I'm so glad I'm done with this story. The more I look at it, the more I hate how it turned out but I'm so sick of it I don't think I can work on it for another day. I've just struggled so much with the last third of this chapter. I don't even know why, it's all content that is perfectly in my element :\ But whatever. The first half is ok, I guess, so try to enjoy.

After the ship was resupplied and all the loot the crew had collected from the imperial ship they'd ransacked was sold or traded, Grimmjow stood at the helm and worked with his men as they navigated the large, imposing ship from where they'd made port. It was tempting to stay docked longer, where Grimmjow's and Ichigo's worlds converged and where the two could meet in comfort, but the pirate captain was most happy while plying the seas, listening to no greater authority than himself and the ocean and Ichigo was happy enough to follow him.

It didn't take the pirate and the merman long to fall into their habit of nightly visits upon the deck of Grimmjow's ship. Just as before they'd made land, Ichigo would wait for nightfall, then climb his way up the side of the haul, slip below the railing, and wait for Grimmjow to come out and meet him.

One warm night, as Grimmjow was finishing off his evening meal and the two spoke of idol things, the captain began noticing the way Ichigo's ever curious gaze would roam the deck of his ship. Of course he'd noticed early in their interactions that the sea creature was a very curious young man, despite that he was apparently older than Grimmjow himself. But it wasn't until that night that it occurred to Grimmjow that Ichigo had probably never really seen much about a human's everyday life. The closest thing to glimpsing a human's personal life was probably the shipwrecks he'd happened upon, submerged deep below the ocean's surface and half buried at the sandy bottom.

Setting aside his plate and utensils, Grimmjow climbed to his feet. Planting his hands on his hips for a moment, he paused and looked down at the merman with an appraising gaze. The mercreature looked up at him with slightly widened eyes, curious, but not mistrusting the way he'd once been.

"Ichigo?" Grimmjow started, smiling a bit as he knelt down on his haunches in front of the creature, "How would you like to see the rest of my ship?"

Ichigo's features lit up excitedly, before draining almost instantly. "I would quite like that… but alas," He flipped his tail up onto the deck and wiggled his fins, something of disappointed smile tugging at his lips, "unless you plan on sinking your beloved ship, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon."

Grimmjow chuckled and grinned like he knew something Ichigo didn't, than stooped closer, "Don't flay me alive with those claws, got it?" Without waiting for an answer and with no further warning given, he slipped one strong arm around Ichigo's shoulders and the other under the mercreature's tale. He grunted as he straightened, pulling the lad from the deck of his ship with him and cradling Ichigo against his body.

Water that seemed to permanently dampen Ichigo's skin wetted the captain's shirt and drip down his arms. It was cool against the warmth of his skin. The mercreature's body was roped with lean but powerful muscle to aid him as he swam through the ocean and he wasn't so surprised to find that Ichigo was incredibly solid, and heavier than he looked. Despite that his stature and build was less broad than Grimmjow himself, Ichigo was longer than the human was tall, by a couple feet at least.

Ichigo yelped a startled sound, arms flying around Grimmjow's neck to cling to the pirate as his weight left the sturdy deck. Wide, surprised eyes flashed up to the pirate's features and he consciously loosened the tight hold his claws had caught against the man's thick sailing coat.

The captain merely chuckled, giving the creature a moment to relax, before he turned from the railing and headed across the deck, toward the entrance that led below. The crew rested after a day of hard labor and a late night of drinking, and the cabin was quiet as Grimmjow navigated the creaky, wooden stairs. When he made it to the base, he peeked around a doorframe, before hurrying past the shared quarters that held the bunks of his crew.

A door marked the end of the short corridor and he backed his way through it, shouldering the unlatched portal open. Once through, he nudged it shut behind them with the toe of his boot, then paused, shifting Ichigo's weight.

In his arms, the creature was silent. The corded muscle of his shoulder blades rippled against Grimmjow's arm as he twisted to look around them. Intelligent, sharp brown eyes took in everything there was to see.

As was to be expected of a ship, the walls, ceiling and floor was all made of wood. All of it was polished by years of care, years of handling, and weathered by years of use. A large -but not unnecessarily so- table sat pushed against one wall, doubling as a desk of sorts. An old but intricately carved lamp of silver sat upon its top. The flame was lit, letting warm light dance around the space. It glinted off the captain's sword, where the weapon had been left to rest against the table's edge, and lit up a small stack of blank paper. A heavy quill pen sat upon the stack, a closed jar of ink near by.

On the opposite side of the room was the captain's bunk. Unlike those his crew slept in, it was a single, not stacked, and was clearly meant for someone of higher standing. Rich, silk sheets lay sleep rumpled upon the mattress's foot. Upon a low chest of drawers at the bed's side, pushed up against the wall that cornered around the side and foot of the bed, a few of the captain's personal belongings sat; pendants, a pouch of coins, the white feather of a sea-fairing bird.

"It's not much," Grimmjow said, his voice quiet in the silence below deck. The rest of his crew slept and it seemed best to keep it that way. He loved his crew as if one and all were brothers, but Ichigo was vulnerable above the water's surface and they were pirates, after all, humans meaner and more inclined towards violence than even normal people.

He moved to carefully settle Ichigo's weight upon the bed, where the merman would have room to more comfortably settle since sitting in the conventional sense didn't go well with his anatomy. "but it's home."

"No, it's wonderful." Ichigo half breathed, as if in awe. Somewhat awkwardly, he maneuvered upon the plush mattress so that he could push his arms underneath of himself and push his upper body more upright. The pirate captain's weight dipped the mattress at his side as Ichigo looked around the small room and as if unconsciously, his long, powerful tail slowly coiled around the man's side, barbed fins carefully kept closed so as to not harm the human.

Grunting an amused sound, Grimmjow let his hands settle on the odd, leathery appendage. He ran his fingertips over the barely there overlapping of flexible scales, traced the subtle, swirling pattern of rich colors and watched the way the warm light of his lamp flickered golden and shimmering over the merman's tail. Until then, he'd only seen the lower half of the creature from afar, or underwater. Ichigo hadn't been shy about it, nor about letting it wound around the pirate on a few occasions before, but nor had he really ever done so above the water.

When his attention made it to the second dorsal fin that ran along the back of the merman's curled tail, leading down toward the wide caudal fin, Grimmjow very carefully trailed his fingers over the rigid edge, where it was folded nearly flat so that the sharp spines didn't protrude. To his surprise, the fin -shorter than Ichigo's other dorsal fin and much less showy than his caudal fin- automatically snapped open with his touch, like an elastic band.

He jerked his hand back, having little desire to find out what the wicked, aggressive barbs felt like, than glanced up as Ichigo shifted.

The merman half rolled over, so that he laid out on his back. He propped his elbows up below himself, so he could lift his upper half and look down his length toward the captain. Fiery, orange hair cascaded over muscled shoulders, hanging down the merman's back. The slitted pupils of his almost serpentine eyes were dilated, making the brown look dark and lively, but he said nothing, so Grimmjow went back to his curious study of the creature's less human looking half.

Looking back down to the low ridge of flexible fin, he gently ran a finger along the membrane between the cartilage that held it open. It was surprisingly soft, silken, almost, like it would tear if he dug his fingers in but Ichigo seemed to have no reservations about his touch, so he assumed that either it was sturdier than it seemed, or the creature trusted him greatly.

As his touch wandered upward, coasting over smooth, muscular tail towards where it began to thicken, the broad, elegant caudal fin fluttered slightly and the thinner end of Ichigo's tail coiled tighter, so that the fin settled in Grimmjow's lap. It splayed wide, but not forcefully or rigidly so. Opened, it was nearly as wide as Grimmjow's legs were long and one half hung over the edge of the bed to drape over the man's bent knees like a blanket.

"Am I bothering you?" Grimmjow asked quietly, his deep voice a little on the hoarse side. He didn't pull his flattened palm from the smooth underside of the merman's tail, though. There was an ever present wetness to it, slick like they still sat underwater, but it was warm and not slimy the way a fish was. "Should I stop?"

There was a slight hesitation to Ichigo's voice as he shifted his weight, "No…just-" He trailed off, cut short, as the burning temperature of the pirate's hand glided upward another inch, exploring the texture and structure of his tail. Involuntarily, his tail coiled even tighter around the human's waist. Swallowing as he studied the man's handsome features, he caught the slight upward tilt to Grimmjow's lips.

He knew the captain couldn't know what was happening. He knew the man was merely indulging his curiosity. But the merman's reactions were automatic, ingrained and instinctive. It wasn't something he could exactly ignore, though he did his best to. He also knew that he should probably put a halt to Grimmjow's exploring, but heat flooded through his body and he couldn't quite bring himself to do so. His tail coiled tighter, not quite harshly, locking around the pirate seated at his side, the way it would should Grimmjow have been another mercreature and should their have been a tide to pull two interlocked, mating sea creatures apart.

The merman spoke up finally, as warm fingers splayed, worked upward, toward where the rich violets of his tail began to blend and bleed into the flesh color of his body. As those fingers found the spineless, flowing fins that lined the front of where his hips would have been had he legs, he finally reached out and settled his hands against Grimmjow's, careful of how his claws pricked at tan skin.

Grimmjow paused and looked up, letting his gaze slowly travel over tensed abdominal muscles, passed prominent clavicles, and finally to Ichigo's features. He arched his brows in silent question, and watched the way handsome, boyish features flushed.

"Uh…" Ichigo hesitated, "I know that you're human, and…inexperienced in sea creature customs…but…"

Before the merman could finish his awkward explanation, Grimmjow barked a laugh and leaned over. When they were nose to nose, he grinned that charming, devilish expression of his and said, "I know." Leaned forward over Ichigo's lithe body, he was nearly laying on the creature, but the well earned muscle of his arms and shoulders kept his weight off the lad. "I realized, and I'll stop if you wish, but know first that it's no accident."

Ichigo flushed brighter and an unconscious, excited swirl of brilliant red flashed through the deep violet of his tail. He swallowed and couldn't seem to force words free, but he tentatively pulled his hands from over the human's.

It was all the answer Grimmjow needed. He closed the small space between them and it was his turn to take the merman by surprise. The pirate captain kissed him so fully, so hotly that for the first time in all his years, Ichigo knew what it felt like to drown.

Unfortunately, all too soon Ichigo had to return to the ocean, unable to stand the dry air any longer. He was reluctant to go, enjoying this new found step forward in their growing relationship, but the pirate captain grinned and kissed his downturned lips until a happy, healthy flush had returned to the merman's features.

"You'll be returning tomorrow night, yes?" Grimmjow asked, the smallest space possible lingering between them.

Like it was the most obvious thing in all the wide world, Ichigo replied, "Of course."

Grimmjow kissed him again, much more chastely, and chuckled, "Then quit pouting."

An almost offended little sound escaped Ichigo's lips, "I wasn't-!" but it would be a lie and he knew it. He also knew Grimmjow to be only teasing, and so he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back and away from the man, "Hmph. I expect better accommodations next evening, you selfish pirate."

Grimmjow barked a laugh, but nodded, "I'll see what I can put together, dear princess."

Ichigo shot him a glare and he laughed all the harder, before standing from the edge of the bed. He crossed the modest room to the door, and pushed it open to peek down the short hall that separated the captain's quarters from the shared room of his sleeping crew. When all seemed quiet still, he went back to the bed and the merman laying there.

As he bent to scoop up the creature he was quickly growing attached too, Ichigo wrapped strong arms around the back of his neck and half clung to him. Something of a frown settled upon his features, the expression thoughtful and maybe a bit regretful. Quietly, as Grimmjow walked them to the door, he asked, "Grimmjow? Why is it that I have to keep hidden from your crew?" The human had never really said as much to him, but it had been an implied, silent understanding between them since they'd befriended each other.

A matching expression crossed the captain's features, blue brows furrowing with an unhappy, disgruntled crease. He was quiet as he navigated the short corridor, careful to keep from scrapping the creature's long tail against the harsh wood of the walls. His heavy boots were surprisingly quiet, his steps surefooted, as he worked his way up the narrow staircase sideways.

Only when they were back upon the deck, shut away from the crew below, did he finally sigh as he crossed towards the railing of his ship. "Because… not all men are like me, Ichigo." He shook his head a bit as he looked out at the lightening horizon, "I think perhaps my first mate might be skeptical at first, but come to accept you and your presence. Shaw's been at my side for a long time now, D as well. But the others… I fear it wouldn't go over well. Sailors are a superstitious lot, pirates included." With another slight, regretful shake of his head, he eased himself to sit crosslegged on the deck, facing the railing and careful with the weight of the merman in his arms. He released Ichigo's tail, letting the creature settle in his lap, and used his now free hand to push long, orange hair back from handsome features. A bit of a smile tugged at one corner of his lips, "Would that I could show you to the world, Ichigo."

"What do you think they would do? If they found out?"

Grimmjow shrugged and made a face. His crew was loyal enough, at least while they thought their captain sane and strong, but still, they were pirates and outlaws one and all. "At best? Disagree and attempt to talk some sense into me. Maybe even desert once we made landfall. At worst? Mutiny here and now, and be done with us both."

"You think they would really do that?"

Again, Grimmjow shrugged. "Some of them. There's a few perhaps would stay loyal, if disapprove." The man pushed a small smile back across his features, "But enough of that. We'll make do and maybe in time I'll be proven wrong."

"I hope that you are." Ichigo half whispered, taking handsome, strong features between his hands.

"As do I." The pirate agreed, equally as quiet, as he looked upon his companion.

Without further words, they parted ways and Ichigo eased himself from the pirate's lap and over the side of the ship. Grimmjow climbed back to his feet as Ichigo disappeared below the surface of the water, and dragged himself back to his bunk. The small room seemed twice as bare as it ever had before.

•••

With the sun already high above, at nearly the midpoint of the day, the first mate and other close members of Captain Jaegerjaquez's crew gathered round the helm as they navigated the ship, following a course that had been discussed and mapped out before they'd left port when last they'd been docked. D-roy was present, a scowl on his features as the lookout stood at the first mate's side.

The captain had yet to rise for the day and that was a rare thing. Troubling, even, with the way he'd been spending his nights as if gone mad. None could figure out what had so consumed the man that he would spend hour after hour, night after night, wandering the deck of his ship or swimming alone this far out to sea. But they all agreed that something wasn't right. Captain Jaegerjaquez had always been a ruthless, determined, but grounded man. He'd always had a cold logic to him, all the features that made him a man worth following. Yet lately he'd been acting strangely and this morning he'd failed to rise and break fast with the rest of the crew like he usually did.

"Cap'ian's not been the same since his attack." The lookout muttered, crossing his arms as he spoke, "I don't know what's gotten into 'im. I found him swimmin' alone the other night. He knows better than anyone how dangerous that is. The sea this far from shore ain't for swimmin'. It's to be respected."

There were vague nods and motions of agreement from the half a dozen men gathered round.

"Think maybe infection's set in?" One suggested, "Could be that he's fevered. Certainly acting like it."

"No, no." Another crewmen, the one to act as doctor when first the captain had been injured months ago, said with a shake of his head. "The wound's long since healed and healed well. Had it somehow gone septic below the new skin it would have killed him by now. He's strong and healthy again, in body, at least."

"I'm telling ya; siren." One man whispered, looking about them like he feared who, or what, might be listening in, "Play too much with gods and they play back. The sea's the worst of 'em all. She don't play nice."

"Think you that if it were a siren, more than just the captain would be gettin' sang too? Sirens lure all men to their deaths."

D-roy grunted and cracked a crooked smile, "They only go for the handsome ones. You're safe."

The man scowled at the lookout, "You callin' me ugly?"

"I'm callin' you ugly." D agreed, clapping the man on the shoulder, "Better to be ugly and safe than pretty and dead."

The few crewmen gathered laughed at that, until another spoke up, "Except that if it's really a siren, it's got our captain and we're all gonna end up dead when it makes him sink his own ship."

A frown crossed Shawlong's normally stoic features, "Never would Grimmjow harm his ship or his crew."

"Aye. Grimmjow wouldn't. But a siren…?"

D-roy crossed himself and shook his head. The entire group, hardy, sea-weathered men one and all, looked skittish. "Enough a this." He hushed, "Shaw and I'll talk to 'im. The resta you keep your eyes open for anything untold. It'll be upta us to make sure Grimmjow's not gotten himself inta somethin' he can't get outta."

With agreeing nods, the group split up and went back to their stations to keep up with the demands of a sea worthy, battle hardened ship. Grimmjow climbed from his bunk almost an hour later and seemed displeased that he'd overslept.

"Shoulda woken me, D." The captain muttered as he made his way to the helm to check their progress and heading.

The lookout slanted him a mostly unreadable look, "Ain't been sleepin' enough at night as it is, Cap'ian."

Grimmjow frowned, brow furrowing, and glanced at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothin', Cap'ian." The lookout shrugged, casting a sharp, appraising eye at the taller man. "Just that we been noticin' your long nights."

The big man frowned all the harder and started as if he'd speak, then paused and glanced over his shoulder.

From nearby, Shawlong crossed the deck and rested a long-fingered hand upon the mighty helm Grimmjow had taken his place at. "You no longer dine with the crew, Grimmjow, and you spend all night upon the deck-"

A bright flash of panic worked its way through Grimmjow's spine, followed closely by a rage that surely showed upon his handsome features. Had his most trusted men been spying on him? But if they had, surely Ichigo would have been discovered and even had they done nothing about the merman, something surely would have been said before then.

"-We've given you your privacy, Captain, but the crew's noticed. We all have."

"We're startin' ta wonder what's goin' on with you." D-roy added. He started to cross his arms over his chest, then thought better of it and kept his stance neutral and easy. The crew was watching, even if it wasn't openly, and there was no need to raise flags. Not yet. The last thing any of them wanted was a mutiny against the captain. "You understand pirates better 'an anyone, Grimm. Some of 'em's been talkin'."

Grimmjow's frown turned confused for half a second, then turned to complete bewilderment. "You think I've been bewitched!" He scoffed, like it was unthinkable. "Think you I've not guarded against such things? Think you I'd let something so foul happen to my ship? My crew? How long have you been sailing under me, D-roy?" He turned to look at his first mate, a displeased, unbelieving expression on his features, "Shawlong? Have the two of you learned nothing about me in all this time?" He shook his head, let a vicious sneer curl his lip, "My nights are mine. My days are mine, this ship, this crew- I'll do as I please with all of it. Get back to your stations. If I hear whispers of this again, someone's being cast off my ship and out of my sight. They can swim back to shore and consider themselves lucky."

D-roy and Shawlong stared for a moment, taken aback by the big man's fiery temper, then the lookout cracked a crooked grin and shook his head. Half saluting, he said, "Aye, Cap'ian!" And swung about to continue his duties. "That's our captain." He added at half the volume as he walked away.

It took Grimmjow a long time to settle down and his displeasure showed in his every move. The crew, from his closest friends down to the newest members who's names he hardly even knew yet, could see just how unhappy he was about the whispered rumors circulating.

He did his best to put an end to them right then and there, but of course, in the back of his mind, the captain knew there was some merit to them.

Later that day, after he'd set things straight with his crew, Grimmjow went about attempting to come up with a solution to the problem of letting Ichigo come aboard more comfortably. His first thought was a wash basin of sorts, but he'd have to wait until making land again for something like that and landfall could be weeks, even months away.

As he thought, he went below deck and strolled through the cargo hold, where crates and chests and barrels of supplies were lashed down. In the near lightlessness of the hold, he found his solution; a large chest nearly as long as he was tall. Ichigo, with his human upper body and long, slim tail, was of course much too long to stretch out in such a thing, but the chest would be deep enough to hold enough sea water for the mercreature to duck completely under if he wished, and if the way the merman always wrapped his tail about the captain was anything to go by, Ichigo was flexible enough to curl his tail a bit and let that be submerged as well.

As Grimmjow decided it would work, at least temporarily, he remembered thinking it ludicrous to bring such a massive chest aboard. When loaded down with supplies, it'd taken four of his men to carry it across the deck and down the stairs, even with rollers under it to help them along.

With a curious frown, he unlatched the top and pushed it open. The groan of straining, salt licked hinges and heavy wood filled the hold and Grimmjow grunted an amused, almost impressed sound as he looked down within to see shining metal.

"No wonder the damn thing's so heavy." He half laughed, throwing the top back further and reaching within to pull out a shining, well crafted, sturdy new sword. It would seem trusting Shawlong with the portion of loot he was willing to spend had been a good choice. The large chest held enough new weaponry for nearly every crewman to trade out their old, worn equipment. All designed to defend his ship.

It was quite the feat, and an impressive cache, to say the least, but then Grimmjow and Shawlong and the rest of the crew were pirates. Back alley contracts and under the table dealings were among their specialties.

With a grin, the captain went about relocating the cache and finding a place within the ship's small 'armory' for easy access should they find themselves under attack. Which they surely would, given that sea battles and looting was their entire goal on most voyages.

It took him more than an hour to empty the massive chest; everything from new swords, to gunpowder, to ammo for the ship's canons. When he was done and satisfied with the location of everything, he took a second look at the trunk. Bent over it, he ran his hands along the inside, feeling the smoothness of the treated wood with critical attention. He even went so far as to jog back up to the deck and fetch a bucket, then filled the bucket with sea water, before lugging it back below.

The water was emptied into the chest and while it wasn't nearly enough to fill it, Grimmjow watched carefully to insure that none leaked. He left it sit for another hour, going about his duties as captain, before returning below to again check the state of the trunk and the water within.

Satisfied that the large chest was indeed water tight, he grinned to himself and let the lid drop shut with a sturdy bang. He'd remove the lid completely, but he'd worry about it later, after he solved his next problem.

One tug upon the handle proved what he'd already assumed; he would never get it up from the hold, across the deck, and back down to where his private quarters were. He figured he could drag it to the stairwell if he had to, but he'd need help for the rest.

Left with only one option, he trooped back upward and cast a glance around before heading toward the helm. As he'd expected, it was being manned by his first mate, which was exactly who he was searching for.

"Shawlong!" There was an obvious upturn to his mood compared to earlier in the day, when he'd been confronted by rumors that may have been a bit more true than he'd like to admit. "Lock the helm. D can keep an eye on our course for a bit, I have need of your help."

The tall, lean man turned to him with a raised brow, but of course did as he was bid and followed behind his captain as the big man turned and headed across the deck. It was obvious by Grimmjow's attitude and wording that nothing ill was underway, and so the first mate had little cause for worry. He followed the man down to the hold, a bit of curiosity bubbling in him, and stopped at Grimmjow's side when the captain paused before a large chest.

He gave the chest a once over, than glanced at the captain to find a shark grin on Grimmjow's handsome features, aimed at him.

Grimmjow moved to one end of the chest and wasn't surprised when his first mate moved to the other end without prompt. "Help me get this to my quarters." He bid, grasping the handle on his side.

Shawlong followed suit and sent a small, skeptical expression across the chest. "Whatever could you possibly need something of this size for, Grimmjow?" Of course he recognized it, and knew after rapping his knuckles against the lid that it had been emptied out.

"The bodies of traitorous men." Grimmjow grunted as he hoisted. As his end lifted off the ground, his first mate did the same and they began working their way toward the stairwell. "In truth, I may have no need of it at all." He admitted, a bit of strain showing in his deep voice. There was a mischievous smirk on his face, though and Shawlong arched dark brows at him. "Might be that it doesn't serve the purpose I intend for it and you'll have to help me drag it back down here all over again."

The climb up the short staircase wasn't an easy thing. Grimmjow led the way, going first and backwards while Shawlong helped him. When they made it to the top, they dropped the chest and Grimmjow rested crossed arms upon its top as they paused for a moment.

"Pray that it works, then." The first mate replied with a slight shake of his head, "Else you'll have to find someone else to help you. I'm too old for this, Captain."

Grimmjow barked a laugh and again snagged hold of the handle on his end. "Nonsense, Shaw. If I thought you too old, I'd have left you on dry land."

They half dragged, half carried the heavy trunk across the deck, much to the amusement and bewilderment of some of the crew that bore witness. Then came the task of lowering it down the second staircase that led towards the sleeping quarters of the crew and captain. Going down proved easier than up, and Grimmjow once more went first, backing down the stairs and mostly letting the chest's weight do the work for him. He merely guided its speed and decent as it slid.

Once the chest was through the door of the captain's quarters, Grimmjow stood in the middle of the room and began working out where to put the damn thing. His quarters were small, but he had the room for it still.

"Have you further need of me, Grimmjow?" Shawlong asked from the doorway, glancing about the room briefly.

"No. Thanks, Shaw."

The first mate bowed slightly and took his leave.

Grimmjow spent the rest of his evening moving the contents of his room around. Everything but the bed, which was built into the room, found a new place. When that was done, he started to wrench the hinges from the trunk, so that the lid could be removed entirely, before thinking better of it. It was a rare thing for someone other than himself to enter his room without express permission. Even so, he decided it might be convenient to be able to shut the trunk and keep its contents, or lack there of, hidden.

When he was done and when the time came, he joined his crew for that evening's meal. Captain and crew alike sat around, eating and drinking their fill, as they celebrated a day survived doing what they all loved. Grimmjow took his leave of the communal meal after the sun had already long since sank below the horizon and half his crew had retired for the evening.

As he trooped up onto the deck of his beloved ship, his steps in tune with the rock of the sea, he breathed deep the scent of wide open skies, deep water and salt. He took his time in crossing the deck to the railing, but even in the dark, he could make out the shape of strong shoulders and the coil of long, flexible tail.

Ichigo sat waiting upon the smooth wood of the ship. He'd not been there long, but long enough to know that Grimmjow was later than usual. He didn't mind though, having been able to smell and hear the festivities happening aboard.

He smiled as the captain strolled up to him, and tipped his head back to look up at the man. "You're late."

Grimmjow chuckled, "So I am." He agreed, bending. Without hesitating this time around, he slipped strong arms under Ichigo's person and lifted the merman.

Not as caught off guard as the previous time, Ichigo only half clung to the pirate this time, and let his tail curl around Grimmjow's side and across the man's lower back. The human seemed not to mind. "Have you better accommodations this night?" He asked, his voice taking on an almost haughty, but teasing edge. There was still a smile on his handsome features.

"I have." Grimmjow announced rather proudly, "At least… I hope. I think it'll work, till we make land and I can come up with something better, at any rate."

The merman shifted in Grimmjow's arms and pulled himself close, "I'm sure it'll do just fine."

Grimmjow chuckled and half buried the lower half of his face against wet, soft orange hair, breathing in that familiar smell of salt and wilderness that could only come with being at sea.

He walked them down the stairwell, mindful of the shared quarters of his crew, and carefully navigated the narrow corridor to his own room. Already set up and filled with fresh, cool water, the trunk he'd dragged in took up the middle of the space, but he didn't settle Ichigo within it yet. Instead, he crossed the room and sat down upon his bed, leaving the merman to rest in his lap.

Still with one arm wrapped loosely but surely around the back of the captain's neck, Ichigo gave the large chest a once over. The lid was open, leaning against one edge of the table turned desk. The inside was of smooth, treated wood and the cool, fresh sea water within was a comforting smell. Ichigo smirked and arched orange brows slightly, "You plan to put me in a box? Am I to be a pet?"

"No! Of course not," Grimmjow shook his head, not realizing his companion was only giving him a hard time, "It's… I had nothing else large enough, it's temporary. If you don't-"

Ichigo turned to face him fully, twisting in the man's lap and planting his hands on the pirate's broad shoulders. He grinned in the man's face, a mischievous glint to his predatory eyes. "No, no, Grimmjow, I jest." He admitted with a laugh. Hanging off the side of the bed, his tail flourished happily, not unlike a wagging motion. "It'll do just fine. Thank you."

"You're cruel." Grimmjow cocked a brow and gave the merman a look, though there was still the hint of a slant to his lips. "I thought perhaps I'd offended you, and that is the last thing I want."

"The last?" The sea creature tilted his head slightly, almost as if in curiosity, but there was a coyness to his voice to let the human know he still only played.

The pirate nodded, his smirk growing a touch wider, a touch more sly. "The very last."

"Than what, good captain, is the first, I wonder?"

"Ah, now that's a dangerous thing to be asking a pirate." The man's grin grew all the wider still and large, calloused but gentle hands shifted in their hold, gliding over smooth skin and settling lower upon the merman's hips.

"Is it?" But there was no real question in Ichigo's low, hushed voice. He once more wrapped his arms tighter about the human. The fingers of one hand coasted through thick, tussled blue hair at the back of the man's head, wicked nails scratching just barely. When Ichigo adjusted the hold of his other, it was to tug lightly but obviously upon the sturdy material of the captain's coat.

"Very." Grimmjow half whispered, his deep voice almost a purr. He began shrugging from the coat as he leaned upward, bringing his features a breath's width from his companion's. "But since you ask;" The coat fell to the bed behind him to be forgotten and he wrapped his arms tight around the merman's middle, "I'll show you anyway."

Ichigo laughed a husky sound into the kiss, his hand tightening in blue hair while the claws of his other found and bit through the shirt over Grimmjow's chest.

The small prick of sharp nails didn't seem to bother the captain, and he pulled tight his arms, drawing Ichigo's torso flush against his own and holding the creature there. His tongue just barely slicked across the seam of Ichigo's lips, tasting salt and something that was distinctly Ichigo.

Of course, Ichigo gladly complied, his hands once more moving and tugging at the pirate's shirt. As the kiss was deepened and the room seemed to heat up around them, his only thought was that humans wore far too much of this silly clothing and it was a great hinderance to his desires.

Grimmjow again released his companion and began working his muscled arms from the sleeves of his shirt. As he did, he leaned his weight over, shifted around, and, without the use of his hands, guided Ichigo so that the merman laid back upon the bed.

An excited flush of brilliant color swirled and bled through the creature's tail, but neither seemed to notice as Grimmjow's shirt was left with his coat and he sat bare chested upon the bed. Hovering over his dear companion, he dragged one hand down Ichigo's front, over firm abdominal muscles and heated, moist skin. He leaned forward, brought his lips and teeth to the merman's collarbone, his chest, his throat, every inch of warm skin that caught his attention. But then he paused, though it was not out of nervousness or reconsideration, merely out of curiosity and maybe even surprise as he directed his attention lower.

Aroused by the attention and unashamed about it, Ichigo gasped quiet little breaths and half writhed with each ghosting of touch against his body. He let his hands wander, let his fingers and sharp claws drag almost carefully across sturdy shoulders, down long, toned arms. But he too paused when Grimmjow did, and it wasn't until he followed the pirate's line of sight that he realized just how much the human had managed to get to him.

Wrapped almost possessively around the captain's wrist -the only part of the human's body within its reach just yet- Ichigo's arousal had fully presented itself.

"That's-" But Grimmjow didn't finish the obvious, as he watched in an odd sort of awe as the merman's hard, yet flexible shaft pulsed against the inside of his arm. In the very back of his lust hazed mind, he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised by the difference in their anatomy. As was needed by a sea creature used to forceful tides and slippery bodies, Ichigo's member was almost serpentine. It was still very much a cock, but it was long and tentacle-like; thick at its base and tapered almost to a point at the tip. There was an automatic, instinctive way it pulsed and writhed in search of more than just warm skin, almost as if it moved of its own accord.

"Yes… Of course it is-" Ichigo's features flushed a brilliant, embarrassed red as he frowned his confusion, unsure exactly what to do now that the pirate seemed so surprised. Surely the man hadn't been expecting female parts… "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Grimmjow chuckled a sinful sound and leaned low again, pushing his features into the crook of the merman's neck, where he lavished the warm skin with a not quite harsh bite. "It makes sense," He continued, more as if to himself than to Ichigo, "that you would be internal. I had wandered about it, on occasion…"

"Of course it would be internal." Ichigo shook his head, sounding as if it made all the sense in the world. In his world, it did. So if anything, his confusion doubled. "How else would it be?"

"Uh, well, like mine, I suppose- Obviously I could see that it wasn't, but…"

The captain trailed off when Ichigo gave him the most bewildered look he'd ever seen on the merman's handsome features. His chuckle was a bit louder, a bit more amused, this time. "Are you… a virgin, Ichigo?"

Ichigo scoffed, "Of course not. I've sired at least half a dozen children and been with as many mermen as I have mermaids."

Grimmjow looked taken aback, until he realized mercreatures probably copulated in much the way fish did, in that they mated, went their separate ways when done, and maybe even laid eggs. Whatever the case, the captain assumed Ichigo had nothing to do with raising said offspring, if he even knew for sure that they had survived past infancy.

Then his smirk returned and he idly wrapped his fingers loosely around the sea creature's shaft, drawing a surprised jerk from Ichigo's body and an equally surprised sound from his throat. "But you've no experience in affairs with humans?"

"N-no…" Ichigo admitted in a half drawl, his claws digging a bit more harshly at Grimmjow's bare arms. The pirate seemed not to mind. "I've told you before; you're the first I did not kill. Why would I have ever seen a human without all that silly clothing?"

"Silly?" Grimmjow laughed as he slowly stroked the length in his hand, "I suppose it would seem that way, wouldn't it? But there's a reason we wear clothing. We don't have the same natural protection you do."

Ichigo frowned, then sighed a sound that was as much pleasure as it was exasperation. "I don't care right now. You can explain it to me later, but right now, I cannot puzzle that over."

The captain smirked an amused, yet devilish expression and agreed. Leaning forward again, he sealed their lips and tightened the loose grip of his hand. When Ichigo moaned, he seized the opportunity and let his tongue run across the razor sharp points of vicious teeth, before finding Ichigo's tongue.

The merman's clawed fingers released the pirate's arms in a hurry, shooting straight for the very last of Grimmjow's annoying clothing. The leather cord that tied shut the front of his breeches was snapped as Ichigo found it too difficult to bother unknotting. He tugged against the fabric and it didn't take much to make the loosened pants slip down Grimmjow's trim hips and pool around his thighs.

Grimmjow's lips tracked along Ichigo's jawline and the merman gladly tipped back his chin to give the man easier access, his gills fluttering open briefly, before sealing shut again with the lack of water. All the while, Grimmjow continued stroking the merman's erection, his easy pace verging on maddening, if the subtle writhing Ichigo was beginning to do was anything to go by. His long, powerful tail -angled out to the side to make room for Grimmjow upon the bed- slowly coiled around behind the human in a heated, almost possessive way.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo half panted. One hand tentatively found the human's cock, but he was too distracted by heat and need to really pay much attention to what the pirate had been telling him. Surprisingly careful of his wicked claws, he grasped the length he found and was pleased by the deep, rumbling sound that came from his partner's throat. "H-hurry up… you needn't take overly long."

The pirate didn't pull back, still licking and biting and kissing at Ichigo's jaw and neck, though avoiding the soft area of his gills. "I was more trying to figure out where…" He admitted, voice taking on a rough, husky edge as Ichigo palmed him.

"Where..? Oh." Right, the differences in their anatomy. Ichigo pulled one hand away from the pirate hovering over him and reached down between them, letting his hand follow the softer, wider scales that formed the underside of his tail. Reluctantly, he released the pirate's length and nudged the man over hard enough to shift Grimmjow's weight, forcing him to either fall across Ichigo's body, or straddle it.

The pirate of course caught himself and ended up straddling the base of his companion's tail. Levering himself more upright, a downward tug to his features and a furrow to his brow because of the rough handling, he looked down at Ichigo in time to watch the merman's features flush anew. The creature's plump bottom lips caught between rows of sharp teeth and Grimmjow almost expected blood. Then boyishly handsome features twisted slightly, before that soft lip was released with a gasp.

Grimmjow pulled his enraptured gaze away long enough to look down between them. A hitched sound left his companion's parted lips and the pirate watched as Ichigo sank fingers into a slitted part in sturdy scales, just a few inches below where the merman's cock twitched and writhed with the attention.

"Here-" Ichigo breathed, spreading his fingers to reveal a soft, fleshy interior.

To say that the pirate was aroused by the short display was an understatement. Even untouched at the moment, his cock pulsed and he grabbed the base. He said nothing as he lined himself up, pushing the head of his stiff member between Ichigo's guiding fingers.

Ichigo arched below the captain as the man eased in, a pleasured sound gasping free of its own accord. His clawed hands found their way back to the big human's shoulders, clutching at strong muscle in need of the extra anchor as bright, excited colors bled through his tail with his pleasure.

Grimmjow groaned at the heat and tightness dragging at his length. He leaned low over Ichigo's upper half as the merman clutched at him almost desperately, and shifted his hips to draw back so that he could thrust forward a little faster, a little more forcefully this time. Ichigo keened below him and stuttered the captain's name.

When they were done, both laid panting in Grimmjow's bed for what seemed a long time, splashed with sweat and salt and the seed Ichigo had spilled between them.

After a few minutes of catching their breaths, Ichigo began levering himself upright, making a face of discomfort as he did. His breathing was still mildly strained and Grimmjow frowned, concerned, before he watched Ichigo twist toward the side of the bed and make to reach for the large chest that held nothing but cool saltwater. The creature's jaw clenched as he swallowed dryly, attempting to find words to tell the man what he needed, but Grimmjow had already figured it out, and was already pulling himself upright to climb over Ichigo.

He rounded the edge of the bed and, still only dawning a pair of pants in which the tie was broken and so didn't stay up, scooped up his partner to carry him over to the chest.

Ichigo heaved a relieved sigh as he entered the cool water, slouching low so that he could submerge the entirety of his top half, before coiling his tail tight so that it didn't hang over the side and in open air. He looked up through the clean water and smiled a thanks at his pirate.

Grimmjow slanted him a fond smirk back and reached into the water, using careful fingertips to trace the curve of Ichigo's jaw. Ichigo merely blinked up at him and leaned into the touch. When he blinked, the milky, clear lid that protected his eyes from salt and ocean water stayed in place, giving him a haunting appearance, but still Grimmjow thought he looked beautiful. After their activities, there was still a lively color to his features and all that long, orange hair hung ethereal about his shoulders and face in the shallow basin of water. His tail was back to a calm, if not pleased looking, rich violet. The edges of nearly invisible, leathery scales shimmered gold with the dance of the flame from the lamp sitting upon Grimmjow's desk nearby.

As he took the sight in -a beauty that he was convinced could not be found in all the human world- Ichigo took the captain's hand in both of his own and pressed his lips to Grimmjow's palm. A gentle exhale pulsed against his wrist below the water, a flurry of tiny bubbles rising from Ichigo's gils, and Grimmjow smiled as he was forced to wander if he'd really went and fell in love with a mythical sea monster.

The moment didn't last, though. A sturdy but not overly loud knock pounded against the wooden door to his quarters and they both jumped. There was a split second where wide brown eyes met equally rounded blue, before Grimmjow spun on his heal to face the door, pulling his hand from the water, and simultaneously pushed closed the sturdy lid of the chest. Just as he was tugging his too loose pants up a bit higher along his hips, the door creaked open a fraction.

"You awake, Captain?" Came the voice of one of his crewmen.

Grimmjow reached over and pulled his shirt from the twisted, tangled sheets on his bed and cleared his throat. "Yeah, what is it?"

The door was pushed open wider, revealing the man in his doorway. Said man glanced around the disheveled room, then at the captain and his half dressed state. He just barely arched a brow but didn't dare ask.

Grimmjow matched his expression, pulling one sleeve of his shirt inside-right, more as a way to keep his hands busy than because he actually planned on putting it back on. "Well?" He prompted again.

"Storm's comin', Captain." The man announced, hovering in the doorway, "Looks like it's gonna be a bad one."

Handsome, angular features quickly took on a serious expression. Grimmjow instantly began tugging his shirt back on. "I'll be up shortly. To your post, make sure D and Shaw are up."

"Aye, Captain." The man nodded and turned, trotting back towards the stairwell that led above deck.

Grimmjow crossed the room in a rush, pushed his door shut again, and returned straight back to the chest that held his companion. As he lifted the lid, Ichigo twisted and rose, cool water streaming from his body and his wet hair. The expression on his features showed he'd heard the exchange.

Kneeling so that he was on the same level as Ichigo, Grimmjow stopped readying long enough to press a quick kiss to salt-licked lips. "I'll not be long," He assured, "Allow me to go up and assess just how bad this is gonna be, than I'll be back. Stay here, alright?"

Ichigo nodded, lifting himself high enough to cross his arms upon the wooden edge of the trunk. He watched as the human that had become his lover bustled about, tugging on sturdy boots and flinging his sea coat around broad shoulders.

Grimmjow paused in the doorway, glancing back at his companion with a grin that showed his love of the sea and everything about it, then turned and, throwing the door closed behind him, dashed down the hall.

With a sigh, the merman shook his head and turned around again so that he could lean back against the wall of the trunk as he yet again sank lower in the shallow water. It wasn't ideal; the water was quickly growing stagnant and the oxygen content was low, making it hard to breathe while under. But so long as the captain was the only one around and he wasn't forced to fully submerge for long, it was acceptable, and certainly more convenient than having to return to the sea in the middle of their time together.

Upon deck, Captain Jaegerjaquez stood against the starboard railing, his open coat fluttering out behind him, and watched with cold blue eyes as lightening shattered the dark upon the horizon. Wind howled over his ship, between the masts. It whipped about the ropes and rigging with angry snapping sounds and he ordered the sails lowered.

His crew scrambled around behind him, following orders as they readied as best they could to weather a storm at sea.

A man walked up to join him and Grimmjow glanced sidelong at him, than went back to studying the approaching storm. The rain hadn't hit them just yet, but he could watch it draw nearer upon the rocking sea's surface.

"Who did you manage to anger?" The crewman asked under his breath as he too watched the storm.

After the conversation he'd had with his first mate and lookout, Grimmjow sneered his dislike of what the man might have been implying. "No one." Grimmjow growled at him, "Storms at sea are common and a regular hazard of sailing. If you can't handle it, get off my ship."

But he wondered briefly; maybe the sea wasn't pleased about his involvement with one of her creatures? Pushing the thought away, he turned from the railing and crossed to the helm. He gave the helmsman a once over, than looked back to the storm. He guessed they had under a half hour before it arrived in all it's violent glory.

"Stand your post for now. When the storm is upon us, I'll take control." He told his helmsman, than let his gaze linger on the entrance below deck. He barely heard the man's agreement of his order, before he headed back towards his room.

Still resting within the chest of ocean water, his back toward the door, Ichigo flinched and ducked lower as he heard multiple sets of footsteps draw near the closed entrance. He twisted over in the water, so that his belly faced downward and he could raise slightly to peek over the edge of the trunk. It was a tight fit for him to do so, but he was a flexible, graceful creature and his movements hardly even stirred the surface of the shallow water.

"I'm telling you-" He heard half whispered from the other side of the door, "Captain's hiding something."

"He seemed back to his old self during the evening meal…" Another voice, sounding unsure about following his companion, countered.

"Yeah, well he seemed suspicious when I came ta wake him up." The first insisted, sounding almost angry.

Ichigo swallowed and flashed sharp teeth towards the closed door. The pirate captain's fears of what would befall Ichigo should his crew find him seeped into the merman's mind. If it were only the two, he was sure he could handle himself against them if it came to that, even on land. Humans were soft and easily broken, after all, but should there be more… He wasn't so sure. Humans were also capable of being very dangerous and strong when in their own element.

A third set of footsteps -the heavy, surefooted thunking of sturdy boots- joined the first two men and Ichigo bristled, the dorsal fin of his tail arching high so that the tips of his spines protruded shark-like from the water.

The third man's voice, however, sent a wave of relief down the merman's spine.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" Grimmjow asked, his rough voice verging on a displeased, aggressive growl as he eyed the two crewmen standing before his room. The door was still shut though, and the two didn't look as if they'd caught sight of his companion.

"Uh, no-" One started. He was interrupted by an elbow from his fellow crewman, though.

"Aye, sir, we was wandering our orders for the storm."

Grimmjow eyed them a moment longer, suspicion in his gaze, but answered anyway. "It's fast approaching and will be upon us soon. Prepare to man your stations should I need assistance, but it's moving swiftly, and should be over with just as quickly."

The two half saluted, and hurried from before their captain.

Grimmjow watched them go, then slipped into his quarters and nudged the door shut behind him. He found Ichigo exactly where he'd left the creature, and watched the last of the merman's wariness drain from his handsome features.

Then something of a frown took over Ichigo's features, and he told his partner, "They weren't really wondering about the storm…"

"I had assumed not." Grimmjow crossed the small room to sit upon the edge of the trunk. He smiled again as Ichigo pushed himself higher in the basin and rested one arm across his leg, then settled his pointed chin upon his arm.

Looking up at the captain like that, Ichigo titled his head into the hand that ultimately found it's way into his hair. "They know you're hiding something… they just don't know it's me."

"Yes… D-roy mentioned rumors spreading through my crew." Grimmjow shook his head, tangling his fingers through wet, soft orange hair. "I'll handle it." He assured, brushing the merman's hair back and out of his boyish features, "Would you prefer to weather the storm in here or in the deep?"

"In the ocean…" Ichigo admitted, "Do you think I should stay here though? Will sneaking me above deck be possible."

Grimmjow didn't answer, but stood and rolled up his sleeves so that he could reach into the water and lift his companion free.

Ichigo wrapped his arms tight around the man, water streaming from his body, and snuggled close to Grimmjow's chest as he was carried to the door.

Navigating the ship proved a challenge, as Grimmjow had assumed it would be, what with his crew awake and preparing for rough weather. The cover of darkness and the inability to keep a lantern lit in the wind helped, though. They creeped through the shadows, making their way to the railing. Once there, their parting was kept brief to insure they weren't seen.

"Good night, Captain." Ichigo whispered, pressing a kiss to warm lips. "And good luck."

Grimmjow smirked and kissed him back, "I've nothing to fear from this storm."

Then Ichigo was gone, hidden below the black surface, and Grimmjow returned to the helm to take over as the rain finally reached them.

In the morning, after the storm had passed and the ship had come out unscathed, Captain Jaegerjaquez was faced with what he'd feared he'd ultimately have to address. The storm seemed to have been that last weight that finally broke his crew's silence.

Pirates were as superstitious as any other good sailor. They held respect for their captain and his ship, but they held more respect for the sea they sailed and made their living upon. They did their best, even went out of their way, to appease the sea, and if something angered what they revered as god, there was little they wouldn't do to make things right.

That afternoon, with gray clouds still clinging to the edges of the horizon, Grimmjow was confronted by his men.

"No more hiding, captain." One demanded, his stance squared as he looked at his captain with a stern expression. There was anger and aggression in his features and his hand hovered near his belt. "We wanna know what you've been doing all this time? Skipping meals, sneaking out when you should be sleeping… And the storm last night! Think you that was random?"

Around the man, a few others gathered and nodded. Some even shouted agreements and demands for answers. Though most of his crew was gathered round, only a handful actually spoke out against him. For now, most seemed willing to simply witness, though none looked outright ready to defend him and that was displeasing, if only from a loyalty standpoint.

A vicious sneer clouded Grimmjow's features as he stood in the middle of the deck of his ship and listened to the men around him. When first they'd come to him, he'd been leaning back comfortably against the helm. Now he stood with squared shoulders and crossed arms, his blue eyes aglow with his anger.

"What are you saying?" The big man demanded, his voice a displeased growl.

"I'm sayin'," The crewmen started, his own anger roiling, "that you're supposed to be captaining this ship and crew and you're not doing a proper job of it. You're head's not in it and you're endangering your men."

Grimmjow launched half a step forward, like he would throttle the man right then and there, before he reigned himself back in. His hands clenched into fists at his side and his lip curled. Leaning forward, like he strained against something invisible that barely held him back, he warned the man in a low voice, "Watch your tongue." Then he straightened again and glared out at the gathered crew members, before his chilling gaze landed on the one in front of him, "When we make land, you're the first off my ship and you're not welcome back. Anyone else who thinks me an unfit captain can join you."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed across the deck.

That evening, he dined alone in his quarters and he knew all the hushed voices from his crew were about him and his captaining. His threat didn't go over well, and the man he'd excused from his crew wasn't quiet. Grimmjow's time with Ichigo that night was brief and they stayed upon the deck, the captain's sour mood surely obvious.

Another clash was eminent. The sun didn't even make a full rotation before the decommissioned crewman was back at it. That evening, when the man jumped back in, accusing Grimmjow of neglecting his crew and his ship, Grimmjow didn't hold back.

"You think me unfit to be your captain?" He asked, his voice a growl that spelled disaster as he advanced on the man. He fisted big hands in the crewmen's shirt, shoving him towards the railing, "Then get off my ship."

"You really have gone mad!" The crewman proclaimed, trying to shrug free of the hands on him.

Grimmjow wasn't a weak man, though. His retired crewmen cursed his name as he fell overboard. He splashed into the water ungracefully, surfacing with a sputter as he screamed profanities and promised dark times for the blue haired man and those that still followed him.

The captain merely curled his lip, watching as the man shrank in the distance, then turned from the railing. As he shouldered past his first mate, he muttered, "Find me a drink." and headed below deck.

Shawlong's dark eyes coasted off to the side, locking with D-roy's. The lookout grimaced, then nodded, and the two followed behind their captain.

Not long later, as the sun dipped low enough to seemingly touch the horizon, Grimmjow was on his way to drunk and Ichigo was calling it a day, turning toward the ship he'd been following.

As with sharks drawn to the splashing of a distressed creature, so too was Ichigo drawn to the frantic swimming of the man thrown overboard. Like the predator he was, he circled the pirate, evaluating and assessing. His first thought upon finding out that the creature making so much noise so far out to sea was a human, was to be sure something ill hadn't befallen his friend, the captain.

Under the water, his brown eyes easily pierced the thick darkness of near dusk and cool water. The invisible lid separating his sensitive eyes from the salt water insured near perfect vision and as he drew closer, he realized that this was most certainly not his friend. Something of a curious frown tugged at his features as he looked in the direction the human was desperately swimming. Leaving the man behind, Grimmjow's ship sailed as if unaware of its loss, white sails spread wide and proud as the fierce prow cut through the water with the grace of a ship meant for battle.

Ichigo finally surfaced after circling the man two or three times, and did nothing to conceal his presence to the panicked and angry seamen. He surfaced just high enough for his mouth to be above water, remembering the way his human companion had had trouble hearing him while he was below the surface, and looked curiously at the sailor. "Well you're not Grimmjow." He said, as if simple observation, as a way to get the frantic man's attention.

The pirate stopped dead in the water, his eyes widening as if he'd seen a ghost as he turned to a voice he should not have heard so far from his ship. If he had been frantic and terrified of the deep, vast ocean he was left to drown in before, he was even more so right then. He shouted for his captain, the first mate, lookout, other crew members; anyone who might hear his calls but of course he'd been abandoned for his treason and the ship wasn't going to turn round. He knew that, yet still he screamed for help, anyone's, while a monster that knew their captain's name sank below the surface and disappeared again.

Ichigo effortlessly glided through the cool water, mere feet below the surface and right under the swimming human. He resurfaced a man's length in front of the pirate, and curiously frowned at the man from just above the water. His long, fiery hair fanned out upon the still water around him. Below the surface, his long tail easily held him still and afloat as he peeked over the water's green-blue surface at the swimming human. He wasn't as graceful as Grimmjow, he noted absently, and not nearly as confident.

When the man paused his frantic strokes and searched for the creature again, he of course found Ichigo hovering in the water just before him, and he pulled up short with a startled sound. "You can't be here!" He accused, almost angrily. He had been tossed overboard, alone, in the middle of the vast ocean with no land in sight. The creature before him looked human but he couldn't possibly be. "You're not- What are you? Stay away from me, monster! Bewitch the captain, but stay clear of me!"

Ichigo curled his lip and scoffed. "I'm not a monster." He said with a frown, "And I want nothing to do with you, human."

The man fumbled with something below the water, his features enough to tell Ichigo he was terrified. When his hands rose from the water again, a shining, metal gun was held between them, much like the one Grimmjow usually carried on his belt.

Ichigo half smirked with a glimpse of sharp teeth. He shook his head, "The captain's explained these to me. You cannot shoo-"

But as he spoke, the man pulled the trigger and by some miracle, what should have been wet powder ignited anyway, and the deafening sound of a gunshot ripped through the still air. Ichigo cringed with the sound, flinching away. The lead ball left the barrel of the gun with a much weaker force than it would have should it have been dry and the heaviness of the water was enough to throw the shot askew, pushing it wide. Still, the shot aimed for Ichigo's chest instead found mark along the skin of where his tail bled into his human-looking half. It peeled skin away from his hip and he gasped in surprise and pain.

Blood quickly blossomed around him, but he had no time to notice it. Neither of them did.

He'd been attacked, and Ichigo was a terrifyingly powerful sea creature, a predator. Rather than fleeing like the sailor had surely hoped, he snarled and bared fanged teeth. Below the water, his tail thrashed with a single, powerful side-to-side motion and like a shark, he surged forward in the water.

Unlike when he'd attacked Grimmjow near the shore, there was no land here for the sailor to use to his aid. There was nothing to keep him from sinking below the waves. There was no crew to bravely rush to his aid.

When Ichigo's claws sank into soft flesh and his vicious teeth went for the human's throat, the pirate's scream was swallowed by the water he was pulled under.

It only took the merman mere minutes to be done with the man. The water cleaned the blood from his wound, as well as from his teeth and features. He left a half consumed corpse behind for the sharks to find as the human's gun slowly sank to the bottom far far below.

When Ichigo caught up with the ship he'd been fondly following after for months, it was later in the night than usual and he was unsurprised to find that the moon was high above and the sun had long settled. He poked his features above the water, glanced up at the railing that was his usual meeting point with the pirate captain, and smiled as he found the silhouette of the man leaning against the railing, his back to where Ichigo swam below.

When he scaled the ship's haul and pulled himself aboard at the captain's side, the pirate was slow to acknowledge him, but when he finally turned to the merman, Grimmjow grinned. "You're late." He half mumbled.

Ichigo smiled back and shrugged, then paused and frowned as his nostrils flared, "You reek of that foul drink of yours…"

Grimmjow laughed and nodded, reaching over and tugging a half empty tankard towards him, "The crew an' I've had a few rounds."

"A few?" Ichigo arched a brow, easily realizing his pirate friend wasn't quite himself at the moment.

"Aye," Grimmjow confirmed, "A few more than a few, perhaps."

"When first we met," Ichigo smirked an expression between amused and skeptical, "you claimed you'd rather drown in that awful drink. Were you trying?"

Again, Grimmjow grunted a laugh but shook his head and scooted about so that he faced Ichigo, "Only mildly, I assure you." Then a more sober expression took over his handsome features, "I think the crew and I earned a drink this day." When Ichigo merely tilted his head in curiosity, the pirate frowned and rotated the wooden mug in his hands, "A good captain does not dispose of his crew in that way. I should have waited until we made landfall. Instead, I sentenced a good man to his death."

"Ahh…" Ichigo crawled a bit closer, "So that wasn't an accident, then."

"It wasn't an accident." Grimmjow confirmed with a shake of his head. He slouched forward enough to rest his elbow against his bent knee and prop his chin in his hand, what was left of his drink forgotten at his side for the moment. With his other hand, he reached out and, a bit clumsy from his tipsy state, ran his fingers through long, wet orange hair.

Ichigo maneuvered to half curl around the human, so that his tail wrapped around behind Grimmjow. "Why…?"

"Why?" Grimmjow frowned, then snorted, "He accused me of being daft. In front of everyone! Said I was unfit to captain my ship and undeserving of my crew. Treason, those words, so I made him take a walk."

Ichigo frowned too, "That's a preposterous claim."

Grimmjow half laughed and straightened, "Agreed." he toasted, grabbing his tankard and knocking back another mouthful.

Ichigo half rolled over so that he could bend almost as if sitting upright, the way people do, with his tail stretched out before him, and took the cup from the captain's hand. Careful not to spill the half full tankard, he set it aside and pulled himself into the captain's lap. Tanking handsome features carefully in his clawed hands, he gave the man a stern look, "You're a fine captain. You're actions were justified. Enough of this drinking."

Grimmjow happily left his drink forgotten in favor of wrapping his arms around the merman in his lap, but as he did, his hand brushed the gash in Ichigo's side, near his tail and the sea creature hissed a small sound of discomfort.

The pirate frowned at him, then pulled his hand back to scrub it across his tired eyes as if to sort out his wavering vision, then glanced at the wound. "What happened?" He asked, careful as he soothed his fingertip over the jagged tear in smooth skin.

"I met your traitorous crewman." Ichigo confessed, "…he shot me."

"That's impossible. His gun would have been wet."

Ichigo shrugged in the captain's arms. "Yes, well, that's what I tried to say when he pulled the gun on me, but… Hmph, apparently no one told him."

Grimmjow's frown turned dark, "You killed him?"

"I…" Worried the human would be displeased with him, Ichigo hesitated before nodding, "Yes."

The pirate nodded back and rewrapped his arms tight about the mercreature, "Good, else I would have had to turn round and do it myself." With a bit of effort, he climbed to his feet, oh so careful not to drop his companion. His drink forgotten along with his previous misgivings of his actions, he navigated the undulating craft towards the stairway that led below deck with mostly steady strides. He was a pirate after all, he could handle his alcohol quite well.

"Do not drop me, good captain." Ichigo clung to the man as he was carried to the stairwell that led below. There was something of a nervous smirk on his features, but he was certainly glad for the excuse to wrap his arms tight about the back of the man's neck and press himself close to Grimmjow's broad chest.

Grimmjow grunted a laugh, but was still careful of his volume once below deck, in case any of his crewmen weren't quite as asleep as they seemed. "Doubting my strength now, are you?"

"Of course not," Ichigo half scoffed, the wide fin at the very end of his tail fluttering before he coiled the long appendage closer to avoid the narrow walls of the corridor. "It's more your awareness I'm unsure of."

"Half drunk at best," Grimmjow assured, a grin on his features. He turned to shoulder the door to his quarters open and backed through the doorway. Using the toe of his boot, he pushed the door closed behind them. "I'll be good as usual by morning."

He missed a step with the next subtle rock of his ship and stumbled, though managed to turn and end up seated upon his bed, Ichigo in his lap again. He laughed about it and Ichigo shook his head and laughed too.

"That drink does horrible things to you." The merman said, a smile still on his face.

Grimmjow nodded, "It does." and leaned in to close the small gap that had been between them. His lips found Ichigo's and the merman kissed him back, despite the lingering taste of alcohol that tried to numb his tongue.

When the pirate's mouth moved to his jaw, then found the tender side of his neck -though still careful of the closed slits of his gills- Ichigo went rigid with an arch to his spine and let out an aroused little breath. His hands fisted in the captain's shirt, claws digging through and tearing the thin fabric but never touching the man's already scarred skin.

As Grimmjow's teeth found his collarbone, Ichigo began pushing almost desperately at the ruined shirt. The big human pulled his hands from Ichigo's body just long enough to hurriedly help shrug from the article, simultaneously allowing Ichigo to lay back upon the bed. He of course followed to hover over the mercreature, his hot mouth never leaving smooth, moist skin. The slight taste of salt was far from a deterrent.

"H-have you the ability-" Ichigo started to question, cut short when Grimmjow's shirt fell to the floor and big hands found his hips, then moved to tease at the soft, leathery skin at the very front of his tail, just below where it met the skin of his human half.

"Yes." Grimmjow half growled into his neck, "I'm very capable at the moment." He assured, his pants having already grown tight. His drunkenness was barely a buzz in the back of his mind at the moment, as he focused on the merman in front of him.

It was an understatement to say that Ichigo was turned on as well, and his length had already presented itself with Grimmjow's ministrations and attention. His tail flushed with vibrant, lively colors to further give away his aroused state and, with the shirt out of his way, his hands next went to the pirate's pants.

He writhed below the captain that night, as careful with his sharp claws and vicious teeth as he could remember to be. When they were done, Grimmjow still sported a fair share of marks, though all would heal and leave no permanent evidence.

Panting and sated and worn out, Grimmjow conjured the strength to reach over and drag closer the makeshift basin he'd filled with fresh salt water earlier that evening, just after he and his crew had gotten drunk, and helped Ichigo from the bed and into the cool relief of it. As his companion settled comfortably, he collapsed, still mostly naked, upon his bed. He was out before he could even make himself comfortable.

Ichigo glanced over at him, settled with his back against one end of the chest and his tail coiled loosely to fit within it as well. He propped one elbow upon the wooden, curved edge and rested his temple against his hand as he smiled. After a moment, he decided the pirate captain had earned a nap and settled back for one of his own. Hopefully in a few hours time, when he would need to leave before dawn, Grimmjow's drunkenness would have worn off.

It hadn't been long -an hour at most- when he was startled from his light, post-romp nap by the subtle sounds from the other side of the captain's door. At first, as he rose higher in the shallow water, he thought perhaps it was simply extra noise from a bit of turbulence. Rougher seas tended to cause more creaks and bangs in large, wooden ships. But as he listened a bit more closely, he realized it was most certainly not.

Hissing a long, low sound between sharpened teeth, Ichigo sent a quick look Grimmjow's way and found the man still passed out exactly as he'd fallen. Rolling over in the trunk as carefully as he could, he wrapped tight his fingers around the edge facing the door, and rose just high enough to peek over, listening intently to the sounds of two or three men just outside.

His eyes darted back toward the sleeping captain, but he hesitated to raise his voice loud enough to make the man stir, lest he draw more attention from those outside the room. Careful with the way he moved so that he didn't splash the water he rested in, he reached over the rim and across the small space between him and the bed. He couldn't quite reach the human, only the bedsheets, so he fisted his hand in the cloth and tugged, hoping it would be enough to get the man's attention.

When it wasn't, he shot a glance towards the door again, before using his other hand against the side of the chest to push himself higher from the water. Finally able to reach the man, he settled his went hand across bare, smooth skin. Water dripped from his arms to the floor, the bed. Droplets slid against the golden skin of Grimmjow's shoulder and chest and yet still, even when Ichigo shook the man, he didn't stir.

"Grimmjow–!" He dared breathe, reaching further to settle his damn fingers upon handsome, sleep-heavy features.

Then the sound of a hand on the door reached him, and Ichigo flinched away, ducking back down into the chest. He swallowed and watched with wide eyes as the door pushed open just a crack, like whoever stood on the other side hesitated.

"Grimmjow," He practically begged where he peeked over the edge of the chest, his voice a whisper. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why the man wasn't waking up. "Please…"

From outside, a quiet voiced reached him, "How do you know it's worked?"

"Only one way to find out." Answered a louder voice, just before the door was pushed open the rest of the way.

No shout met the intruders. No reprimand or growling demands. Nervous and frightened, Ichigo stared with wide eyes as two men filtered into the room. Their eyes first swept over the sleeping captain, before landing unerringly upon Ichigo. The merman sank a bit lower in the water, trapped in what may as well have been a puddle, and unable to leave.

The two that had entered -one tall and aged, one short and young- were quiet for a long moment, as if disbelieving of what they set their eyes upon, despite that they had surely been searching for the creature they'd found. Then one edged around the other and took a step toward the merman.

Ichigo shoved away as hard as he could, not at all liking the events unfolding, but he couldn't go far. His back hit the opposite side of the chest, water sloshing in the chest almost violently. His tail flushed a deep, fearful crimson and his fins arched high.

The man paused, watching him, before something of a grin settled upon his youthful features. "Now now…" He soothed, taking another step toward the chest and its contents, "We only wanna talk."

"What have you done to him?" Ichigo hissed back at him, flashing sharp fangs. His claws curled against the wooden rim of the chest, digging effortless gouges into the polished surface. His orange hair hung wild around his features and down his back, lending him a feral quality.

The taller man was the one to answer, as he padded toward where the captain laid passed out upon his bed. "Worry not, creature, the captain will be fine."

"A little extra somethin' in his drink's all." The blond added, "To help him sleep after so many sleepless nights. Guess we know who's been the cause now."

"He trusted you." Ichigo growled, pushing himself back against the chest's wall like he could simply seep through it.

"Yes, and this is for his own good." Came the taller man's reply, as he too turned toward the merman. "He'll come to his senses once you're gone."

When they advanced upon him, Ichigo didn't go quietly. He kicked so hard against the chest he was confined to that he surged clear from the water and over the side, sliding the heavy trunk across the floor and nearly overturning it with the force of his motions. Water soaked the small room's floor. His tail fin snapped wide as he wriggled and thrashed upon the slippery, wooden floor.

One of his attackers crashed the floor, tripped up by the long appendage. He cursed, then hissed a pained sound as he pulled a sharp, barbed bit of cartilage from his calf. Blood darkened his pants. Ichigo only very vaguely registered the detachment of one of his spines, too busy struggling with the other pirate.

All the while, he growled and hissed and called Grimmjow's name.

The captain didn't stir.

Getting a thrashing, powerful sea creature up a set of stairs he had no desire to ascend proved difficult. Ichigo had the strength to overpower the two humans, he merely lacked the vantage point, the footing needed to do so. He shoved with all his strength against the chest of one of his captors as he was hauled up the staircase. The man fell back and hit the narrow wall so hard the wood behind him splintered with a crack.

With his weight suddenly held aloft only by one of the men, he twisted free, dropping to the uneven floor below. He hit the stairs with a grunt, wincing at the harsh landing, before hands were on him again.

They dragged him by the tail up the rest of the stairs, grasping hold of slippery, leathery scales where those wicked claws and all that inhuman strength couldn't quite reach. Halfway across the deck, they stopped and he rolled over onto his back where he could look up at them. By this point, his terror was obvious, his features pinched and his eyes wide. Panic showed in his fathomless, wide brown eyes as he looked about him, at the pirates closing in on him.

One and all, Grimmjow's crew looked murderous, with varying degrees of fear and anger.

A third man dared draw near, too near, and the moment he stepped within Ichigo's reach, vicious claws sank deep, tearing flesh and ripping through muscle. Ichigo hissed and snarled his desperation and his dislike.

They'd dragged him up from the hold, where he couldn't get to the captain and the railing was so close now, not more than a few paces away, but that was a long few paces for a creature with no legs with which to cross it.

The safety of the ocean called to him. He could hear it as it lapped peacefully against the haul, unaffected by the events of a few mortals.

"Wait! Wait-" Ichigo pleaded, dragging himself backward toward the railing. He wasn't permitted to go far as the crew circled around him and blocked him in. Panic lit his tail in deep, cold colors as he coiled it below himself, all his fins arched high, conveying his threat. "Please, I'm not-"

"Quiet, monster," One of the crewmen to drag him from below, the tall man with serious features and dark hair, ordered as he towered over the merman, "You'll not enslave us as you have the captain."

Ichigo shook his head, his fear and desperation easy to see and worn openly on his features. "No, no you don't- I'm not what you think I am, I'm merely a merman, not- I would never hurt him! I have no ill wishes for you or anyone else on this ship!"

"Really? Wasn't it you that gave the captain those scars?" the other man, younger and with blond hair, asked. In his hand, a sword that Ichigo hadn't seen before glittered in the rising light of the sun.

Ichigo swallowed, his chest swelling with a deep, heaving breath, "I…it was, but-" He shook his head again, looking over his shoulder and up at those cutting off his escape from the ship's deck. "That was before I got to know him, I've regretted it everyday since. Please, you must believe me…"

Another man stepped forward, clapping a hand over the shoulder of the first. Ichigo watched with wide, horrified eyes.

"Hurry and be done with it, Shaw." The man said, matching the creature's look, "Before the captain wakes and gives us a fight about it."

The first mate nodded his agreement and drew a sword as well.

"W-wait, please…" Humans were usually weak and pitiful, but here, on the dry, solid deck, Ichigo was in their element where they could show their true strengths. "Ask him-" Ichigo had to force his trembling voice into something loud enough to be heard. "Wake him up," He bid them, nodding, "and ask him. He'll tell you. I mean no harm to anyone here. I… I love your captain. I would never hurt him."

"Quit your singing, monster, no one here will fall for your lies."

As men closed in, Ichigo bristled all over again. He bared his fangs and he knew he'd not win this fight. His panicked, enraged gaze fell on the tall man that seemed to be leading the others. When he spoke, his voice hissed between his teeth, the pitch showing his desperation, "You're the first mate, aren't you? He trusts you! He speaks well of you and this is how you repay that?"

Shawlong was the first to strike. Ichigo saw it coming. He held them off as long as he could, but was a lone merman out of water and those he faced were pirates very much in their element.

Grimmjow awoke with a horrible roiling in his stomach. He groaned and mentally cursed his drinking as he rolled over and dropped his feet to the floor. Scrubbing a hand across his features, he finally pried his eyes open. Early morning light spilled in through the small porthole window near his desk. He glanced at it, over the chest that took up the majority of the center of his quarters, before his vivid blue eyes shot wide and darted right back to said chest.

Empty.

Grimmjow scrambled upright, practically threw himself against it's edge and looked down into cold, dead water. Empty. The chest was empty and he knew he'd fallen asleep before carrying Ichigo back to the water. He knew he did because he hadn't really been that drunk.

Cursing like the sailor he was, the captain half slid as he shot upright and tore for the door, yanking his pants up as he went. He took the stairs three at a time, clear up to the deck. The roiling his gut only got worse. Before he even burst into open air and set his bare feet upon the deck, he could hear the snarling, the whimpering.

He could smell the blood.

Grimmjow sprinted the length of the deck they'd dragged him, yelling and cursing and screaming his name.

When he reached the ring of his crew, he didn't pause. He withdrew the gun always belted to his hip and used his single shot on the man that stood between him and where Ichigo lay on the deck. Before the crewmen even pieced together that he'd been shot in the back, Grimmjow was shouldering him out of the way. As he threw himself into the center of the ring, Grimmjow pulled a sword away from one of his men, then used it to open wide the man's front.

He dropped at the panting, bleeding merman's side in time to stay a strike that surely would have been a decapitating blow. Steel rang against steel and the crew fell silent as they caught up to what was happening; to seeing their captain attack his own men and grab hold of a dying sea monster.

"Ichigo…" Grimmjow half whispered, his voice a hoarse rasp. His hands trembled as he dropped the borrowed sword and pulled the merman from the blood soaked deck and into his lap. Ichigo's long, powerful tail unfurled out limply as his body was maneuvered. He breathed in weak, desperate little gasps. In effort to get needed oxygen, even his gills worked, opening red and rigid along his throat. Blood dripped in thick, dark rivulets from their corners and down his slender neck. "Oh, Ichigo…"

The merman's jaw worked as Ichigo swallowed and forced out words. "C-captain…" An unhealthy tremble ran down his spine and the corners of his pale lips quirked up slightly, into a smile that broke the captain's heart, "T-take…s-swim with m-mme?"

Grimmjow nodded, the ache in his chest making it hard to breathe. He slid his arms under the merman's tail and around his shoulders, and oh so carefully lifted the creature he'd come to care for.

One look was all it took to make way. His crew opened up a path for their grieving captain, blood on their hands and far far from land. Silence rang like the toll of a bell; shocked and guilty and forlorn.

The walk to the railing was a short one -a few paces- but it was a heavy one. Ichigo's breathing hitched as the merman's head lolled to rest against the captain's chest. Sharp, blood stained claws clutched weakly at the man's bare skin, gentle and careful even as the life drained from rich, brown eyes.

Grimmjow stood against the railing of his ship, cradling Ichigo's body, for a long time. He stood there, simply looking out at the endless horizon and burning into his memory the weight of the man he carried. Never again would they swim together, or sit in the shallows and pretend they were from the same world. Never again would the pirate captain see his best friend, his lover.

After a while, Grimmjow released his grip and let the weight in his arms slip over the side of the railing. Only when he heard the uncharacteristic, but melodic whisper of water splashing, did he look down and watch as Ichigo's body sank back into the sea where he'd come from and where he belonged.

Fiery, orange hair fanned out in the water, catching the rays of sun that penetrated the cool surface. Thick red was lifted, washed away from the merman's torn flesh and cleaned by the sea. Grimmjow could hardly drag his eyes from the sightless ones that stared back up at him.

Ichigo had always been so beautiful while in the water.

When the captain finally turned from the railing, he was faced with his crew, with the men and women that had murdered and taken from him the only thing he'd found as fascinating as the sea.

His once trusted first mate was the first to die.

Stories would be told for years, for decades. When next the ship made land, she was empty and crewless, naught but the captain at her helm upon the deck. A captain that had slaughtered his entire, traitorous crew out of retribution for the murder of a single creature.

Alone, as the stars filled the skies, Grimmjow would wade out waist deep into the surf of a calm, quiet alcove, his ship anchored not far from the white-sanded beach. And each night, he begged the ocean to let him drown.

Thoughts?