title; gradually

summary; their love grows not quite like a flower - no, it's already there, by some twist of fate. it just drips into their veins one bit at a time. like .. syrup. — grimmhime au

word count; 2,898 ?

the Girl is 9. grimmjow is 7.

she decides they're going to get married.

"and we'll have a big house with four dogs and three parakeets and two cats, and maybe even a bearded dragon!" she chatters excitedly. the play house in his backyard is pink and blue and green, and he is annoyed. annoyed by this Girl. she's taken over his space and his life and how dare she.

one day, he even tells her so.

she's humming in the kitchen and dancing about and it's close to dinnertime. "hey, 'jow, come dance with me. come on, 'jow." he scowls at her. she tugs on his hand. "come on, 'jow. why don't you dance with me? it'll be fun."

"stop it!" he finally snaps. "i don't want to dance with you. i don't want you here, i hate you and your dumb games! this isn't your house!"

breath rattles in his lungs as she stares at him, her frame drooping visibly at his comments.

his parents come rushing in and they scold him, you can't talk to her like that, it's not nice.

"it's not my fault nobody wants her!" he yells as his dad drags him into the den for a stern talking - to.

five months later, the foster system comes and takes the Girl back. his parents can no longer afford her.

she cries the entire time, but no one notices.

no one but grimmjow.

(twelve years later)

"yo, man, did you hear we're getting a new student?" keigo bounds up behind grimmjow and ichigo, wrapping his arms around ichigo's neck. nnoitra props his feet onto his desk.

"and why should we care?" grimmjow asks.

"because maybe it's a really cute girl."

nnoitra sighs heavily. "dumbass, all of us have girlfriends."

"yeah, if all of us is you and ichigo."

any sort of snappy comeback that nnoitra would have is dissolved by the class doors sliding open. teacher ukitake walks in first, and following him is a willowy girl with hushed orange hair and expressive grey - brown eyes.

she's quite pretty, grimmjow thinks as she walks in. her body is oddly proportional — her large chest is balanced by a larger waist and hips, and yet she seems so dainty. her legs, though, for someone so supposedly dainty, are awfully muscular. volleyball, maybe? he doesn't know why and he can't place it, but she looks so familiar.

"duuuude, what'd i tell ya? she's perfect." keigo breathes. ichigo rolls his eyes. "could you maybe tone down the creepiness?"

keigo mumbles under his breath; mocking ichigo.

"uh, hi, everyone," the girl says to the class. "my name is inoue orihime, and it's a pleasure to meet you. i hope you'll take care of me."

she smiles shyly, offering a small wave.

"hi, inoue," the class chants.

grimmjow feels something inside of him lock up.

inoue orihime.

as in, the little girl his family had fostered when he was 7. the little girl he had been horrifyingly unkind to.

he winces.

she sees him at lunch. he's lankier now than he was almost twelve years ago, but just as cute; if not with a more mature edge to it. his hair is dyed an electric blue that clamors for attention. begs for it. she can see the roots, though — a soft brown with natural blonde hues peeking out from above his collar. stray strands of hair brush his tan forehead.

she can see his hands — his wrists are still covered with those corded bracelets. a small smile crawls onto her face and she looks back down at her food, which consists of rice cakes, leeks covered in curry sauce, and a can of sprite. there's also some peanut butter and ritz crackers, somewhere.

"inoue!" tatsuki from homeroom waves at her from another table. "come sit with us!" orihime blushes with happiness at being invited to sit with people so soon. she obeys happily, sandwiching herself between nel and rukia. ichigo grins at her.

"welcome to our table of maniacs," he says jokingly. rukia shoots him a dark look and he purses his lips.

"how did your other classes go?" nel asks cheerily.

"well," she starts. "i got some demerits for eating a can of tuna in classical literature, but other than that, completely normal. i guess others aren't as enthusiastic about tuna in a small classroom."

everyone giggles.

a tray slams down next to nnoitra, and he jumps; his arm lifting from around nel's shoulder.

"god, they're always out of the peaches i like." grimmjow says as renji sits next to him.

"geez, 'jow, couldn't you be more, i don't know, not like that?" nnoitra says. "you scared the shit out of me."

"profanity," warns nel. he scoffs. (the subsequent yelp indicates that nel is having none of that.)

ichigo finishes his lunch and throws his fork into the empty bowl, standing to take care of his things. "i'll see you guys later. inoue, you should walk home with us if your place is on the way," he suggests.

she brightens, but before she can answer, grimmjow cuts in with a mouth full of popcorn chicken.

"why would you invite her?"

the table stares at him. orihime wraps her top lip over the bottom one and shrugs. "i actually get picked up by ... someone else. so it's no big deal. but thanks."

ichigo's tongue pokes the inside of his cheek before he nods and takes off. rukia glances at her watch and stands, too.

"i've got a club ... thing, so i'll see you guys later" is all she says before zipping up her jacket and jogging out of the cafeteria.

orihime is drawn back to the present as nel nudges her. "so, any cute boys in your classes? there are lots here."

(they all pointedly ignore nnoitra's warning growl.)

"um, not really," she says, poking at her leeks and curry. "i've been too focused on just keeping up."

a snort came from grimmjow's general direction. the warning bell dinged, and orihime snapped the lid onto her tupperware before escaping to class.

the next few days consist of the same routine — orihime goes to class, goes to lunch and has fun with her friends and then goes home and does homework and gets up and does it again.

there's only one difference after a little while: she develops a crush on ichigo. it's heavy and overwhelming and she carries it every day without saying one word. she thinks, how could i not? he's so kind and welcoming and patient and funny and it's just like being enveloped by the sun.

but six tuesdays after she first realises it, things get difficult.

"rukia's club sure does ask a lot of her," orihime says during one lunch. she's munching on a celery stick and there's a bag of raisins at her elbow. the entire table pauses in their ministrations and looks at her blankly. she dips said celery into her cream cheese.

tatsuki swallows her pretzel. "inoue, you know rukia's not in a club, right?"

orihime lifts her face and locks eyes with her friend, whose own eyes are filled with a deep mix of empathy and pity. "so..." she chews slowly. "so she's meeting some boy in secret, huh?" she jokes.

no one says anything.

it dawns on her.

"oh," she says softly.

orihime does not finish her lunch.

that afternoon, she tucks her face into her scarf as she walks out of the building.

she feels stupid.

stupid, stupid, stupid. how was she so unable to pick up on things?

she hears the chatter of the others behind her, and she makes an effort not to be seen.

success is almost in her grasp until she feels someone grab her hood and lift her into the air a little bit. her shoulders slump.

mission: failed.

"hey there, inoue. what's up?" asks grimmjow. "looks to me like you're just hangin.'" despite her strongest attempt to save face, she releases an involuntary giggle.

he sets her down and sticks his hands into his pockets, leaning close to her face. his irises are a weirdly artificial blue.

"that sounds more like you." he says. his tone is surprisingly gentle.

"i thought you didn't like me."

he scrubs the back of his neck with his mouth partially open, like a very round o. he isn't honestly sure what to say. because he has sort of given her that impression, hasn't he? even though that's not really the truth. he doesn't mind her. she's quite funny.

she studies him, her expression unreadable.

he starts when she shifts and her long, cold fingers wrap themselves around his wrist. "you still wear all these, huh."

a choking noise is all he's able to emit before his brain decides to start working again. "you ... you remember? all those years ago?" she stops fingering the bracelets long enough to flick her gaze in his direction.

"yes. i was never able to forget. you never forget as a foster kid what people say to you. even if everything is a blur." her voice is not entirely emotionless, but it's definitely a little stiff. clearly a touchy subject.

he bows his head. "sorry. i was a dumb jealous kid." (pause.) "i mean, i know that this apology won't cut it, not even a little bit, and it doesn't erase the things i said or anything else you've heard throughout your life, but i don't not like you. not one bit." he stops, feeling like a total fool. did he even know words? understand the concept? i don't not like you. not one bit. that made sense.

grimmjow's internal war freezes when she turns back to him and there's a smile on her face (and in her eyes). real and pleased.

he feels like a fool, but a warm fool.

even though it's pretty cold outside.

grimmjow and orihime become closer after that, and she starts walking home with them throughout the week as the weather begins to grow colder.

"ah, look, this leaf looks like you, 'jow!"

"it does not, you idiot." he pushes her lightly and she laughs.

"hey, inoue," ichigo calls. "we're going to get coffee, you and grimmjow want to come?"

grimmjow's heart stops. me and orihime.

"um, actually i was he —"

"we'll come!" grimmjow interrupts. she shoots him a weird look but he grabs her hand and tugs her along.

keigo groans. "great, now me and renji are the only single ones."

orihime, confused, turned around to correct him. "we're not dating," she says.

"oh. well, okay, that's alright then i guess. i just wish i wasn't singleeeee," he whines.

"maybe if you weren't the way that you are," renji says.

keigo frowns. "why do you hate me, renji?"

"how about you sit on that for a while and come back to me when you think you've got an answer."

a snort. "can he even do that?"

"shut up, nnoitra."

grimmjow gazes at orihime as she skips ahead to link arms with tatsuki, laughing about something between the two of them. some inside joke.

an odd thought gnaws at him, but he opens a drawer and throws it in there and shoves it shut and locks it — tight, tight, tight.

"...to tell you the truth, i used to be in love with rukia," grimmjow says one day. all eight of them are at the local ice cream place, celebrating the end of midterms.

orihime's eyes grow as wide as saucers. "wow, 'jow - kun! even you have feelings!" he shoots her a dirty look before taking another bite of his cone.

"i don't appreciate that, you know. but as i was saying, yeah, i had a huge - ass crush on her. she only ever had ... friendly intentions."

orihime scrutinizes him. "so you felt the same way i did. you're trying to comfort me." she giggles, covering her mouth with her palm. his eye twitches.

"i am not," he defends.

she stops laughing long enough to give him a fond look. "thank you, grimmjow. i'm glad i have you."

he sputters. "i didn't — i wasn't — you —"

and they stay like that for another good few minutes, teasing and shoving and laughing and relaxing.

"flirting," says nnoitra to orihime and grimmjow the next day. the two of them immediately deny it, faces aflame and pulses sky - high.

"flirting would imply that i actually like orihime, and we're friends. just friends, nnoitra."

"suuuure."

"quit being an arsehole, nnoitra," nelliel reprimands placidly from behind him. he bares his teeth.

"shut up, nel."

"are they even really dating?" orihime whispers to grimmjow. he shrugs.

"it's hard to tell."

nnoitra turns to the two of them as they speed - walk away. "hey! i ain't done with you! flirtin!"

"just friends!" orihime hollers back.

grimmjow grins at her, and she winks.

(he almost faints.)

orihime does her best not to think about ichigo, but sometimes it hurts. a lot.

after one particularly hard day, she's pretty quiet on the walk home.

"you cool, inoue?" grimmjow asks quietly at one point. she nods.

"long day?"

"yeah."

they plod together a little farther behind the rest of the gang, taking their time.

"hey," he says to her out of nowhere. "let's take a shortcut." she blinks up at him in confusion before letting him grab her hand and wrap his own around it.

they dip into an alley, her blue - haired friend taking her through twists and turns and past numerous buildings before they finally stop and he places his hands over her eyes.

(her lashes tickle.)

"are you ready?" he breathes into her ear.

she doesn't know. her heart is like a jackhammer in her chest.

"y - yes?"

he removes his hands to show her a sparkling street full of sellers and buyers and chickens and yelling, with street carts and shops mixed in.

she claps her hands together. "oh, wow! a night market!" her face is bright when she spins around to face him again.

"you know how to cheer me up so well. it's like we're married," she teases before hurrying into the fray.

grimmjow hides his blush with his scarf before following her.

at the end of their night market foray, orihime is carrying a basket full of eggs, ham, chicken, bread and three croissants with six oranges. grimmjow is eating a soft pretzel drizzled with honey.

"this was so fun," she says as they walk down the road. grimmjow swings his school bag at the back of her legs.

"sure was," he agrees.

'let's come back again."

"mm, maybe."

they stop at a crosswalk. orihime shivers a little, and grimmjow takes this opportunity to tuck her hand into his pocket. she smiles at him, and he's lost in her as the crosswalk directive changes.

she scoots closer to him as the sidewalk crowds up again, and he finally tears his gaze away to glance at the crosswalk sign.

"we should go," he murmurs, looking back down at orihime. she nods dazedly. neither of them move.

"yeah. go," she whispers. he leans down, sliding his hands around to cup her face. her eyes flutter closed.

and he kisses her, standing at a crosswalk after going to a night market with her and holding her hand and after a lifetime of loving her. he loves her.

she folds into him, hands burying into his scarf to drive away the cold and he gasps into her mouth at her want.

the crosswalk directive changes again, and the crowd begins to move, forcing grimmjow and orihime to split apart and run together, hand - in - hand as they laugh.

"hey, orihime, are you coming to the coffee shop with us?" ichigo asks, his hand clasping rukia's.

nel is texting someone as nnoitra lazily wraps an arm around her and kisses her cheek, drawing her curly hair back behind her ear to whisper something that cause her to blush profusely and bury her face into his side.

(orihime supposes that they are actually dating.)

she shakes her head at him. "no, i'm actually he —"

"nah," grimmjow interrupts. "we're goin' on a date!" he yells. ichigo grins. "sure!"

(he turns to rukia and mutters something that sounds awfully like, 'you owe me ten dollars.')

keigo wails next to tatsuki and renji, who are looking boredly at their phones.

nnoitra scowls.

"flirtin' and now datin'. what'd i tell you?"

grimmjow just gives him the finger and tips orihime's chin up with a knuckle before giving her a deep and promising kiss. she jumps but gives in, making an appreciative noise in the back of her throat.

"still into ichigo?" he asks later.

she buries her face into her pillow and he hears a muffled "i hate you."

additional notes; originally written for ver [walis] on ao3. just thought i'd throw it here.