Notes: This is a brief "omake" story set in an Arrancar Ichigo/Captain Grimmjow AU, which will have a longer, stand-alone main story. This is dedicated to Hito.


Chapter 1: The Captain and the Hollow

A rasp at Grimmjow's door woke the captain too early on a morning he meant to sleep longer than the sun.

Grimmjow rolled over in his bed and dragged the pillow over his head. It was daylight already—he could see so even with eyes closed—but he growled his displeasure and waited for sleep to take him once more.

There did not come another noise at his door, but the culprit had not left. If Grimmjow did not answer, Ichigo would sit out there for hours, in that quiet, patient way he always did.

Stupid Hollow.

He should just ignore him. The Hollow needed to learn when to give up, and that Grimmjow was not always available. But then Grimmjow imagined Ichigo sitting in the same position until noon, not making a sound as he waited for him to open the door, and pulled himself upright with a groan.

"What is it, brat?"

The door slid open, and Ichigo stepped inside.

Ichigo wore his favorite sleeveless yukata. His closet was spartan at best, but Grimmjow had noticed he wore this one most often. He suspected Ichigo preferred the softer cotton of this garment to the others. But he was holding the front of the yukata closed with both hands—one at the chest over the spot his Hollow hole was, and the other at the belly. His problem was immediately obvious.

"Where's your belt?"

Ichigo frowned and looked at the floor.

Grimmjow cursed. "They took it, huh?"

"I don't know."

Grimmjow did. Some spineless fucks had stolen Ichigo's belt, just like the other things that had gone missing from Ichigo's sparse belongings lately. Like the sandals. Those hadn't been replaced yet, because Ichigo seemed comfortable enough without shoes. He had been barefoot his whole life in Hueco Mundo, after all. But Grimmjow suspected there were some people who just liked seeing Ichigo barefoot like a peasant.

But there were other things Ichigo did mind, that bothered him enough to look unhappy when they disappeared. The linen bandages he used to wrap across his chest where his Hollow hole was, for instance. He hated when people stared at his Hollow hole, and with it being in such a prominent spot on the center of his chest, the yukata didn't cover it completely. Or the ties he used to hold back his long orange hair. There was probably more, but Ichigo didn't tell Grimmjow about every inconvenience he encountered.

Grimmjow went to his closet and took down a white sash belt from a stack. The fine cotton material and intricate weave identified it as part of a captain's uniform. Though this was probably beyond Ichigo's recognition, it would be noticeable to everyone else in Seireitei.

Grimmjow wrapped it around Ichigo's waist and tied it. Ichigo was capable of doing it himself, but Grimmjow wanted it tied so that the insignia of the ninth division was visible.

Tch. See if anyone dared to steal this.

"There. Now keep better track of your things."

Ichigo fingered his new belt thoughtfully and looked at Grimmjow. He was smiling in that strange way with just his eyes.

Like this, Ichigo didn't look like a Hollow, or an Arrancar, or whatever the fuck he was officially classified as. Grimmjow had once heard that the less an Arrancar retained of their Hollow mask, the more powerful they became, and Ichigo had no mask at all. In his plain blue yukata and bare feet, he looked like a boy from Rukongai.

It was too easy to forget what Ichigo really was, though everyone else seemed intent on reminding both him and Ichigo himself. Constantly.

Grimmjow stretched and gave a yawn that showed all his teeth. "You coming to the new recruit training today?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"You sure? Could be fun. You could scare them shitless."

Grimmjow snickered to himself, though he knew it wouldn't happen. Ichigo in his native state, as Grimmjow had first witnessed him back in Hueco Mundo, would have had fresh Academy graduates pissing themselves. But the reiatsu dampeners around Ichigo's wrists and throat put his available power below the level of a lieutenant. And without his sword, which had been confiscated ever since his arrival in Seireitei, Ichigo looked and felt like an unarmed boy with only modest reiatsu.

If it had been Grimmjow who was gifted with so much raw, innate power, he would die before letting some weaker beings neuter and cuff him like this. Yet Ichigo…

Ichigo was examining leftovers on Grimmjow's table from his dinner the night before.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "That's old. You don't want that."

He went over, intending to toss the remains into the trash so Ichigo wouldn't go pawing through his leftovers like some junkyard dog, but then he saw what had caught the Hollow's attention.

A sweet bean paste bun, which was still untouched because Grimmjow didn't care for sweets. It was probably still reasonably fresh, because the kitchens made pastries fresh every day, and it hadn't been sitting out that long yet.

"Heh. Fine. You can have that."

Permission secured, Ichigo seized the treat and sank his teeth into the soft white bun with a contented noise most unbefitting of a Hollow. The strongest Hollow Grimmjow had ever met, and he could be bought with a fucking snack.

Stupid Hollow.

Ichigo lingered in Grimmjow's quarters for most of the morning, alternating between watching Grimmjow work and dozing on the floor in front of his desk.

Ichigo didn't usually sleep all through the night, and often took short naps during the day to make up for it. Perhaps Hollows didn't have the luxury of uninterrupted sleep. Life in Hueco Mundo was a brutal existence, wherein any new encounter might end in getting devoured. Maybe Ichigo was used to always sleeping with one eye open.

Right now, though, it seemed like both eyes were closed.

Grimmjow put down his pen.

His floor couldn't be all that comfortable, but Ichigo didn't seem to know that, curled up on the hard wood. Strange that he was comfortable enough in a Shinigami's presence to fall asleep. In his current state, Ichigo would be an easy kill if Grimmjow were so inclined to exterminate him.

And there were plenty who would prefer Ichigo dead. Grimmjow wasn't deaf to the mutterings going on around him, questioning why they permitted a Hollow to walk amongst them in the heart of Seireitei when he should be safely restrained or exterminated.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with his mouth half open in that way he did when he was tasting the air for reiatsu. Grimmjow wondered who was coming, but from the eager way Ichigo anticipated the door, he gathered it must be a friend.

Ichigo had precious few of those here, so it could only be Abarai or that Kuchiki girl.

Sure enough, the sound of two sets of footsteps preceded a loud knock on his door.

"Captain Jaegerjaquez!"

The door swung back before he could even answer. Abarai stood taking up the entire doorway. "Oi, Captain. We're looking for Ichigo."

Grimmjow had seen more of Abarai in the last few weeks than he had for all the years before Ichigo entered his life. He didn't need to answer, because Ichigo was already climbing to his feet. The Hollow shot Grimmjow a lingering look over his shoulder, but Grimmjow waved him off.

"Get out of here, brat."

"Thanks, Captain! We'll have him back by nightfall."

Tch. As though Grimmjow needed to know where Ichigo was at all hours, like the Hollow was some kind of pet dog.

Abarai was tolerable, if only because he got Ichigo out of Grimmjow's hair for a few hours at a time. Kuchiki, Grimmjow had hardly noticed her existence before she'd befriended Ichigo, but he supposed she was preferable to that frigid brother of hers. Ichigo could find worse to spend his time with.

And they did always have him back before dark.

The new recruits were nothing special.

Grimmjow had arrived to the training session to observe, but not one amongst the rows and rows of wide-eyed graduates stood out to him, neither in fighting ability nor reiatsu. The recruits had sparred harder, yelled louder, and run faster upon his arrival, for it was common knowledge that division nine's lieutenant position remained vacant and Captain Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez intended to leave it so until someone caught his eye.

Grimmjow left barely a half hour later.

The sun was falling as Grimmjow headed towards the kitchens to pick up his dinner. Dinner tonight was a choice of fish over rice or stewed vegetables in a hearty chicken broth. Grimmjow chose the fish, and almost put back the sweet mung bean jelly before he thought of Ichigo finishing off his dessert bun that morning.

He kept the jelly, and also took an extra.

It was dark by the time he returned to his quarters. Grimmjow ate his dinner alone, and left the two portions of dessert on his desk.

As he set the dirty dishes outside, he looked down the darkening streets, and frowned.

Ichigo was always back by now. Even if he was sleeping on Grimmjow's roof tonight, like he sometimes did, he would have first shown up at Grimmjow's door to show him whatever new snack or trinket he'd obtained from a day out with Abarai and the Kuchiki girl.

Grimmjow checked the roof above his quarters. Ichigo wasn't there.

Could Abarai and Kuchiki really still have him out at this hour?

Tch. Let him stay out all night if he wants to. I'm not his fucking keeper.

Except Ichigo wasn't some wayward kid out on the town. He was a captive Hollow, unarmed and reiatsu suppressed, in a place where almost everyone would prefer him dead.

Grimmjow pulled on a robe and belted it hastily as he stepped out into the night. He was halfway to the sixth division barracks when he spotted Abarai walking down the street. Even in the dark, Grimmjow couldn't mistake that ridiculous red hair for anyone else's.

Abarai was alone.

"Oi, Captain Jaegerjaquez!" Abarai waved when he saw Grimmjow approaching.

Grimmjow didn't return the greeting. "Where is Ichigo?"

"Eh?"

"Ichigo," Grimmjow repeated. "Is he with Kuchiki?"

"Captain Kuchiki?"

"Kuchiki Rukia!" Grimmjow's fingers itched for Pantera. How had someone so stupid as Abarai ever made it to lieutenant rank? "Is he with her?"

"No. Ichigo went back before dinner. He's not with you?"

Abarai's expression was concerned. He wasn't bright enough to lie convincingly; he didn't know where Ichigo was either.

"Where did you last see him?"

"Walking towards your quarters, just before sunset."

Grimmjow had been out getting his dinner. He cursed. Ichigo must have missed him and—and then what? Where would he have gone after that?

He turned to leave with a shunpo, ignoring Abarai shouting after him.

The streets of Seireitei passed in a blur beneath his feet as Grimmjow took to the rooftops, hoping the higher vantage point would give him a better view of the streets below. In the dark, each street looked like the next, the buildings identical and landmarks melting together.

Grimmjow stretched his senses, but Ichigo's reiatsu was suppressed enough that it took some effort to feel even at close distances. As it was now, he sensed nothing at all.

Where had that idiot Hollow wandered off to? Didn't he know how stupid it was to be out alone after dark, or how many people would gladly kill him because they couldn't stand his existence in Seireitei?

Perhaps it hadn't been his choice. Ichigo could have been taken by someone against his will. Maybe he was in Kurotsuchi's lab? But no, Kurotsuchi always informed Grimmjow ahead of time if he wanted Ichigo for testing. That had been a condition of their arrangement.

If not Kurotsuchi, then there could still be countless others who wanted Ichigo for any number of reasons. A Hollow that powerful, made that defenseless—

There!

Grimmjow stopped, grasping at the faint sense of Ichigo's unmistakable Hollow reiatsu. He backtracked and dropped down to street-level.

Two figures stood close together upon a bridge overlooking a small creek. One was Ichigo—with the long hair and the plain yukata, which no Shinigami wore—and the other wore a captain's white haori.

What the hell was Ichigo doing alone with Aizen?

Ichigo turned at Grimmjow's approach, his eyes wide. Grimmjow sensed he had interrupted something he was not meant to.

"Ichigo," he called, and Ichigo came to him gladly.

"Ah, Captain Jaegerjaquez." Aizen smiled. "Was it you who gave him that name?"

Him. Besides Abarai and the Kuchiki girl, Grimmjow had yet to hear another Shinigami call Ichigo a 'him,' rather than an 'it.' Ever polite, Aizen was, even to a Hollow.

"No." Ichigo was looking away—at Grimmjow, at the streets behind them, at the ground. Anywhere but Aizen. What had gotten the Hollow so on edge? "What were you doing?"

"We were just discussing the merits of life in Soul Society compared to Hueco Mundo. Ichigo has adjusted well to his new home."

Grimmjow's heart was racing, though there was no threat. Ichigo was fine—he had only been with Aizen this whole time. "Yeah. He has. We'll be going now."

"Good night, Captain Jaegerjaquez, Ichigo."

The streets were near empty as they walked back to the ninth division's barracks. Ichigo kept pace at Grimmjow's side, his voice as silent as his steps, until Grimmjow finally had to ask.

"What were you really talking about with Aizen back there?"

"What things are like in Soul Society compared to Hueco Mundo," said Ichigo.

"So, exactly as Aizen said? There was nothing else?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"Hn." Grimmjow scowled. "Why did you take off after you left Kuchiki and Abarai? You're lucky it was only Aizen. Have you forgotten how many Shinigami around here would love to make a Hollow-kebab outta you?"

Ichigo made a face. "I can take care of myself."

"Not like this, you can't." Was Ichigo stupid? Maybe he was having a hard time adjusting to his new limits and hadn't quite come to the realization that he was far weaker than his natural state. "So don't be an idiot and go running off with any goddamn Shinigami who gives you the time of day."

Ichigo flashed him a glare so heated that Grimmjow stopped in place. "I didn't want to go with him!"

Grimmjow raised a brow. "Did he force you?"

"No! I—he—" Ichigo struggled to find the right words, then threw up his hands and sighed, quietly. "He was persuasive."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Aizen can be a charming fucker."

From the look Ichigo threw him, Grimmjow did not get it.

They returned to Grimmjow's quarters, where Ichigo zeroed in on the two portions of dessert on the desk.

"You can have them." Grimmjow did not tell him they had been intended for him all along.

Ichigo didn't need to eat, strictly speaking. As far as Grimmjow knew, Hollows only ate spirits and other Hollows, and to that end, they were ruled by their appetite with a monstrous intensity. But Kurotsuchi had commented, in his early findings, that Ichigo's reiatsu was purely his own, rather than the amalgamation of other devoured souls typical of Hollows.

Grimmjow wasn't sure what that meant. That Ichigo had somehow clawed his way to the top of the Hollow food chain by nothing but his own growing power? It was inconceivable.

In any case, the only thing Ichigo seemed hungry for was sweets. It was hard not to stare; Ichigo devoured sweets like he had never tasted anything like it before and never would again.

"You're gonna rot your teeth."

Ichigo ignored him, and started on the second jelly.

While he ate, Grimmjow shed his robe, stripping down to his usual sleep garments. He prepared his bed. Ichigo finished, thanked Grimmjow for the treat, and made to leave.

"Where are you sleeping tonight?"

Ichigo pointed up.

The roof again. Grimmjow couldn't think of a less comfortable place to spend the night.

"Why do you do that? You got your own quarters."

Ichigo shrugged in a surprisingly casual manner. He must have learned the gesture from Abarai. But Grimmjow supposed he slept on his roof for the same reason he napped on the floor while Grimmjow worked, or followed Grimmjow on the rooftops when he was walking the streets.

Whatever. It was none of Grimmjow's business if Ichigo woke up with a horrible cramp in his neck from sleeping on a goddamned roof.

"Fine. See ya, Ichigo."

Grimmjow laid down, and it wasn't until after he heard Ichigo's weight shuffling about on the roof over his head and finally go still that he closed his eyes.

Dumbass Hollow better not fall off the roof and wake him.