Chapter One; Pity
If only he had his powers, he could go kill the fucker who did this to him. He did it! It's all his fault, and he will die. He has been wondering from city to city for so long. He doesn't even know where he is. The truck he is hitching a ride from tells him to get lost. Grabbing his bag he jogs into town looking for a place to sleep for the night.
Spotting an over pass on his left he jogs through the rain ignoring the stinging cold biting at his toes. With nothing to start a fire he frowns at the downpour. The cold rain wasn't helping him keep warm, or the fact he is missing shoes. He had to give them to the driver of the truck to take him to the next town.
Grimmjow's eyes are still sharp. Losing his powers didn't effect his sight thankfully. He can still spot a tick on a cat's ass from a few miles away. He watches from the shadows as a small woman holding an armful of groceries and and large pink umbrella walks slowly past. Followed by two men who appear drunk and waiting for the woman to reach the tunnel ahead before probably raping and killing her.
Grimmjow is about to shut his eyes to sleep when a gust of wind blows the umbrella from the small woman's hands revealing long auburn hair.
"Well, ain't this a real bitch." Grimmjow curses recognizing that woman. His mind clicks off a few choices in his head followed by the one that wins. He stands up, stretches his back and walks up next to the two guys stalking her. He doesn't have a real reason for helping her other than that annoying voice he has been hearing in his head since losing his powers. It's damn bothersome voice, a real do-gooder.
"Woman." Grimmjow smiles watching her stop and slowly turn around to look him in the eyes.
"I-It's you. We thought you were dead." Her bag falls to the ground spilling food on the sidewalk. The rainwater rapidly soaking into the contents.
"Rumors!" He turns his head toward the two guys holding up baseball bats. "You two run away now. This woman isn't worth getting dead for."
"Fuck you! We saw her first." The man on the right lunges at Grimmjow swinging his bat half-hazardously. Grimmjow ducks quickly and plants his bare foot into the mans gut. The second man manages to crack Grimmjow's right wrist. The loud popping of his bones makes Orihime flinch.
"Fucker! That shit hurts now damn it!" Grimmjow pivots and heel kicks the second man sending him to the ground. Grimmjow grabs a bat and prepares to strike.
"Don't kill!' She says putting her hand on the bat with a frightened look on her face.
"Why not? It's not hard, like popping open a watermelon." He lines up the bat for a good swing.
"Please?" She takes the bat slowly from his hand and tosses it away. Orihime heals the two men and uses a memory chikan given to her by Rukia before turning her attention to Grimmjow. "Why don't we get out of the rain, and I'll look at your wrist.
"You that stupid?" He rolls his eyes at her confused face. "I'm more dangerous than these assholes, and you are just gonna invite me into your place!"
"Um, well, yes." She grabs her waterlogged packages and motions for him to follow her.
After changing her clothes Orihime walks back into the large main room of her apartment. Her mouth falls open in shock seeing Grimmjow sitting on a chair in front of her refrigerator with the door wide open, pulling one thing at a time out and eating it. She takes the opportunity to heal his wrist and then vanish into the bathroom to make a quick phone call.
Grimmjow was finishing off the last piece of chicken when the door flew open and a tall orange haired man runs into the room with a long black sword in his hand. "Yo! Ichigo, wants some chicken? Too bad I just ate the last piece." Grimmjow manages a chuckle before being thrown across the room.
"Inoue! Inoue where are you?" Ichigo yells pointing his sword at the crumpled man on the floor.
"Kurosaki-kun? You are here already?" Inoue looks at her phone in shock.
"What did he do to you?"
"U-Um well, I was walking home in the dark again. Now I know what you are going to say." She lifts her hands and starts her famous Ichigo impression when the door opens again. This time Tatsuki swoops in with a worried look on her face.
"I told you to answer your phone when I call you!" Tatsuki grabs the phone and waves it in front of Orihime's face. "Like this...Hello I'm Orihime." Tatsuki's voice turns shrill as she pretend to be Inoue. "I'm here and alive so down run fourteen blocks to check for my dead corpse."
"I haven't heard this much conversation in a year!" Grimmjow sits up leaning against the wall feeling Ichigo's blade pointing at his throat.
"Well, it's gonna be your last." Ichigo raises his sword to strike when Orihime activates her shield blocking Ichigo's attack. "Inoue! What are you doing! He is an espada, the enemy! Or have you forgotten what they did to you?"
"I will never forget." She stands in front of Ichigo looking angry. "Don't you notice it? He has no reiatsu. He is human, and I won't allow you to kill him." Orihime's voice trembles slightly in fear. She has never spoken up to Ichigo like this before.
"That's impo-" Ichigo blinks taking a closer look at Grimmjow. "You look my age? How'd that happen?" His brown eyes streak over Grimmjow's slightly thinner face and lighter build.
"When I lost my powers I got a few years younger looking. My sexiness turning you on?" Grimmjow flashes Ichigo his widest grin.
"Not at all!" Ichigo's face burns red in embarrassment. "How you lose your powers?"
"It's my business."
"Kurosaki-kun, will you lower your sword now?" Inoue asks checking Grimmjow for injuries.
"Oh yeah." Ichigo scratches his head struggling to accept Grimmjow's presence suddenly popping up.
"So... What are we going to do with him?" Tatsuki asks watching Orihime's hands touch Grimmjow's forehead.
Ichigo frowns when Grimmjow winks at him out of the corner of his eye.
"I have no idea."
"Grimmjow-san, do you have a place to stay?" Orihime asks her eyes moving down to his bare feet and torn clothes.
"I'll manage, I have just fine for over a year now." Grimmjow rises looks at the way they are pitying him and feels like he is going to hurl. "See-ya." He opens the door and vanishes into the night. Only thing worse than losing his powers just happened back in that pink covered apartment. Pity- He doesn't need that. Fuck that. He curls up under the overpass and closes his eyes.
"Grimmjow, you can stay with me."
He opens his eyes to vibrant orange hair and sincere eyes.
