“Perhaps you should allow Yoruichi to pick up where you left off.”
I looked at him, perplexed but desperate for some kind of relief from my aching mind. “Are you sure, Kisuke? It was my responsibility.”
He shrugged nonchalantly, his shoulders finally drooping as he sighed. “I know you want to help him Mari, but after this last mishap I think it would be beneficial for both of you. You’re becoming more confused with his behavior by the day and he is growing all the more frustrated with your reactions to him. I think a little downtime couldn’t hurt.”
He was right, of course but that didn’t mean that I was overly happy about being replaced. But therein laid the problem, I didn’t know what I wanted or what I was feeling so I coincided. “Alright, if you think it’s for the best. Will you be telling him or shall I?”
He waved his fan in that ridiculous manner, the one that told me he was up to something. His grin was wide when he shooed me out the door. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Mari-chan, it’s all being handled.
.
.
.
The roar and rumblings that sounded from below later that evening told me that Kisuke handling things might not have been the best idea. Urahara had always had a way of irritating people and never took much to raise Grimmjow’s hackles.
‘I think that’s putting it rather lightly, Mistress.” Jun groaned next to me, his tail twitching with the agitation he felt stirring from downstairs.
I pointedly ignored him and his grumblings. This had gone on for weeks, his whining and bitching. I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Grimmjow and it was beginning to not only ware on Jun’s nerves but mine as well. It was like the man was skillfully avoiding being seen during the times I was in the shop and it irked me to no end.
“Mistress,” Jun whined, nudging my thigh with his giant head, forcing me to acknowledge him. “This is foolish, just go see him. I want to see him.”
Growling in my annoyance, I jerked my leg away denying the sting in my heart that said I wanted to see him as well. “It can’t be helped, Kisuke said to stay away.”
‘That man is an idiot, why you listen to him and not your instincts I cannot fathom. I do know, however…” he paused with a growl. ‘That if you do not seek him out, and soon, I will bite you.”
“Oh really?” I drawled sarcastically, smirking down at his glowering face. “And what makes you think you can?”
His response was nothing more than a sulking growl. “Come on, lets go to the kitchen, I’ll sear some tuna for us.”
He perked up at the sound of food, tuna at that but it was only slightly and it pained me to see him this way. We had always been independent before, never needing the company of others for our own survival but things had changed here in the past months, things that I still couldn’t comprehend and was still unsure of.
~
Three more weeks and I had only seen the azure blue demon twice and it was only in passing. He didn’t even spare me a glance and I wondered briefly if he too had been warned by Urahara to stay away, or was he hurt when I turned him over to Yoruichi. She said his progress had been great and that he was picking up things quicker than she had expected. While that was nice to hear, I still missed him and wanted to see this progress for myself. The idea had been turned down flat.
I was sweaty, tired and in a foul mood. I had just spent the better part of my day with Shinji and Kensei at their underground training area, as I had been denied entrance to the one under Urahara’s. My guess was that Grimmjow was down there and so, of course, I was turned away.
Seeking out the Visoreds was perhaps not the smartest idea I had yet to come up with but it gave me exactly what I needed. An outlet for my anger and frustrations. I had known before I went what would be waiting for me, but I guess I had forgotten how strong they were.
Since the day Grimmjow stole my obi Yoruichi has taken over his history lessons and physical training. The reasons why were obvious; we never accomplished anything other than irritating each other and breaking something. Admittedly, in the beginning I was relieved to have my duties taken over, anything to get rid of that frustrating man but then something strange happened. I started to miss that aggravating smirk and his over inflated ego. I thought I was having a mental breakdown.
As time went on I saw less and less of Grimmjow as he was usually busy with Yoruichi and I… well I did everything and more to keep busy. Between attending that sham of a High School to keep tabs on Kurosaki and training well into the night with the Visoreds I barely had a moment of free time at home. But I had to do it, this excruciating schedule was the only way to tire me out enough to sleep at night.
Now beaten and bruised I trudged my way to the back stair, intent on showering and then dieing a peaceful death in my room. Kisuke however, seemed to have other ideas as he was blocking my path. “What do you want, Urahara? As you can see, I’m hardly in the mood for your foolishness.”
“Ouch, Mari-chan,” he smiled bemusedly, his face never betraying his true emotions. “I was merely concerned.” He said calmly, looking pointedly at my legs.
Following his eyes, I winced at the large gapping gash on my inner right thigh. ’Damn, how’d I miss that.’
‘I believe you were trying to dodge that roughens wandering hands when Kensei landed that blow.’ Jun snarled, he truly did have a disliking for Shinji, he always had and funny enough was that I wasn’t even attracted to the skinny blonde.
Shrugging I replied, “It’s just a scratch, I’ll take care of it after my shower.”
I headed for the stairs again passing the amused looking idiot in a green and white bucket hat on the way. I didn’t snap at him like I wanted to, I was exhausted and was in no mood to enter into a battle of words. So I settled on leveling him with a glare. He just waved at me with that hideous fan as his smile widened. It was obvious that he was itching for a fight.
“Fuck off, Kisuke.” I mumbled out half-heartedly.
I didn’t bother to look at his reaction as I continued up the stairs. Like I said I was just too tired both mentally and physically to be goaded into another fight. Shinji hadn’t taken it easy on me today and I could practically hear the shower singing its sirens call.
Shaking his head he approached, the click-clacking of his wooden geta growing louder with ever step he took. “I don’t think you understand, I have to have that taken care of befo-”
Before he could even finish his sentence I was hit with a murderous aura and a roar that shook the very walls of the shoten. It was Grimmjow, of that I was sure. Who or what he was so livid at I couldn’t tell you.
‘He smells it, Mistress. You must-”
Jun’s voice was also drowned out by the snarling blue haired man that appeared, in what seemed out of thin air. Kisuke who was trying to easy slowly forward, as if shielding me from something was ripped away not a second later and his face was replaced by the one I had been longing to see for weeks. But there was something different about him and I realized with horror what it was. His eyes, no longer that breath stealing blue I had come to be so fond of, were replaced by a bright glowing red. It was a mark of his demon heritage and it also meant that his inner demon was pissed.
“Shit,” Kisuke murmured, rubbing head. “Tessai!”
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The look in Grimm’s eyes as he snarled at the sound of Kisuke’s voice. His posture as he concealed me from Urahara’s sight and then the determination rolling off him as he picked me up and sped out the door.
~
Colors whirled around me as we passed this building and that, not stopping until we reached a wooded area on the outskirts of Karakura.
I tried to protest being carried like a child but the look on Grimmjow’s face halted my angry ranting. He looked so determined, like a man on a mission, only it was slightly more dangerous than that. He was running off pure instincts and I had no idea what that mean for me now that we had stopped. "Just be calm mistress, you'll be fine. He'd never hurt you.'
‘Thanks for the tip.’ I thought sarcastically.
He sat me gently onto a snow covered boulder saying nothing as he took deep pulls of the air surrounding him. I didn’t know if he was checking for possible threats or possible prey, either way I could only hope no unsuspecting humans would wander into these woods today for I feared it would be the last day they would ever see.
It didn’t take him long to find whatever it was he was searching for before he knelt before me, running a calloused hand to the leg of my jeans before he easily tore it open, splitting in to the crotch. I squealed. “What are you doing?”
He only looked at me curiously, like it was I that had lost my mind and not him before running his hand to the deep gash. A sound of the likes I had never in my wildest imagination sounded from the back of his throat, welling up emotions in me I previously thought impossible. A long kneeing whine.
My mouth fell open as I stared at him. And I understood; His anger towards Kisuke, his strange actions… everything suddenly made sense. “You care for me.”
He still said nothing but it was all in his eyes. He was pissed and hurt and wanted to care for me. I nodded to him, agreeing to accept his help, though I was curious to how he planned to patch me up with no knowledge of kido and no supplies.
It happened so quickly my squeal died in my throat, replaced by a contented purr. I had been stupid to have forgotten that most demon carried healing enzymes in their saliva but even if I had remembered I still don’t think I would have been prepared when he buried his face between my thighs and began to heal the gash…
“Kami,” I cried as he too had begun to purr, the vibration trickling through my skin and scorching my insides. I almost felt horrible for mewling out like some wanton slut but I couldn’t help it. Just being in his presence was like being drunk on the finest honey wine and his menstruations the throbbing ache between my legs would not be sated.
Just as the last lick at my wound was administered, Grimmjow stiffened inhaling the air before that same horrible snarl ripped from his lips.
Still glazed from the lust and contentment I was feeling I could barely make out the two cloaked shapes that were standing just at the tree line. In the fog of my mind I didn’t realize until it was too late and Tessai held out his hand just as Grimmjow lunged.
“You’d better use a good one, he’s pissed.” Kisuke murmured, thinking it was too low for me to hear. Oh, but I heard it all right.
“Way of Binding, Bakudö 99; Kin!” Within second of the words falling from Tessai’s lips black straps of kido magic spun through the air headed straight for my demon. I growled out.
“NO!” But it was too late. He was already on the ground the wraps binding his movements as more incantations were whispered to keep him still.
White hot rage that I hadn’t felt in years boiled at the pit of my stomach. I could feel my eyes shifting just as Grimmjow’s had done. Blood pooled in my mouth as my fangs lengthened and I could tell by the sheer horror on Kisuke’s face that he knew what a mistake he’d made.
The air was charged with demonic aura and I was surprised to see that it was only mine.
“Shit!” Kisuke yelled. “We gotta stop her before the Old Man catches wind of her spiritual pressure!”
Tessai only nodded and began to whisper to himself.
“Not this time!” I snarled, pushing my self forward in demon step that I hadn’t used since my time in the outer realm.
“Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Way of Binding, Bakudö 61; Rikujökörö!”
I felt every one of the Six Rod’s in the Prison of Light incantation and I knew I’d have many bruises tomorrow. I gasped loudly as they hit me in synchronicity and knocked me flat to the boulder behind me. Grimmjow was still struggling against his bonds and if I were a betting gal I’d say he was more pissed off now than he was before. But that was to be expected.
“Kisuke!” I snarled. “What the fuck is the meaning of this!”
Urahara came closer, ignoring the very serious growls of warning coming from both myself and my blue haired demon at my feet. “Now, now,” he tsk’d, “I couldn’t go and let the both of you eat me now, could I?”
“You had no right to engage in the first place!” I yelled. “Why the hell are you here, anyways?”
His happy smile only grew. “To check on you, of course. Why else would I be here?”
“You tell me, Kisuke. I was perfectly fine as you can see but I think you already knew that, so I want to know why you had to come here?” I taunted, struggling against the strong barrier that held me in place. It was stupid of me to do so, I knew that with Tessai’s abilities I wouldn’t be going anywhere until he said so.
The forest was darkening around us and I wondered if Urahara was waiting for the cover of night to transport us. “I’m sorry, Mari-chan, all will be revealed in due time.”
“Why you-”
“Tanma Otoshi,” Kisuke muttered just before everything went black.
~
Yoruichi gaped in shock as Tessai and Kisuke entered the shop, two unconscious demons under each of his bulking arms.
“What the hell happened?” She demanded, hands on either of her hips, a deep scowl set on her face.
Kisuke stopped dead, turning to face his angry lover with a mixture of awe and anger. “Can the explanations wait? I need you to change her so I can take a look at that cut before he wakes up.”
It didn’t take her long to wander up the stairs after a tired looking Urahara, though she thought he deserved it. Playing around with a mating bond was serious risk and she told him that when he first came up with the idea to separate them until each were ready.
“There is no such thing as ready, Kisuke. Take it from me, if you do this, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of pain.”
He hadn’t listened of course, and she wasn’t sure if this was just his way of protecting the girl he saw as family or if it was his curious nature that naturally wanted to dissect something he was so unfamiliar with. Either way, what had happened here today was just a delicately made bomb that finally exploded.
“Kisuke!” Yoruichi yelled, double checking twice to make sure her keen eyes were not failing her.
He entered with a lazy gate, no longer as cautious as he had just finished securing Grimmjow in the underground training area. “Yeah?”
Yoruichi looked back, a confused expression on her beautiful face. “I thought you said she had a large contusion on her right leg?”
His gray eyes narrowed, bending down to have a look himself. “I did and there was.”
“Well, it’s not there now but I wonder…” She trailed off, taking a demure whiff of the air. “Grimmjow.”
“Huh?” Kisuke asked, scratching at the back of his head.
“He healed her himself. Most demons of standing have healing properties in their saliva.” she said thoughtfully, covering the girls leg once more with the heavy comforter on her large futon. “Tessai.” She called softly, knowing he wouldn’t stray to far from Urahara right now.
“Lady Shihoin,” he nodded.
“Bring Grimmjow and unbind him.”
He blinked once then twice, then looked to his boss who looked just as dumfounded as he felt.
“What? Why would he do that?” Urahara finally spluttered out moving to block the doorway and trapping Tessai inside. Not that would stop him if he actually wanted to go.
Golden eyes rolled upwards as she sighed. “Look, if you leave him down there now, he’s going to hurt himself and possibly take this house down around us looking for her. It’s too late to keep them apart anymore. She reeks of him now… you have no choice.”
“And you actually think I’m going to leave him up here without supervision so he can kill us all in our sleep, you’ve gotta be kidding, right?”
The purple haired goddess of flash shook her head. “I’m one hundred percent serious in this, Kisuke.” She said, shooting him a look that booked no arguments. Then she smiled, lecherously as she sidled up next to her shaggy blonde lover. “Besides, I don’t think his first reaction will be to kill, if you catch my meaning.”
He looked blankly at her for a moment than to Tessai who cocked an eyebrow as if to say “Are you really that stupid?” “OHHH! Now I get it… but wait- she’s just a baby and that…mrphhh!”
“That’s better.” Yoruichi mumbled, placing her well remembered binding over his unsuspecting mouth as she drug him out of the room and down the hall. “And Tessai?” she called over her shoulder. “Make sure that he’s comfortable.”
He nodded, smiling inwardly at the sight of his friend being drug by the ear into his bedroom followed by shrieks and wails and laughter.
“Such a strange house.” he muttered to himself. “Alright Mr. Jaegerjaquez, let’s hope you can behave.”
“You bastard!” I yelled, taking another swing at his head. It’s blocked of course, and I still have a hard time understanding how he does it. It’s like he anticipates my every move.
He chuckles, his short fangs glinting against the false light of the underground training ring. “You know I like when you talk dirty to me, sugar.” His reply comes with that annoying smirk as he twists my arm around my back and hurls me through the air.
My back meets the stone of the false mountain with a loud crack, surly decimating the stone behind me from the force. As my body slides to the floor my hearing is slightly muffled but not enough to hear his next comment. “So sexy when you bleed.”
Growling, my eyes narrow from under the veil of my pale hair that had spilled out sometime during our latest argument. “Fuck you. And don’t call me sugar!” Lurching forward I rounded on him and my target; the charm dangling from the navy sash at his hips.
“Too slow,” he whispers, his breath sweet from the spearmint gum he chews overtaking my senses as he purposefully blows in my face. His tactic works, leaving me muddled enough not to see the hands clamping down on the ankle that was aimed to strike him.
He is not gentle as he uses my own leverage against me and once again sends me flying. I crashed to the ground with a muffled cry, sliding to a stop on my side.
‘Why not let him have it, Mistress?’ Jun groans, getting more irritated with me by the second. ‘It’s not like you were that fond of it to begin with.’
‘That’s not the point!’ I bellow and he shrinks back from my anger and as always, I feel bad. ‘He should have asked first.’ I say in a calmer, quieter voice.
This is the way it was. Almost everyday for the past three weeks has been like this. It started when I began giving him demonology lessons. That in itself was becoming a chore as I found out pretty quickly that Grimmjow wasn’t a patient student and when he could understand something well, he got pissed.
It was during his fourth lesson that we came to blows after he nearly took down the wall in Kisuke’s study. It was just as much a mystery to me as it was to anyone else in the shop that day as to why I became so angry. I’ve never been known for having an exceeding amount of control over my temper, but I wasn’t the type to fucking spaz out of some cracked plaster. However, that day something snapped and I attacked. We took out two walls and the door to Kisuke’s bedroom before Yoruichi and Tessai could brake us apart and since then we have been banned for holding our studies in the shop.
From that day on things only got worse. Our fights while always brutal, were different from battles I had been in before. There was no real resolve behind them, as it was nothing more than restlessness that fueled our anger and it always left me feeling unsatisfied, anxious for more. Then a two weeks ago I noticed a beautiful charm, laced through the silk of his obi. I thought nothing of it at first, just an adornment to the already priceless material. That was, until I got a good look at it.
I couldn’t tell you how he acquired it. Only Kisuke himself knew the combination of my fire-safe and while he was a pervert and a pain in the ass, he would never betray my trust in him that way. Nonetheless the jewel incrusted, silver charm was unmistakable.
Taking a step forward. “It couldn’t possibly…” I gasped in disbelief.
“Hey woman, you alright? You look like you just seen…”
Letting his words trail off I took another step forward, my breath growing more ragged with every step. The delicate features of the small charm came into focus, the beautiful topaz eyes of its face, boldly striking out against the white and black of it’s body. I wanted so badly to believe my eyes were playing tricks on me, though I should have known not to deny them for I knew it was mine from the moment I seen it dangling from his waist.
It wasn’t an expensive or priceless piece. Hell, it didn’t even mean anything to me symbolically. It was just a small trinket I had seen in my travels of China. I just had happened to see it glinting in the sunlight from its case in an outdoor market and couldn’t bare to leave the country without it.
“You bastard!” I finally snapped, my hand tightening into a tight fist as I approached him. “Where did you find that?” I barked wanting to hear the traitorous name from his lips. Only two people could have told him my combination and no matter which one of them it was, someone was getting neutered today.
It was a half truth. While I was positive that no one, and I mean no one dropped something so personal of mine into his greedy fingers, I was not so naïve to doubt the ‘little birdies’ help in him gaining it. That would be something I dealt with personally at a later time. Jun shrinking back in fear in the corner of the room only confirmed my suspicions just to who this ‘little birdy’ was.
“Give it back! You know damn well that it’s mine!” I hissed, charging straight for him with a finger poked at his sculpted chest.
His deep azure eyes leveled mine as I brought our faces nose to nose. In my anger I hadn’t even realized my greatest mistake. It was the first time I inhaled that sweet scent. That ridiculous gum that could always be found at the bottoms of everyone’s shoes.
As the tantalizing smell wafted through my brain the ground swayed. It was like a sensory overload and it made me wonder what else this man could do to me if I was so effected by something is menial as the fragrance of the gum he chewed. I scoffed at him, “You know?” I asked as he obnoxiously popped another bubble about the size of my face. “If you ruin one more pair of Yumi’s shoes, he’s going to use his shikai on you.”
As much as I hated to admit it, I loved toying with this man and it was fun to guess and gauge his reactions. Just like now, as I watched his face contort into the smug grin I knew was coming. “Yeah, so?” He asked with all confidence.
Oh to pop his proverbial bubble. It was something I think I enjoyed a little too much.
“Ha!” I cried. “You don’t know do you?”
He said nothing as he crossed two toned arms across his equally toned chest and huffed. I took that as a no. “Yumi might not seem like much but it’s because he only fights with about fifty percent of his ability.”
His eyes widened comically as the realization hit him, those deep aquamarines stirring something in my blood, something I would never willing admit. He knew now, that all those days poking fun at Yumichika were not in his best interest. He swallowed thickly. “What’d you mean? Why?”
I giggled, a girlish sound. A sound that I vowed to God, Kami and Budda to never make again. “Just trust me when I say, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Tck.” He sneered, turning his face away. But I could already see the gears grinding in his head. He was trying to figure it out and I had no intentions to help him. It would all add up eventually. Grimmjow might not be a strategist, but he was far from stupid.
“So, gonna give me back my property?” I asked slowly, wondering what could be ticking through his brain as he approached me. ‘Is he really going to give it back?’
It was my turn to gulp as his nose pressed lightly against my cheek. That heavenly spice of ginger clouding an already fogged mind. He let out a harsh breath, blowing it purposefully into my face and I was a dazed mess. Practically a puddle on the floor before he chuckled. “I think I’ll hold on to it.” Then he was gone.
I blinked in confusion, not having the slightest clue as to what happened to me when he called from the ladder that would carry him upstairs. “You might wanna close your mouth, you don’t wanna catch flies.”
As I raised a hand to my scalding cheek I noticed he was right. My mouth was hanging open like some love struck fool. Snapping my mouth shut quickly, a low growl thundered in my chest as I became conscious to what just happened. His intention had been to distract me all along and it… worked. “BASTARD!”
~
A pale fist aimed directly at my face brought my attention back to the current war I was waging. Dropping in a split, his knuckles miss me by a hairsbreadth and I blew out a gust of air in relief. ‘Damn that was close.’
He growled lowly, the tone taking that of the large cat I knew him to be. It was nothing more than a cautionary warning for me to get my head back in the game but as I watched his eyes flash to a dangerous pale blue then red, I couldn’t shut off the part of my brain that thought his eyes were seductive, sexy.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, Grimmjow smirked. “You better get that pretty fuckin’ head of yours out of the clouds, woman.”
“Kiss my ass, fucker!” I snarled dodging another blow to my face. ‘This is my opening.’ I smiled to myself, hooking my arm through his creased elbowed and using my momentum in a shift kick to take his legs from under him.
“Bend over…” He purrs from the ground, his eyes smoldering with a heat I believe only he can possess. “and I’ll do a lot more than kiss it.”
Frustrated and sick of playing I bend down, securing my fist in his kosode and jerking him up from the floor. “Just give it back!”
His smile is so sure as he leans forward, his eyes glinting with the mischievousness I know is brewing inside of him. And just as I move to strike him in his smug face he disappears, appearing a moment later with the tables turned on me. It’s now me who is being suspended in the air by my robes. With a steady arm he lowers my face to his as he takes a long wiff of the air surrounding me. For a moment the world ceases to exist and there is nothing but him. ‘Is he going to kiss me?’ I wonder.
‘By Kami, I hope so. I’m so sick of watching you two dance around each other I may start hacking up reishi hairballs any moment.’ Jun grumbles and it takes every once of self control I have not to smile.
My eyes drift shut as his pale pink lips draw near and my face flushes. I wait with an impatience I’ve never known for those silky, hot lips to descend. But they never do. My eyes shoot open in surprise when something warm and wet touches the underside of my nose and I gasp. “Not a chance.”
I land on my ass with an ‘oomph’ as Grimmjow releases me and once again darts for the safety of the shop above. I can’t even get mad. Not yet, anyways. I’m still so shocked all I can do is sit in the dirt with my eyes wide. ‘He just licked me.’
‘Yes, he did.’ Jun replied, chuckling and purring in lust at the same time. I knew the fucker wanted nothing more than to poke fun at me, but as he was apart of me the bastard was to horny to do much beside lay there and lick himself.
‘I do not take part in such barbaric behavior.’ He grossed, turning his muzzle up like he was the fuckin’ Queen of Shiba.
‘Ha!’ I laughed mockingly. ‘You’re so full of shit. If you’re any part of me than I know you like getting yourself-”
‘Please stop!’ He begged, throwing his paws over his eyes like it might shield him from my vulgar tongue. ‘It’s one thing to know you’re a woman with a desires and quiet another to see those desires fulfilled. I don’t want to hear about what you do at night.’
‘Are you suggesting I take a lover instead?’ I asked with a shocked smile.
He chuckled, his eyes turning into playful slits. ‘Only if he has azure eyes and smells like ginger and spearmint.’
‘What?’ I nearly yell, rounding on him as if I might strike him dead with my glare alone. ‘That asshole? I would never in a million years! Not if he was the last cock on the earth! Not if he-”
‘Mistress?’
‘What?’ I barked watching his furred lips curl up.
‘You really haven’t noticed yet, have you?’ He asked, rising from his resting place and stalking towards me with purpose.
I looked at him dumbly for a minute, my mind racing to come up with an answer as to what he was referring to, but I was found lacking. ‘What?’
He chuckles all the more as he approaches. His wet nose brushing against the bare skin of my thighs. It cold and very unpleasant and… “Holy shit!” I screech, reaching down and jerking the material of my hakama back up my legs.
“My sashs?” I ask, looking to Jun for some kind of explanation, though I already knew the answer. He just nods his head in affirmation.
Not one, but two silk obi. One in the stunning silver, dotted with the beautiful slate and black spots of Takeo’s fur. The other the near perfect match of Grimmjow’s eyes, and ironically the color of the leather incasing the grip of my zanpakuto. I’d rather die than tell him that though.
I’m still staring at the ladder in with the were-cat himself disappeared as Jun laughs his ass off at my feet, practically rolling in the dirt in his amusement of the situation. The blood in my veins turns to acid and boils dangerously to the surface. My cheeks are surly turning red, I feel their molten heat from the inside out as my top finally blows.
With a whirling pulse of spiritual pressure, scorching white-hot in my fury, I roar. “GRIMMJOW!”
~
Yoruichi P.O.V.
My ears flick to and fro as I listen intently to the sounds filling the shop. It’s oddly quiet for this time of day and as I looked to Kisuke shielding his grin with that hideous fan, I can tell he is wondering the same thing.
“Is it just me or is it quieter than normal?” I ask, waiting for the familiar rumble of the ground beneath us.
Kisuke smirks then starts to fan himself furiously. “It might be quieter but the tension is running high down there.”
Narrowing my eyes at him I can’t help but think that he had planned this all somehow. I knew better than to ask, of course. I knew he would relinquish no such information until he was ready. “Don’t you think you should just tell them?” I ask. It has been a burning question in my mind for weeks now. All the signs are there as well as the delicious heat that raises even my hackles.
With innocent eyes he pouts. “Where would be the fun in that.” He says playfully, stroking that sweet spot behind my ears, the one he knows will get me to agree to nearly anything.
Ignoring the heat and longing growing in my belly, “Kisuke?” I growl, swatting at him leaving five distinct gashes across his calloused hand.
His face finally takes on that hardened look, telling me he was finally being serious. “Look, you know Mari-chan just as well as I do. Do you really think telling her would change anything?”
I sigh shaking my head, knowing he was dead on in his assumption. “She probably wouldn’t believe me if I tried to tell her.” he adds, picking at some unseen lint on his hat before plopping it back on his head.
Fighting the urge to roll my eyes I can’t help but think what idiots men are. Mari might be stubborn as an ox but she not dumb or naïve. She might not want to except her fate but I am far from believing that she would discredit it altogether.
Looking up I see a sad look in his gray eyes, a look I hated on him more than anything and I nudge his hand with my nose. “Pet me.” I command.
He chuckles, “Anything for you, Princess.”
I want to bite him for his stupid remark but the pain in his eyes is so overpowering I was willing to do anything to see that look removed from his gentle face.
“Yoruichi?” He asked as my eyes drift shut. His magical hands expertly rubbing me down with a mastered grace.
“What is it?” I reply, playfully biting at his index finger.
He is silent for a long moment and I wonder what could possibly be so frightening to him that he cannot ask me out loud. “Will you-”
The ground under us shakes violent as the blueberry top of Grimmjow’s head comes whizzing past, chuckling as he slides out the open door.
Not a moment later the wooden planks of the floor tremble again, this time with enough velocity to nearly knock me from my perch on the table. “Gods,” I groan, leaning back to take in Kisuke’s amused face. “What’s he done this time?”
My blond lover levels me with a gaze full of mischief before he chuckles out his reply. “He was carrying two silk obi’s.” He says as if that would explain everything.
It takes me a moment, longer than I’d like to admit before the light bulb in my head flickers to life and my mouth drops open in shock. “She’s going to kill him!” I rasp out, just waiting for that stunning head of platinum and silver to go streaking out after our own blue-eyed devil.
It’s quiet for a moment, enough to hear a pin drop before a serge of spiritual pressure burst through the opening to the underground, causing the shop walls around us to quake and groan. “GRIMMJOW!”
She comes stomping into view a second later, red as a beat and fisting the cloth of her bottoms to her. “Grimmjow, where are you?” She yells strutting past us as if Kisuke and I were never there muttering to herself. “Fucking pervert. Gonna fuckin’ show him…
“Where are you, you hair-ball hacking, leg humping, gum chewing freak?”
“He’s gone.” Kisuke finally says, noting that I’m still much to shocked to talk.
Her eyes flashed red as she turned on heal to face us. “Where?”
Flicking his fan into place, hiding his smile from her view. “Don’ know.”
Scrubbing a hand over her sweaty face, Mari collapses to the floor in front of me. She pounds her head on the hardwood of the table several times before she looks up and sighs. “What the fuck is happening to me?”
I say nothing. I can’t. I promised.
“Kisuke!” I cried in horror, praying that everything was secure inside my robes and hidden from sight.
‘I did as well, Mistress.’ Jun chimed in, his hardy laugh mirroring most of those gathered around the low table.
Kisuke caught the heavy tomb easily, placing at his feet with a giant grin on his scruffy face. My face ignited in a furious blush that rivaled the color of Renji hair as I hissed mentally, ‘You knew he was there and didn’t think to tell me?’
‘Not really?’ Jun replied smugly, his chuckles drowning out his words as he laughed harder.
Bastard. He want’s to play nasty, does he?
‘Now, Mistress.’ His voice quivered nervously and it was my turn to smirk. Had the idiot really believed he would go with out punishment. ‘It was all in good fun.’ He pouted, working his head against my leg in a horrible attempt to butter me up.
“Now Mari-chan, no need to be so hostel so early in the morning. No one saw anything.” Kisuke said cheekily, flicking his wrist so his hideous fan covered his face and I knew in an instant that he was lying.
“Fuck off, pervert.” I told him irritably plopping down in between Yumichika and Yoruichi, hardly caring anymore what anyone thought of my attire. As I said before most of them had already seen it and for the ones who hadn’t well… to fucking bad. I gave Yoruichi the stink eye as sat and she giggled at me of course, blowing off my threatening glare as if it were nothing and I guess to her, it really was nothing.
Thankfully Tessai entered not a moment later, as if sensing my distress signal, loaded down with a tray of green tea and my gargantuan pink mug of French press. I smiled warmly at him as he was the first person I was happy to see this morning. Well that wasn’t entirely true but no one needed to know that.
‘Must you use such language this early, Mistress?’ Jun scolded with narrow eyes from his relaxed point across the room. I blinked stupidly at them for a moment as the man’s sword calloused hand came down to stoke Jun’s muzzle.
I couldn’t even fathom how this was possible. Sure it was nothing to see Jun roaming around unattended but it was certainly another to see Jun so casually draped in someone’s lap that wasn’t my own, in a mans no less.
The stranger, this Arrancar who was now obviously wearing a gigai seemed to take everything in stride, from wearing his new false body, sitting a table surrounded by shinigami and most of all my behemoth cat who for lack of anything else to say, seemed to want to eat him… but not in the literal way.
My cheeks burned, even the thought of my giant, gay cat putting the moves on catnip man had me flustered and admittedly… a little horny.
“What happened to my gigai?” I asked turning to pin Urahara with a look that said ‘I’ll gladly remove your balls if you don’t answer me’.
He gulped audibly. “It was damaged during your fall. I was outdated anyways so instead of fixing it, I put you in a new one. Much more comfortable, don’t you think?”
I thought about this for a moment before I nodded and decided to just let the whole ‘waking up in nothing but my panties’ thing fall by the way side. It really wasn’t worth the breath to argue with. “Alright, next question. Where’s Hana?”
“Who’s the woman?” A gruff male voice interrupted, tearing my thoughts away from the frightened little healer and I thought for a moment I might die as I noted that deep baritone falling from my strangers lips. ‘Get a grip!’
‘Might as well give it up, Mistress.’ Jun purred happily, nudging the strangers hand with his nose, begging for more attention before adding in that same sappy, desire drunk voice, ‘I have.’
“I can see that, you moron!” I snapped angrily, panting heavily as I leveled him with a glare. “The question is, why?”
The man in questions eyes widened and I groaned with the realization that I had spoken aloud. He leaned slightly backwards and to his left, as he whispered in Renji’s ear. “Is she fucking crazy?”
Renji coughed, shaking his head furiously and sputtering around the tea he was choking on as Ikkaku and Yumichika chuckled. Intelligently enough though, both remained silent on the subject. ‘Yeah, you fucking know better.’
There was nothing I could do about it now anyway, I was thoroughly mortified and it wasn’t as if I could take it back so I buried my head in my hands and prayed to Kami for a swift death to take me.
I knew that my prayers laid unanswered as I heard Kisuke chuckle and I heard his fan slap the table top. “This is Mariko Yushima, the scent you were acquiring about earlier and I assure you she not crazy.” Kisuke said, finally butting in on my behalf.
The man narrowed his eyes at me, his azure eyes almost staring through me before he finally gave up on whatever he was searching for and turned to Urahara. “Then who the fuck was she talking to?”
“Jun Takeo,” Kisuke replied easily, pointed looking at the large beast who was nearly in his lap. “He’s her soul-spirit. Her companion, if you will.”
The man’s eyes widened again as he looked down, then back at me. “This thing is yours?” He asked incredulously only to have Jun scowl up at him for calling him a thing.
“Yes!” I hissed in irritation. My nails were biting into my palm hard enough to draw blood as my temper rose. No one and I mean no one spoke of Jun that way… except, for maybe me. “And he’s not a thing!”
‘Mistress, I’m touched.’ Jun replied sappily as his body rose, flicking his tail in the mans face before he rounded the table and plopped his furry head in my lap. It seemed he did so just in the knick of time, for I had every intention of rising up myself and beating the concept into that ignorant man’s head.
“Easy there, Mari-chan.” Yoruichi said softly, gripping the wrist that had already had a rather large ball of Kido building in it. “Grimmjow meant nothing by it. He too will soon understand what it is like to communicate with his soul-spirit. Do not judge to harshly.”
I huffed, releasing the building demon magic from my body and sighed. “Grimmjow, huh?” I asked no one in particular but I was pleasantly surprised when the man answered for himself.
“Yeah, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.”
My head jerked up, gasping slightly as his name sang in recognition. “Sexta…” I whispered, knowing if this was the man I thought he was he’d hear me with little problem.
“Ya got it, sugar.” He replied with a sinister smirk and I had to bite my lip from blurting out to the room just how sexy I thought it was.
‘Thank Kami, I’m not the only one who thinks so.’
‘Shut up, you’re just horny.’ I chastised half-heartedly.
Picking up on that Jun’s ears twitched tickling my thighs through the barely there material of my robes as he teased, ’I’m not the only one, you dirty girl.’
Glaring at Grimmjow from across the table I replied testily. “Don’t call me sugar, blueberry.”
He growled suddenly, low in deep in his warning and for some fucked up reason I had the urge to snap at him and whimper in submission all at the same time. Not willing to remotely lower myself to submitting to a man I just met, I growled back slightly barring my fangs.
“Now, now.” Kisuke chuckled. “Don’t force me to separate you two.”
“Shut up!” We both yelled, garnering a few surprised looks from around the room.
Ikkaku immediately drew back, whispering to Yumichika. “That’s just… scary.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Yumi agreed, covering his smile with his fist. “There so similar it’s almost beautiful.
His smile never had a chance to falter before his forehead met the table in front of him with a loud crack. All eyes snapped to Grimmjow with surprise as he ignored us and continued to glare daggers into the back of Yumi’s head. “Watch your fuckin’ mouth, pretty boy!”
I couldn’t believe it. The man had just growled at me not five minutes ago and now he was defending me… or maybe he was defending himself? Even Renji and Ikkaku were to stunned to say anything and that was saying something.
‘He was not defending himself, Mistress. That feather faced brute was being ugly.’ Jun sneered, as his mind drifted to taking a chunk out of Yumichika’s boney ass.
I sniggered and stroked his ears, earning myself a playful swat and a whimper for more. “There’s a good boy.”
“What’d he say?” Yumi asked, his face growing paler by the minute as his eyes flickered between Jun in my lap to the ex-Arrancar to his immediate left.
“Nothing much,” I replied sugary sweet, waiting for the moment that he sighed in relief. As he did I added. “He was just wondering if your boney ass would have any flavor.”
His violet eyes snapped to mine as his face scrunched up in an angry scowl. “Why you-”
“What?” I snapped, challenging him to say anything more and ignoring Jun’s angry protest when his head slipped from my lap as I raised up to lean across the table. It was a silent standoff, both of us too stubborn to back down.
“Enough,” Yoruichi cried slapping her hands against the table. She surly bored with all our childish bickering and personally, I couldn’t blame her. With a sigh we both relented, staring off into separate corners of the room.
“Now,” she said with an annoyed huff. “If we can all act like civil adults perhaps Kisuke can continue and we can all get out of here.”
I wanted to scoff at her for implying that she was the responsible adult in this situation, which to anyone who actually knew her for any period of time would be down right hysterical, but I held my tongue because less face it; I didn’t want to be stuck at this table any more than any of us did. Don’t get me wrong, I love Urahara, but the less time spent listening to him ramble on in what I like to call his ’geek speak’, the better.
When no one protested, Kisuke sat upright and began filling us in on his new pet science project.
“Wait a minute,” I interjected about ten minutes into his explanation. “Are you saying Grimmjow’s like me?”
I’m sure the awe I was feeling was written all over my face as my eyes cut to the man in question.
Kisuke smiled. “That’s what I love about you, Mari, always so perceptive. But yes, to your question, in a way Grimmjow is much like you.”
“B-but h-how?” I spluttered in disbelief. “He’s an Arrancar?” My eyes never left those pools of deep azure as I tried to convey with my features that though it may have sounded like it, I wasn’t purposefully trying to offend him.
“Not anymore.” Kisuke sang as my head snapped over and my gaze fell on him.
“Explain!” I demanded, growing more annoyed by his smug tone by the minute. I’ve never liked the thought of any poor soul having to play the part of a Guinea pig, Grimmjow was no exception but for some reason when ever I thought of him in that particular arrangement, it severely pissed me off and I was starting to feel a little like a woman who belonged in a padded cell.
“It’s quite simple really.” He informed us casually, taking a languid sip of the freshly brewed tea in front of him. “As most of you know, I am responsible for creating the first Högyoku. For those who don’t, let me explain. The Högyoku is an orb I created with properties capable of dissolving the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollows, allowing one race to subsequently attain the power of the other. However, that is not it’s sole purpose. It’s true power lies in its ability to sense the hearts of those around it, and to materialize their deepest desire, whether it’s a conscious desire or not.”
“Hold on,” I said rubbing my temples to relieve the ache of my throbbing brain. “So Grimmjow’s desire was to become a demon? No-” I muttered, working and re-working the question through. “It was an subconscious desire…” I gasped. “That would mean-”
Kisuke smiled warmly at me as he replied with a jovial, “Yep!”
“I’m so confused.” Renji moaned, letting his head dropped down on the table with a miserable ‘thunk’.
“Me too.” Ikkaku agreed. And pitifully enough he looked within moments of his head exploding.
“Think about it, guys.” I said, perhaps with a bit to much enthusiasm because they just stared at me like I had just grown another tit. I rolled my eyes. “Never mind, don’t think, just listen. If the Högyoku’s true power was to grant the deepest desire of the heart well then it only makes sense that the Högyoku itself would have to be in the direct vicinity of the user for it to work. As Grimmjow was unconscious when he was put directly into the path of the orb, which I’m assuming he was or we wouldn’t be having this conversation, his deepest desire lay in his subconscious. He was probably unaware of such a aspiration ever existing. Which also means the Högyoku is not without it’s limitations. The user would have to already be able to wield the essential power necessary to beget his or her desires, only then would it be able to manifest.”
Yumichika’s head was the next one to pound against the table as he pleaded for me to spit it out in layman’s terms.
“Basically, if Grimmjow’s subconscious desire was to gain the form he has now, he had to have already sustained that power and form sometime previously. Meaning, Grimmjow was a demon or possessed a strong demonic influence before his death.”
As I finished my small speech I noticed the room was silent, not even Jun made a noise. I looked up nervously, afraid that I had finally jumped way off my rocker and offended Kisuke’s brilliance but as I silently watched him, his smile seemed to stretch completely across his face.
“Very astute, Mari.” He crowed as he nudged Tessai’s - who had been staring at me, unblinkingly for the past five minutes with his elbows.
“So, you’re saying I was a demon before I died?” Grimmjow asked, looking a little flabbergasted at the thought. I nodded. “But I don’t remember any of that. How in the Hell am I supposed to deal with this shit now?”
I wanted to tell him that as long as he was up to it, I would help him in anyway I could but Urahara beat me to the punch. “Well…” he started slyly covering part of his face with his fan. I knew then that he was going to embarrass me and the sudden urge to hang myself in the oven didn’t even register on my shook radar. “Mari has a library full of historical scrolls and ledgers on your kind, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind helping you get settled.
‘Fuck wanting to hang myself!’ I seethed. ‘I just wanna bash his face in.’
‘Oh Mistress, come, come. You know you’re not really angry with him. Were you or were you not just thinking about offering the same service yourself?’ Jun teased.
‘Fuck off, know it all.’
‘Where do you think you’re going?’ I asked as he rose from the floor beside my legs and slinked off in the direction of the beautiful blued eyed man- demon… whatever.
‘Where I’m wanted,’ he whined sulkily. ‘He treats me nicer anyways.’ He added as he perched himself against said demon and started to purr, obnoxiously loud.
My eyes cut to his and his slate gray eyes shined mischievously. The bastard was trying to make me jealous. “That’s just because he doesn’t know you yet. Give it time.”
When Grimmjow stared at my curiously, I huffed. “He said that you're nicer than I am.”
The man- demon smirked at that, caressing Jun’s back in deep, long strokes and I was nearly on fire with jealousy. Why I desired that arrogant man to pamper me like a domesticated house pet, I’ll never know. But it was true, I did want it and I was getting closer to becoming a snarling fit of envy with every languid stroke he made. "You don't know shit, pretty kitty."
'Oh mistress, did you hear that? He called me pretty?' Jun crowed, practically basking in his one sided thought process.
'Really? That's all you took away from that?' I scoffed.
It made me wonder momentarily if the demon- Grimmjow knew how irritated I was, for his eyes never left mine and with every careful caress his smirked widened.
“Well,” Grimmjow said after a moment drawing me back from my potentially dangerous thought process. “Are ya up to helping me out or not?”
And with that, all thoughts of sensuous petting flew out the door. For the brilliant speech I made just a few minutes before I sure looked like a moron now. With the thoughts of his rough and masculine hands on my body I had totally forgotten that we had been discussing something before hand. Now I wanted nothing more than to find a shovel, a nice stretch of sand and bury myself alive.
Realizing that I still hadn’t said anything, I turned crimson as I muttered out a sarcastic. “I’d be honored.”
“Thanks, sugar.” He smirked smugly.
Bastard.
