, and realized that he had tribal-like tattoos on him as she saw it on his neck and arms.

Physically wise, he appeared rather dorky in her opinion, but appearance can be decieving. ".... Stay behind me," she muttered as she walked closer. Rukia frowned but did so when Ichigo got close enough.

".... Come on, it's not that bad! There's a benefit of working at a new restaurant!" the demon grinned when he tried to hand out a flyer to a couple of girls that were passing by. Like ignorant but wary humans they were, they immediately backed away and walked in a different direction. "Hey....! I'm not creepy or anything!" he pouted.

".... I could say otherwise," Ichigo spoke out. Upon hearing that, the red-haired demon caught her attention. But he grinned, almost stupidly, as he turned to her.

"Aw, I'm not a bad guy or anything like it," he smiled. "I just opened this place, and I'm handing out flyers to anyone. Either as customers or employees, although I prefer the latter since we're pretty understaffed at the moment."

"Employees? You need workers?" she questioned.

"Of course.... You're a high schooler, right? You could take this, talk to your parents to get permission--" he said when he tried to give her a flyer.

"I'm a first-year, I can't get a job yet," Ichigo frowned.

"Oh, that's a shame," he sighed, before he noticed the petite girl behind Ichigo. "Is she your friend? Maybe she could--" As he took a step forward, he immediately stiffened and his goofy smile fell. Ichigo stiffened as well once she noticed his alerted demeanor, before the demon moved back. "A hunter.... I've never thought I would come across one at your age," he muttered quietly, narrowing his russet eyes.

"How did you found out so quickly then?" she questioned.

"I can sense it, that repellent badge in your back pocket," he pointed out, eyeing at the hidden item with the wristlet loop sticking out. "There's no need for alarm.... I have every right to open a business here--"

"And how could I believe that, coming from a demon like yourself?" Ichigo frowned. The demon looked at her, before putting up a small smirk.

"Considering your age, I don't think you know all the rules of being a hunter," he smirked. "A hunter cannot harrass a 'civilized' demon if they decided to take up residence and/or business as long as said demon reports it to the hunters' headquarters.... I've already done that, and I got all of my paperworks. But unless you think otherwise, I could teach you a thing or two about being better at your job." Ichigo nearly bristled, the demon practically chatising her like a little child.

"And what makes you think you know about hunters?" she scoffed.

"Because.... I've lived around long enough to deal with them," he said with a smirk. "I'm Renji Abarai. Class-A demon, of the Chimera species of the Asiatic breed. Also known as.... a nue," he stated. "Is that good enough for you, or do I still have to explain myself?"

".... Wait a minute, what?" Ichigo shuddered in absolute surprise while Rukia could only gape.

"A nue....? They are rarely seen these days....!" she gasped. But Ichigo was still shocked. Not only was she confronting a rare demon, but a Class-A one at that, when she could barely defeat the Class-B ones. Renji noticed their reactions and smirked lightly, before shaking his head.

"Like I said, I'm not here to start trouble," he said. "The humans are far more interesting to be around in this modern time, so how else I can create a business?"

"But.... but I could care less," Ichigo found her voice as she scowled at him. "How do the other hunters know that you're creating a legitimate business? For all I know, it could be a front just so you can lure in humans for your trap."

"A trap? For ever for, to barbeque their flesh and use thier bones as toothpicks?" Renji could only chuckle, and it made the teen more frustrated. "If that's what you think, then be my guest and work for me to see if I have any so-called trap," he smiled, waving a flyer at her face.

"Why would I work for a demon like you?"

"Because.... I thought at first you're just another amateur hunter, but now.... I find you kinda interesting," he grinned stupidly once more, but Ichigo thought otherwise as she took a step back. "I meant your personality, geez....! I'm not really a creepy guy--"

"Creepy or not, I'll find something out about you so I can get rid of you," she scoffed.

"Oh, is that a promise? If I was an animal, I'd be considered an endangered species," Renji grinned as he narrowed his eyes, his white teeth appeared abnormally sharp when he bared it. "If you dare to harm me, that would cause far more trouble for you, hunter. After all, I'm the 'bringer' of misfortune in more ways than one."

"Is that right...?" she scowled, habitually reaching for her back pocket.

"Ah! Wait a minute, Ichigo!" Rukia gasped out. But before Ichigo could even take out her badge, a blur of blue rushed before her.

"H-huh....?"

"Ichigo!" The teen nearly gasped when she was grabbed roughly by the shoulders. The next thing she knew was a deep rumbling of a fearsome growl, before she glanced up in surprise. It was Grimmjow, with his chest blocking her view from Renji, who seemed mildly surprised.

"Wha-- Grimmjow.... what are you doing here?" she scoffed at him but she was being ignored at the moment, with Grimmjow having his attention on the nue demon. He growled deeply, the sound not exactly being heard by the ignorant humans who were passing by. To them, it looked like a petty spat between two men, though Grimmjow's cyan eyes seemed to glow threateningly at Renji.

But instead of being glared down, Renji simply smirked as he observed the other demon. ".... And who might you be?" he asked, taking a subtle inhale in the air. "Ah, judging by the smell on you, you might be some kinda cat demon, am I right?"

"What of it?" growled Grimmjow but Renji raised his hands up in defense.

"Relax, I'm not the one causing trouble here," he replied. "I'm just a humble businessman when this hunter was accusing me of illegal activities. It's just an honest mistake."

"Why should I believe you?" he growled, his inner instinct aching to be released.

"Oh, I thought as a demon similar to my kind, you would understand--"

"I just heard who you are, but all I can smell is a gross lecherous monkey luring human girls to your place," he scoffed. Renji blinked at that in surprise, before suddenly the air temperature around them seemed to drop.

"What the--" Ichigo gasped and tried to struggle from the blue-haired demon's hold. But Grimmjow didn't back down, now that Renji's smirking demeanor immediately morphed into a more threatening look, with his garnet eyes glowing intensely as he growled lowly.

"Seems that the kitten has the balls to show his claws at me...." he growled.

"Of course.... I have no reason to defend my partner from any demon, regardless of who they are," Grimmjow scoffed. "I guess you can that we're equal.... I'm also a Class-A demon, a hybrid between two feline demons, stronger than either of one at that."

"Huh....? Sounds very boastful, if you ask me," sneered Renji. "But if you're really asking for a fight, that wouldn't go very well for your superiors. You know what happens to troublesome hunters who don't follow orders."

"...." Grimmjow growled lowly. That much was true. In fact, he himself was the reason to help Ichigo before any of that could happen to her. As much as he hated it, he reluctantly backed down, nudging Ichigo away as he continued to glare at the nue demon. "We'll leave but I won't forget your ugly monkey face...." he huffed.

"Is that right? Then I won't forget you or that hunter of yours either," Renji smirked, glancing at the orange-haired teen. "Ichigo, was it? It suits you, I would never guess that a determined hot-headed girl like yourself would have such a delicious-sounding name."

"What was that?!" Ichigo scowled, Grimmjow's strong grip on her was like iron when she struggled again but the blue-haired demon pushed her along while Renji chuckled.

"See you later, Ichigo...." he teased as he waved at the disappearing figures. His eyes then caught Rukia running after the two, and he blinked in slight confusion. Now he had a good look at her, he frowned and scratched at his chin. "Hmm.... I feel like I've seen that girl before...." he mumbled but he shook his head. There was no way, he hadn't been in Karakura Town for years, so that wasn't possible to recognize a human girl.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Do you have any idea you nearly got yourself into?!" Grimmjow all but snarled, following after Ichigo who was jogging away from him on the way home. "I know you don't want to speak to me, but there's no reason to ignore me as well! That guy, I could sense a lot of power from him so you shouldn't have tried to confront him in the first place....!"

"Just shut up, like I need a lecture from someone like you!" scowled Ichigo. "You've been here for barely twenty-four hours, yet you think you can boss me around! You're sadly mistaken if you think so!"

"Well, you deserve one now that I'm your partner," snarled Grimmjow, feeling more concerned than angry. "You're not a grown adult, you're still a kid who still needs to learn the ropes of being a hunter....!"

"Trust me, I've been doing just fine on my own until you walked in!" she scowled in annoyance. "Just back off! I wasn't gonna do anything to that jerk, I only wanted to question him!"

"Either way, you were about to be in deep trouble if I hadn't stepped in....!" Ichigo scoffed, increasing her pace as she saw her house in view. She was showing off another petty behavior, but she didn't care for the moment as she glared over her shoulder. But Grimmjow wasn't right behind, she realized. As soon as she looked forward, the cat demon had already entered the house, through the clinic.

"Aw, shit....!" she frowned. Now she was going to be in serious trouble. Within seconds, she saw her stern-face father standing by the gates and immediate guilt sunk in her stomach. This time, Isshin seemed more livid than usual, his black eyes narrowed in a mix of disappointment and frustration once Ichigo walked up to him. "Dad--"

"To your room...." Isshin scoffed bitterly. Ichigo nearly flinched from his rare angered emotion. Frowning, she obeyed and moved past him to go inside, trying not to think about the look on her father's face. It kept happening more and more frquently since she became a hunter, Isshin's serious demeanor was a complete parallel from the usual goofy and jovial personality she was so used to. Sure, she had found that annoying, but she felt more nervous and even apprehensive every time her father had to give her a weekly lecture about getting injured from demon fights.

She walked through the living room, her eyes caught the sight of the dirty duffel bag settled by the couch. What could be in there that Grimmjow had valuable....? There was no reason to dwell on it, as she made her way upstairs. Isshin walked inside the house, waited until he heard the bedroom door closing, until he let out a stressful sigh. "Grimmjow...." he called out, and almost immediately Grimmjow walked out of the kitchen.

"Sorry for barging on you like that earlier but--" he muttered but Isshin shook his head dismissively.

"Just relay it to me. What exactly happened....?" he frowned.

The demon nearly bared his teeth in grimace, but he couldn't help that his instincts wanted to come out. "Ichigo confronted a Class-A demon, out in the open around humans...." he replied gruffly, much to the former hunter's shock.

"A Class-A? Here in Karakura Town?" he muttered in disbelief. "Does the other hunters know about this?"

"Dunno, but I heard him mention that he has paperworks to open up a business, something about hunters shouldn't harass him for being 'civilized'," he said. "But Ichigo believed he was using his business for more shadier purposes, that's why I stopped her in time."

"Shit.... This demon had probably just arrived, so the news wasn't notified immediately," he frowned before glancing at Grimmjow. "What kind of demon is he, Grimmjow?" he asked.

"He said to be a nue demon, but I only smell some gross monkey in his disguise," Grimmjow grumbled with a grimace.

"A nue? They're rare these days, but to have one here...."

"Will that become a problem?" he questioned, but Isshin shook his head.

"I'll talk about it to Kisuke, he may know something about it," he muttered. "In the meantime.... Ichigo's gonna stay in her room from now on. I want you to escort her home straight from school for the next few weeks. If she wants to be stubborn, then so can I, and I'll have Kisuke as backup if she dares to make a break for it."

"Sounds a little extreme if you ask me," Grimmjow frowned.

"You know how she is, either she gets herself into fights or it comes after her," he sighed. "Anyway.... just do what you can. Since you're also a Class-A demon, it shouldn't be that difficult with that nue around."

"Fine," he agreed but he was still defensive about that Renji person. They should be equal against one another, yet he could sense a more powerful aura out of him, so much so that his own demonic instincts forced him to back down from danger. If that was the case.... then the nue should be a Class-S, the highest rank a demon could be. Not to mention that Renji was a part of the 'endangered' species. Endangered demons were especially protected by the hunters much like actual animals, he knew that, so confronting him again was totally out of the question.

"So now what....? Is she excluded from demon assignments, Shiba?" frowned Grimmjow, walking up to the couch and Isshin blinked in surprise.

"You're still calling me by my old family name?" he asked.

"Kurosaki is Masaki's maiden name. I don't care that the girls share it since they're her daughters," he said, picking up his duffel bag. "You're just the idiot who abandoned his own clan to marry her, only to get out of responsibilities of being the head of the family."

"That's not true," pouted Isshin. "Coming from an ancestral line of priestesses, it's her family traditions to have the maiden name from mother to daughter. Besides that, I'll figure what Ichigo's going to do with some assignments. Only mediocre ones, to see if she likes it." Grimmjow only shrugged, as he lazily opened his bag. It was mostly full of miscellaneous stuff he had collected during his time away, but he didn't care for that at the moment as he then searched into the inner pocket.

They were still there, the few things that he cannot let go since leaving this house. Taking them out, he looked with a sense of saddened nostalgia. "You still have them, huh...?" Isshin asked quietly.

"So what?" grumbled Grimmjow. But the former hunter smiled lightly before he walked away.

"You like to act like a human, don't blame me...." Grimmjow partially ignored him. But that much was true. When he was around Masaki, he had acted as a human, even registered as a 'civilized' demon as long as he didn't cause mayhem against the humans. Which explained why he was always included in the family photos, staring at the few he had with him.

He looked at the earliest one he had, dating back when Masaki was graduating high school. Appearing as a naive but precocious girl that she was, she grinned happily at the camera with a diploma in her hands. And standing right besides her was Grimmjow, virtually the same way as he was looking like now, though sporting a disinterested frown as he was glancing to the side. Back then, his hair was elbow-length and tied into a loose ponytail, and was dressed in frumpy flannel and ripped jeans. That was the style back then, he believed it was called the "Grunge" phrase.

He then switched to a different photo, which was dated about five or six years later, this time showing a significantly older Masaki smiling with her idiot husband. Again, Grimmjow appeared rather grumpily with her; his long hair was messily shorn with a couple of braids to the side though he was wearing a more subdued style of dress shirt and slacks. It was his way of formal attire.... because it was one of the first baby pictures of Ichigo. His partner's child was small but chubby then, sleeping peacefully in her loving mother's arms.

He remembered that time. Even when his dismissive attitude would get in the way, he opened up at the sight of the child and stayed by her side in every waking hour, ignoring the playful teasing of being the 'babysitter' from his human family. He soon moved to the last one, this one more special as it showed the whole family including the young twins.

For once, Grimmjow showed a hint of a positive smirk as he stood next to his devouted partner, who was holding the newest additions with Isshin. But the demon himself-- sans the old plaits on his hair-- was holding four-year-old Ichigo in his arms. The child appeared curious yet happy of being in the picture, dressed in a pink T-shirt with a giant strawberry printed on it. He missed it, he affectionally used to call her Berry-head due to her name, and Ichigo in turn would call her Grimmy with her innocent girly voice.

But now.... Everything had changed. Ichigo was a teenager with a rough scathing voice, not giving any chance of having him here except telling him to get out of her life. "Shit...." he scoffed, hiding the pictures back into his bag. Ichigo hated him now, hating him for a reason he cannot explain so easily.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Huffing in utter agitation, Ichigo couldn't believe how cornered she was. Not only she was grounded for the next three weeks for her constant troubles, but she had to be escorted straight home by none other than Grimmjow and excluded from most of the demon assignments. Because she was still new to being a hunter, her mentor Kisuke vouched for her in the meantime, all just to teach her a lesson. And a lesson it was, as she faced embarrassing murmurs and stares when she left school on Monday afternoon.

There he was, with a disgruntled frown, Grimmjow was standing by the open school gate with his piercing gaze zoomed in on her through the crowd of students. Ichigo simply glared back once she saw him, but ignored him as she walked past him. ".... Ichigo," he sighed, following right after her.

"Why are you even talking to me? You being here is bad enough as it is," huffed Ichigo, nearly glowering at the fact that a lot of her classmates stared at the strange person on her tail. Even with Rukia following her as well, it wasn't enough to calm down her irritation. "Just go away, Grimmjow, I don't need you to follow me home...." she scoffed.

"Of course not, I could call up your mentor and see if he's available for you," he frowned. At that, Ichigo could only grimace. There was no need to bring Kisuke into this, a hunter like him didn't need to be bothered over every little thing the teen would get into.

"Then can I at least stop by to have lunch with Rukia--"

"Your father was direct with your punishment, so you must go straight home," Grimmjow said. "And no friends can visit you, he added," he mentioned, nodding at the petite girl.

"It's all right, I think Ichigo had it coming though," sighed Rukia.

"Whose side are you on....?" Ichigo huffed. But her friend was pretty much right, as she didn't mention her being around during the confrontation. If Byakuya had gotten wind of that, it would be all the more troublesome for both of him.

"You like to rush through things and jump into conclusions before you even get it right," Rukia said. "Maybe you should use this punishment to think things through, Ichigo. That nue demon is nothing to mess with, maybe he really is running a legitimate business."

"Please, I could care less about that guy," she frowned. "It's not my business anymore, now that Dad's grounded me. Thanks to Grimmjow," she added spitefully, stealing a glare at the blue-haired demon.

Grimmjow just frowned, her attitudes towards him seemed to worsen for the past few days, even more so now that she was being punished. ".... It's okay, Ichigo. I'll talk to you tomorrow," nodded Rukia, waving to her as she turned to a different direction.

"Fine, Rukia, see you later," Ichigo sighed as she waved back. Once her friend was gone, she promptly continued walking, ignoring Grimmjow as they made their way home. Grimmjow watched her rushed pace, her body language spoke hostility but there was nothing he could do about it. Even if he could explain everything to her, she would still blame him for Masaki's death. By the time they reached home, Ichigo went in first, going head-first for the stairs.

"See you at dinner...." Grimmjow muttered.

"I'm eating in my room...." Ichigo scowled, going to her room. Grimmjow just sighed tiredly, only the weekend had passed and this was becoming stressful. He wasn't sure if he could handle it for the rest of his supernatural life.

A few days later....

Ichigo glanced up, expecting to see the pain in her behind waiting for her as the bell rang for dismissal. She then glanced at Rukia, who was hoisting her bag over her shoulder, and let out a tired sigh. With every waking hour, she had to come across Grimmjow one way or another, even when she was holing herself up in her bedroom. Even with being grounded, her dad would force her to eat at the family table for breakfast and dinner.

Luckily for her, Grimmjow would take a spare seat next to Yuzu and simply absorbed her enthusiatic chatter as he ate his meal. Karin was rather uninterested of having a demon around at all, but Isshin joined in on the conversation once in a while. But Ichigo didn't like it at all, her family was accepting Grimmjow back as if he wasn't the cause of her mother's death. Strolling through the crowd, she looked at Rukia again when she realized an odd look on her friend's face.

".... Something's bothering you, Rukia?" she asked, catching her attention.

"Huh? No, no.... it's just that Brother seems a little distracted lately," she sighed with a shake of her head.

"As a hunter or as a businessman?"

"I couldn't tell, but I don't want to bother him about it, since he's been working so hard lately," she shrugged. "But even if it is demon-related, he wouldn't tell it to me anyway. Just one more reason to keep me away from the action."

"Don't blame him, that's just his way of saying that he doesn't want to burden you with the responsibilities," Ichigo replied. "Don't worry about it too much, Rukia. I'm sure Byakuya would let you become a hunter one day."

"Hmm, maybe not out in the action, but I wanna help him in some way," said Rukia before looking up. "Oh.... that's interesting," she realized.

"What?" Ichigo looked at her direction and frowned in slight confusion.

"Seems that Grimmjow stopped wearing your Dad's hand-me-downs," she smiled.

"Huh...?" Ichigo looked again and saw Grimmjow standing by the gate. Instead of the atrocious-looking printed shirts her father would have around for the cat demon, he was wearing a casual T-shirt that was burgundy colored with white hemlines. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be wearing a new attire with a pair of dark blue jeans and black dress boots. He zoned in on Ichigo almost immediately, and frowned when the teen simply turned her nose at him.

"Uh.... Hey there, Grimmjow! You look rather different today!" Rukia started up the conversation.

".... Thanks, Shiba insisted on giving me money for new clothes," Grimmjow muttered with a nod.

"Shiba? Oh, you mean Ichigo's dad," she nodded. "At least those clothes suit you."

Grimmjow merely nodded as they walked, once again sensing the hostility from Ichigo. He was getting tired of this, even his demonic instincts were telling him to stop waiting and tell her off right away. But he supressed down as he growled out a sigh, before he saw the petite girl turning to them. "I'm off, Ichigo. Talk to you later," Rukia said.

"All right, bye, Rukia," sighed Ichigo, waving at her who went to another direction. Once Rukia was gone, the teen instantly walked ahead, ignoring Grimmjow who paced up to her.

".... Ichigo, listen," he muttered. But her supposed partner attempted to jog ahead, her eyes set ahead for the route of home. "Damn it, Ichigo, wait and listen....!" scoffed Grimmjow.

"For what? I don't need to listen to someone who goes so low as to tattle on me over some shit," huffed Ichigo.

"I know that but.... let me make it up to you, Ichigo," he requested. "I still have leftovers from your father's money. Why.... don't we have lunch, if that's what you want?" At that suggestion, Ichigo paused in he steps and turned to glare at him, and Grimmjow frowned in confusion. "What?"

"If that's what I want....?" Ichigo scoffed. "Sure, you returning after seven years, you're offering me burgers and fries as if nothing had ever happened back then....?"

"Ichigo--"

"Fuck off, Grimmjow....! It's already bad enough that you're following me like a clingy puppy, I don't need your bait to make me happy!" she scoffed bitterly. Grimmjow frowned, was that what it was....? He knew that Ichigo was unhappy of him being around but he had a feeling that it was deeper than that. He walked up to her, but Ichigo backed away from him with a heated glare.

"Then what will make a difference, Ichigo?" he questioned, his tone low enough so the other passerbys wouldn't hear him. "What can I do to make you happy? What have seven years had done to you that you've been acting so miserable towards me?"

".... You should know the real fucking answer to that, Grimmjow," Ichigo scoffed hurtfully. "If you can tell me the truth of why Mom had to pick me up instead of you on that day.... No, as a matter of fact, even if you do tell me, it still wouldn't change the fact that she's still dead. And you, a selfish bastard of a monster, is still alive and well. A big slap to the face, that's all I'm getting from this shit...."

".... Ichigo--"

"Leave me alone, I'm tired of seeing your ugly face," Ichigo scowled with so much disdain, before turning on her heels and walked off. Grimmjow just stood there, his frown etched sourly on his face as he watched her disappearing among the humans. What was the point.... with all these years he wasted away from his partner's family, only to be condemned day after day by her eldest daughter? Barely a week in, and yet he was beginning to hate being here, trying to assilmilate himself with the human world.

Almost reluctantly, he moved his way home, not wanting to deal with Ichigo's abyssmal behavior. His instincts were saying otherwise, he shouldn't be here in the first place. He deserved to stay in the woods, he had belonged there for most of his life and returning back to it was better than being glared down by some human.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Rushing over to the large Japanese-style manor, Rukia soon entered and was immediately greeted by a maid as she took off her shoes in the foyer. "Good afternoon, Miss Rukia," she greeted her.

"Hi, is my brother home....?" asked Rukia.

"Yes, I believe he's in his office at the moment."

"Thanks...." The petite girl strolled through the long wooden hallways, her pace unhurried and calm. She was so used to walking around the large house, it only seemed like a short trip for her. As she turned a corner, she could see the door of her brother's office slightly opened. She wondered if she could try to talk to him about getting into the demon hunter business this time. Before, Byakuya would dismiss it the moment she could even suggest it to him.

But still, she should keep trying now that Ichigo was now a hunter albeit a very amateurish one at that. But as she quietly reached to the office, she heard him speaking quietly to someone. Stepping closer, she peeked into the slim opening of the door. She saw the fairly tall man in a charcoal business suit, with long jet-black hair, pacing back and forth in a large office with a cell phone in his hand. ".... I see, if he were to be here, then he should have inform me immediately upon his arrival," he muttered quietly, a displeased frown etched on his ivory-skinned face.

Rukia blinked, it must be another business blunder. It was probably the best that she doesn't bother him right now, as she sighed before walking away. But Byakuya briefly glanced up with his dark grey eyes, but thought nothing of it as he resumed pacing. "Tell me this.... he had only arrived just five days ago, and he had yet to inform me of his business being here," he sighed. "He is connected to my family, but it seems that he's either toying with me by his lack of formalities or he really did forget about meeting me."

"Do you want us to relay the news to him, Mr. Kuchiki....?"

Byakuya merely grimaced, finally halting his pace as his eyes narrowed. After all these years, he didn't want to see him at all. But there was no way he could avoid him, now that he was here. Clutching his phone tighter, he nodded with a reluctant sigh. "Yes.... I wish for him to meet me this coming weekend," he muttered. "But.... there's nothing I could do about it anyway. My family has an unfinished business to attend to."

"Very well, sir...."

Byakuya ended the call. But the conversation left him a very bitter taste in his mouth, as he scoffed under his breath. He had hoped it wouldn't have to happen but it was bound to be sooner or later. He moved to sit behind his large desk, his eyes turned to a single framed picture in front of him. It showed a photo of Rukia smiling at the gate of her new high school alongside Ichigo. The picture was a gift to him, though he wasn't the type to openly appreciate things, but he adored it nonetheless.

He stared at it a little longer. His frown deepened with each second, before shaking his head. There was nothing he could do about it, as he looked away. "Rukia...." he mumbled, almost sadly. "I'm sorry that this has to happen to you...."

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Sniffing lightly at his plate, Grimmjow simply blinked out of curiosity. His instincts were often dual-sided due to his mixed heritages, and since most bakeneko acted like domestic cats, his quirks would come out sometimes. Right now, he stared at the dinner made for him and his nose slightly wrinkled at the spicy smell of curry as he gingerly picked at it. Rice he could handle but he was trying to scrap the sauce off the chunks of beef, he didn't want to stress out Yuzu over her cooking.

He briefly turned his attention to Ichigo, who was sitting across from him. The teen seemed more bitter by his presence since earlier today. As much he wanted to explain it, it wouldn't do any good for the both of them. Why would it make any better for Ichigo....? He had looked after her since she was born, he was especially protective of her when Masaki had a foreboding outlook on her daughter. That was why his partner had enlisted him to be by Ichigo's side should something happen to her.

But her premonition had come at a worse time, when he wasn't able to protect her and Ichigo. He remembered the look on her face when he rushed to her bedside after the attack, only to be recoiled when she flinched from his touch. Her tear-filled eyes were widened with fear and anger and grief. She didn't want to hear why he wasn't there for them. Her emotions were more than enough to blame him for Masaki's death, but Isshin had suggested that he should leave the family.

He understood Shiba's reasons, he wasn't wanted there. But there was nothing to extinguish the deal they has made. Any deal sealed with blood was practically magical, and either one of the party could be punished if they were to break it. Looking at Ichigo again.... she was almost of age, but that was least of his concerns for the moment. ".... Mister Grimmjow?" Yuzu spoke out, nearly startling him out of his thoughts before Grimmjow looked at her.

"Hm, yeah?" he nodded.

"You don't.... like curry, do you?" she asked. Grimmjow blinked at her frowning expression and looked down on his plate, he had only taken a few bites of rice and had been pushing around the vegetables and the spicy sauce.

"Um, well, I want to like it but my senses are more sensitive than the average human," he answered with a small smirk. "Sorry, I'm trying it for you, kid."

"It's okay, Mister Grimmjow," she smiled back. "Maybe you can come grocery shopping with me and pick out food that you like."

"I dunno, I've been living on food for years that would make a normal person gag. Unless the store is stocked with raw deer hearts, it might be a bit difficult," he joked.

"Eww, you really eat that?" Karin grimaced at the thought of it.

"Well, I'm not truly used to eating human food, that's not my fault," sighed Grimmjow.

".... Buy him cat food, that should be good enough for him," Ichigo muttered spitefully, catching his attention as the teen dropped her fork onto her now emptied plate. "Since he's a cat demon, he should be able to eat that. Now that we're keeping him as a pet."

"Ahh, don't be like that, Ichigo....!" pouted Yuzu. But Ichigo promptly stood up and left the table, she wouldn't be lectured tonight by her father since he wasn't home. Grimmjow frowned, but one of the twins smiled at him in reassurance. "Doesn't matter, I'm sure I can find something for you, Grimmjow!"

".... Thanks for the generosity," he nodded with a grunt before getting up from his seat as he picked up his half-eaten plate, but his mind went back to Ichigo. There was no reason to mistreat him so badly. Thoughts of himself being looked down by humans was nothing to mess around with, remembering how countless times he had narrowly escaped death from those who had viewed him as a monster.

With a soft growl, he dumped his dish into the sink after throwing away the food. Ichigo was beginning to sound right.... he wasn't sure if he can last a week of being ignored by her. "I'm gonna get some fresh air for a while...." he grunted, moving for the sliding glass back door.

"Oh, okay...." Yuzu frowned in concern. Grimmjow stepped out to the backyard, feeling the crisp but warm air touching his skin. ".... I think he's sad, Karin...." Yuzu muttered quietly, but he heard it clearly as he glanced up at the navy-blue sky.

"Who wouldn't be miserable from Ichigo's behavior lately....?" huffed Karin.

"Maybe we should do something for him--"

"Unless he can stomach a cake, there's no reason to cheer him up with food," said the more cynical twin.

"Oh...."

Grimmjow just sighed, Ichigo's behavior was affecting the younger girls as well. He stared at the sky, small puffs of black clouds drifted by slowly. He looked at the bright crescent moon and his heartbeats fluttered at the sight of it. It was on the waxing side, meaning that he had a little over two weeks until the full moon. Maybe that was why he was feeling irritated, but that sounded like a dumb excuse. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a cell phone.

Technology changed so fast for him, as he eventually managed to dial a number before putting it close to his ear. ".... Hello, hello, hello! This is Urahara Shoten, this is Kisuke Urahara speaking....!"

".... It's me, idiot," frowned Grimmjow, almost regretting calling the hunter in the first place.

"Oh, Grimmjow! What a surprise, I see that you're using your new phone!" replied Urahara cheerfully. "Gotten the hang of it, huh? Seven years in the woods, I assume you being behind on such technology--"

"Stop babbling, I want to talk to you about Ichigo," he muttered.

".... Yes?"

"I think.... I should tell her the truth about why I wasn't able to save her mother on that day," he said quietly, moving away from the door. "I think she should know. I may be a powerful demon but I have limits."

"So.... if you believe by telling her the truth, she's willing to forgive you just like that?" Kisuke questioned rhetorically.

"Well, her attitudes are getting worse by the day. Then again, she had mentioned that telling her the truth wouldn't change the fact that Masaki's dead," he muttered.

"Of course it wouldn't. But still, I assumed you would tolerate her stubborness long enough until she caves in to the idea of partnership--" said Kisuke.

"You don't get it...." growled Grimmjow. "She hates me with all her might. What good would it do for her to accept my explanation....? I'm getting impatient about it, now that each night is getting closer to the full moon."

"Oh, right...." Kisuke said in realization. "I should have noticed it when I retrieved you, but Ichigo's troubles were more important in my mind."

"Doesn't matter, Ichigo keeps telling me off or putting me down. If I don't do anything about it soon, I might regret it later," he scoffed. "I don't want to hurt her, and when the time comes.... it will drive her further away from me."

".... Fine then, tell her about your limitations," sighed the hunter. "You two are supposed to be partners, you need to know one another. Especially your.... weakness, Grimmjow. But if there's any trouble, you know who to call. Later...."

"Yeah, later...." he mumbled as he turned to the door. But as he ended the call, his nose suddenly wiggled at a new scent in the air. He froze in surprise, he recognized it so much that it would make him nervous. He glanced up at the sky again, it was clear saved for a few clouds, but he frowned nonetheless. The weather can change very instantly, and he didn't want to be caught in it. But he hoped he's wrong about it, as he went back inside.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Read and review.

I'll update ASAP!
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Contract	By : NeemaAdaeze Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 10965 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor make money from it

Contract