CHAPTER 3: JOURNEY BEGINS

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or The Legend of Zelda...

This is based loosely on The Legend of Zelda: The Adventures of Link. Remember that? For the original NES, with the ancient controllers that only had four buttons and a d-pad? Lmfao!

Anyway...

Onwards...

XOXOXO

Ichigo slept with one eye open. OK, no, he didn't really, but he'd wanted to. Grimmjow was hazardous to his health, making his heart overly stressed, what with all the mini-strokes and heart attacks he kept suffering. How was it fair that a fictional character – from a nearly fossilized video game – could cause his body to react in such a manner?

He'd awakened to the sexy blunet hovering over him, temporarily blocking the bright sun and wearing a secretive grin, his electric blue eyes sparkling like diamonds. Ichigo had barely held back a scream.

"Rise an' shine, Beautiful. Time to get started," Grimmjow's deep, gruff voice rumbled as he pushed a large, sword-calloused hand through his bright blue locks that were, oddly, shiny as hell.

Did they have shampoo and conditioner in Hyrule?

Sitting up swiftly, Ichigo noticed that the blanket Grimmjow had given him last night had slipped down around his knees and since the red head always slept in his boxers, they were being shamelessly displayed, little silver jacks and small, red rubber balls against a white background, standing out proudly.

That wasn't the bad part, though.

Ichigo could handle the blunet seeing his drawers, but his embarrassing morning wood? Not so much. Face on fire, he snatched at the blanket and hiked it up to his chest as he gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

Uwaaaahhh! How fucking mortifying!

He cracked his left eye open and glanced nervously at Grimmjow, who, in return, gave him a grin that showed every last one of his pearly white teeth, including his sharper than normal canines.

Goddammit!

So, that's why the asshole had been smiling like that when Ichigo had first awakened.

Fucking pervert.

"You're so rude!" he snapped lamely.

Grimmjow tipped his head back and let loose a rich, rolling laugh. "Really? Seems to me like Little Ichigo is the rude one, considering he's the one pointing," the blue-haired man calmly stated, amusement clearly evident in his stunning blue eyes.

Ichigo gaped at the guy in pure disbelief, sputtering indignantly as his mind helplessly tried to dig up a witty comeback. Unfortunately, all he could come up with was, "S-s-shut up!" which only served to send Grimmjow into another fit of loud laughter.

Ichigo shot to his feet, snatched his jeans from the ground and hastily hauled ass to the surrounding forestry to relieve his bladder, Grimmjow's laughter shadowing him. Once he was safely away from the other man, he gritted his teeth and simmered like a pot of stew. He was so embarrassed, his skin crawled and his stomach kept nose-diving.

Wasn't it bad enough that the blue-haired video game hero apparently wanted to screw him into the ground like a nail? No, obviously not, since the kami decided it was a good idea to give Grimmjow a peek at his junk.

Shit.

Ichigo stepped behind a tree and peered around the side, just to be sure that Grimmjow hadn't followed him and wasn't about to ambush him while his dick was swinging in the wind. Terrible disadvantage and a situation he never wanted to find himself in. Satisfied that the blue-haired devil was still at their campsite, he pulled himself free from his boxers and watered the tree before him, sighing blissfully as his bladder emptied.

He didn't know what time it was, but the sun had just risen over the horizon and was making its way slowly into the sky. If he had to guess, he would say it was around six or seven in the morning. The trees surrounding him, were just coming to life with the sounds of buzzing insects and chirping birds. The green of the leaves and bushes was a vibrant one and it lifted his spirits; the place was beautiful.

He was still worried, though.

Ichigo could only continue to assume that he was stuck in the middle of a long, drawn-out dream, where he'd managed to fall asleep and wake up, ready to endure more. Honestly, he didn't know how much more harassment he could withstand from the dangerously sexy, blue-haired character. Granted, Grimmjow was fictional, but he was also quite lethally handsome and Ichigo had never denied his sexual preference for men.

Grimmjow, however fabricated, was very much a man in every sense of the word. From the wild, earthy smell that clung to him, the extraordinary build of his body, all the way down to the very raw heat that emanated from him, there was no way to deny what he was.

Ichigo sighed, shook and tucked himself away, upset that there was nowhere for him to wash his hands or even wash himself. He was wearing the same clothes from the day before and it didn't sit well with him, even if he was a guy and supposedly immune to such girlish habits of cleanliness. He inwardly scoffed, wondering who the hell came up with the idea that if a man liked to be fresh and clean, liked to look nice and actually took more than three seconds deciding what he would wear, it automatically meant he was either gay or feminine.

An idiot, that's who.

Ichigo took a moment to survey the new environment. Huge trees as far as the eye could see, stretched in every direction. He blew out another sigh and turned to head back to the campsite, when the faint sound of rushing water caught his attention. Freezing, he strained his ears and almost immediately, a giddy feeling swept through him.

Was that a river he heard? A brook? A stream?

Intent on finding out, he whirled on his heel and headed in the direction of the sound. He was loud as a wild boar as he pushed through bushes in a hurry, branches and other unidentifiable objects scratching his arms, face, neck and legs. He didn't care. He heard water and his mind was set on a bath. Whether it was cold or not, also didn't matter.

A few minutes later, he broke through a particularly nasty and thick bush, getting a nice, long laceration under his right eye. It stung fiercely, but he ignored it, favoring the sight before him instead. A slowly flowing river with clear, blue water loomed before him, stretching maybe twenty feet across and leading down along the bank as far as he could see.

Ichigo was jittery with excitement. His hands were already going for his clothes as he neared the edge of the water, his body anticipating being clean. As an afterthought, he realized he didn't have any soap, but even that did nothing to deter him from his course.

He wanted in that water.

Now.

He quickly stripped out of his t-shirt and boxers, tossing them with his jeans onto the ground nearby. Grimmjow was nowhere in his mind as he hurried to the water's edge and dipped his foot into the glistening liquid. Surprisingly, it wasn't ice cold; luke warm was a better description. Grinning ear to ear, he took a few steps back and charged the water at full speed, his legs kicking into the air as he submerged himself.

His entire being sighed in satisfaction and relief as he broke the surface and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. Much better. He stayed close to the riverbank, not wanting to tempt the current into sweeping him away while he was preoccupied. He floated on his back, letting the steadily rising sun warm his chest and legs, forgetting his surroundings for the time being.

Ichigo watched birds streaking across the perfect blue sky, his eyelids getting heavy from being so comfortable. He'd been so engrossed in relaxing, he didn't hear danger coming until it was standing over him, yet again blocking the sun and wearing a wide grin.

"Shall I join you?" Grimmjow asked, his eyes glittering lecherously as they roamed his naked body.

All the air in Ichigo's lungs disappeared as he lost his floating balance and flailed around in the water in his haste to get away from the blue-haired cretin invading his space. "Wh-what the hell're you doing?" he sputtered, water dripping into his eyes and running over his mouth as he tried to right himself, while simultaneously keeping his lower half concealed. Not that Grimmjow hadn't already gotten more than an eyeful.

Grimmjow folded his thick arms across his broad chest and continued to grin and leer. Ichigo finally took the time to realize something. Water beaded and slid over the other man's tanned torso and arms, his bright blue hair damp and almost a royal-blue. His muscles stood out sharply, the indentations of his abdomen enticing and leading down to the alluring "v" of his pelvis. Ichigo followed the trail left by a line of fine, pale blue hairs, only to have the rest of his view obstructed by the water.

He didn't need to see more to know that Grimmjow was just as naked as he was.

Ichigo shivered, the water's temperature seeming to drop as he lifted his gaze to lock with Grimmjow's. The other man's grin merely widened as he began to edge closer, the water rippling gently with his stealthy movements. Ichigo panicked and began backing towards the riverbank blindly, not wanting to take his eyes off the man stalking him like a big blue panther.

Before he could even blink, Grimmjow was right in front of him, his hands gripping his waist and body aligning itself with his own. Ichigo gasped, but was caught off guard by a firm mouth covering his aggressively. His opened mouth was taken full advantage of as Grimmjow drove his tongue deeply inside, tangling their tongues effortlessly.

His knees buckled and he was faced with the choices of either gripping the other man's hard biceps to keep standing, or slide bonelessly into the water. He chose option number one and firmly grasped Grimmjow's arms, steadying himself from the abrupt onslaught of arousal. Grimmjow had a wickedly experienced tongue and slanted his mouth expertly over Ichigo's again and again. The blue-haired man angled his head to the side and deepened the already abysmal kiss, dragging an unexpected moan from him.

Grimmjow growled like the animal he was and pressed his naked form closer, Ichigo realizing that he wasn't the only one aroused. Grimmjow was hot and heavy against his pelvis, the slim hips rocking side to side, creating a languid friction. Ichigo felt like he was about to internally combust and disintegrate into a pile of gray ashes. He hadn't been expecting this blatant attack on his libido and it made him swoon like a chick.

Then, all too soon, Grimmjow was gone, taking his delicious heat and sinfully talented tongue with him. Ichigo stared dumbly off into the distance for a few seconds before reality struck him and he whirled around, watching Grimmjow slowly leave the river. Or rather, watching Grimmjow's backside.

What?

You would do the same thing with those two pieces of magnificent flesh being showcased like an item on The Price Is Right.

"What the hell?" Ichigo mumbled, thoroughly baffled, his happy place harder than a coffee bean.

Grimmjow stopped at the riverbank and picked up his clothing, then started off into the woods, but before he disappeared into the forestry, he glanced over his shoulder and gave Ichigo a look that spoke volumes, "I thought I would show you what you are trying so hard to ignore," he stated.

The next instant, he was gone.

XxxxxxX

Ichigo didn't want to face Grimmjow now, or ever for that matter, but the upcoming confrontation was inevitable and quite unavoidable, if he wanted to find his way home anytime soon. Even better would be if he managed to wake the hell up from this stupid dream. That would definitely be even lovelier.

He trudged slowly through the trees, hopefully in the right direction, his mind a whirring tangle of thoughts. That kiss had been...precisely what he'd feared. Erotic, arousing, dangerous. If kissing Grimmjow was enough to turn him into a babbling idiot, what then of actually...

Yeah, OK, so that was certainly perilous thinking.

Ichigo was so deep in thought, he hadn't realized he'd stepped into the clearing of their campsite, until Grimmjow's deep voice scattered his thoughts to the wind. Ichigo jerked his head up and stared, fascinated at the blue-haired man. Grimmjow was once again wearing his outfit of midnight-blue, short-sleeved, silver-collared shirt and midnight blue pants tucked into silver boots. He was pulling on silver wristbands and seated beside the fire, something delicious-smelling roasting over it.

"We should eat and get going. I don't want to waste much time here," he rumbled, those impossibly mazarine eyes searing straight through him.

Ichigo nodded, unsure of his voice at the moment and took a seat across from Grimmjow, his heart shaking like a tambourine in his chest. Their makeshift beds were gone and Grimmjow's bag was packed and ready beside him as he poked at whatever it was that was attached to a stick over the fire. Ichigo sighed. Did this mean things were going to be even more awkward between himself and his er, guide?

If he was going to be following Grimmjow, he didn't want to deal with such a troublesome atmosphere, but he also didn't know how to clear the air between himself and the blue-haired man. He tore his gaze from the shoes he'd been stuffing his feet into and glanced up at his traveling companion. His eyes widened as Grimmjow's ocean blue stare devoured him like a delicious dessert. The other man was silent, but watching him so carefully, he didn't think Grimmjow noticed he was being watched in return.

Ichigo cleared his throat and squirmed uncomfortably. Why was it that every time those eyes were on him, he felt like he couldn't sit still, as if given half the chance, his skin would separate from his flesh? It was unnerving and frustrating; it left him feeling like a scrutinized woman.

"Grimmjow," he called, hoping his name would draw the man out of his fixed meditation.

Grimmjow didn't even blink, but those bright blue spheres sharpened and narrowed, "Ichigo," he answered, low-pitched voice vibrating Ichigo's nerve endings.

"Um, about...what happened...before..." he haltingly started, unsure of where he was going with this statement as he scratched the back of his head.

Grimmjow interrupted, holding a hand up. "I understand, Ichigo. You would rather I keep my distance. I have never forced myself on anyone before and I don't intend to start now. I was merely making a point. Worry not," he finished so definitively, Ichigo had no choice but to hold his tongue and swallow his immediate response.

Well, damn.

XOXOXO

Grimmjow gathered his bag, securing the crystals and made sure his sword was sharpened and at the ready at his side. The morning had been an eventful one and it hadn't even managed to get fully started. After seeing the orange-haired boy's erection at first rising, then watching him storm off into the trees, Grimmjow had been intrigued. Even more than he had been the day before, when he'd first met Ichigo.

After twenty minutes had gone by and there was still no sign of the younger man, he'd gone in search of him, hoping he hadn't been attacked by any of Aizen's spies or minions. What he'd stumbled upon had depleted his mouth of moisture and caused his heart to trip over itself behind his ribs. Ichigo had apparently found the river and had been in the process of...reclining on the water's surface.

Naked.

Overcoming his shock had been tough, but following in its wake was an intense surge of lust and arousal that left his mouth watering and his lower half raging. He'd stripped and gone in after the orange-haired male, wondering why Ichigo hadn't heard him coming. He hadn't complained, though. Ichigo's aloofness had given him a chance to study and stare as long as he'd wanted without interruption.

If he'd thought Ichigo was beautiful before, it was nothing on how he'd felt then. The boy's long, slender body was stretched across the water, tanned skin glistening under the sun, water droplets gathered across his toned and defined torso and legs. His orange hair was darker, dampened by the water and his nut-brown eyes were joyously shining and intently focused on the sky.

Unable to hold himself back, Grimmjow had made his presence known, startling the boy half-way to death. It had been entertaining, but not enough to quell the smoldering in his loins. All he could think of was showing Ichigo what he was steadfastly trying to ignore, trying to brush aside as if it didn't exist. Their acute, nearly palpable, mutual, physical attraction. This lust certainly wasn't one-sided and Grimmjow had his mind set on proving it.

Hence the kiss that had lit his soul on fire.

It had been an agonizing trial to pull away from all that heat, all that satiny skin and those interesting tastes and smells, when all he'd really wanted to do was drag Ichigo from the water – by the hair, if he'd had to – and ravish him right there on the riverbank. But no. His point had been made when Ichigo had fervently and quite zealously kissed him back.

He'd left Ichigo there in the river to think about things as they stood at the moment. They both wanted each other and Grimmjow didn't see any cause for hesitation. Ichigo seemed like a fully-grown male and he was definitely fully-grown. The issue wasn't preference either, otherwise, Ichigo would have protested much more harshly from the beginning. No, this was simply a case of denial, for what reason, he wasn't sure.

Grimmjow had decided that pursuing the younger man would be easier if the decision were left to him. So, he'd retreated in a sense. He would keep his distance if that was what Ichigo wanted. Like he'd stated before, he'd never had to force himself on anyone and wasn't about to start doing so now.

XxxxxxX

Ichigo followed him through the Hyrule Temple, where a ghostly image of Nel wavered back and forth on a raised dais. She was lying on her back, her hands folded demurely over her stomach. She was wearing a long, shimmering, pale pink and silver gown, her long, sea-green hair cascading over the side of the dais. Her silver, royal tiara wrapped around her head, meeting in the middle of her forehead in a point, where a pale blue gem was embedded.

"Tch," Grimmjow noised, disgruntled. He'd seen Nel in that spot more times than he'd like to admit.

Ichigo was eerily silent and when Grimmjow glanced back at him, he noticed the orange-haired man's sable-brown eyes were wide as sunflower centers. "Th-that's...that's Nel!" he squeaked, abandoning his normal husky baritone.

Grimmjow scowled at the image of his sister and continued on, "Yes, that's her. Idiot sister," he grumbled, touching the hilt of his sword in a gesture of comfort.

Ichigo made a strange sound and Grimmjow realized he was no longer following him, but rather standing near his sister's image, staring at it in awe. He supposed that was a proper reaction for someone that hadn't seen an image like this before, so he stood still, patiently waiting for Ichigo to complete his ogling.

A sudden flare of jealousy enveloped him the longer he stood waiting. Did Ichigo think Nel was attractive and that was why his jaw was scraping the ground and his eyes molesting her prone image? Grimmjow swallowed the rising bile in his throat and clenched his teeth angrily. Did Ichigo include women in his sexual ventures?

"We should be going," he said stiffly, trying quite unsuccessfully to conceal his dislike for that thought.

Ichigo turned wide eyes in his direction, seemingly studying him closely, "You're...you're really Grimmjow of Hyrule," he stated breathily.

He frowned again, not understanding Ichigo's sudden loss of comprehension, "I thought I informed you of that previously? Why do you seem surprised?"

Ichigo shook his head as if dislodging something and turned back to Nel, which made Grimmjow inwardly simmer again, "I just...I just...I don't know. Never mind," he mumbled absently, finally coming to his senses and ambling to Grimmjow's side.

"Are you ill?" Grimmjow asked, just to be sure. Ichigo had been acting very strange.

"N-no, I'm fine. Let's go."

Shrugging, he turned and they left the temple, headed down a set of wide, marbled stairs that led to a dirt path. Ichigo had gone silent, leaving Grimmjow to his own disturbing thoughts as they trooped towards the town of Rauru.

If Ichigo desired women more than he did men, then where did that leave his chances to bed him? Nonexistent, he was sure. The thought of not being able to sleep with the delectable orange-haired boy had his nerves frayed and put him in a terrifying mood. He was fearfully angry and ready to slash apart Aizen's stupid minions. He could go for the stress relief right then, but first he had to head into Rauru and stock up on magic and energy. It wouldn't do to embark on his journey unprepared.

Also, if Ichigo were to accompany him, he would need his own sword and shield.

The dirt path widened the closer they got to Rauru and once they passed a small sign attached to a tiny wooden post, announcing the town, the path turned into a more traveled road that split off into several directions. Grimmjow kept straight and the trees fell away to reveal houses on both sides of him and Ichigo. Women and men moved about the streets, some eyeing Grimmjow warily, others blatantly gaping at Ichigo.

Grimmjow first located the energy woman. She wore a long, red robe, had long, reddish-orange hair and shuffled in and out of her house. He approached her and she turned to him, solemn gray eyes enormous and inquiring. "You require life?" she asked, her voice soft and airy.

Grimmjow glanced at Ichigo before nodding. The woman turned and headed into her home, while he faced Ichigo, "Stay here. I'll be back," he ordered and followed the woman into her home without waiting for a response from the other man, but absently registering his urgent protests.

The woman's home was dark, as was its usual. She was standing inside near a table and when he approached her, she put her hands on his chest. An orange light spread from her dainty fingertips and covered his chest, warming it before dying down. She pulled her hands back and smiled. "You owe nothing this trip," she stated.

Grimmjow nodded and left the house. As soon as he stepped outside, Ichigo fell into step beside him, shooting him a harsh glare, the corners of his lips turned down, "Don't leave me alone!" he snapped.

Grimmjow grinned and adjusted the strap of his bag. "Frightened of a few town's folk, Ichigo?"

The boy scoffed and turned his head in defiance, crossing his arms over his chest, "No," he answered, "but that doesn't mean I wanna be left alone in a strange place, either."

Grimmjow smiled at his stubbornness. It was cute. "Of course."

Ichigo gave him another dirty look and turned his focus to the surrounding people, hustling along in the streets. Now, he had to acquire his magic and obtain a sword and shield for Ichigo.

Speaking of which, "Ichigo." Ichigo turned back to him and arched a brow in acknowledgment. "Do you know how to use a sword? Or are you more practiced with a bow and arrow?" Grimmjow inquired.

The look he received in response was nothing short of alarming. Why was Ichigo staring at him as if he'd just swallowed his own head? The red head blinked several times before his mouth opened, but nothing came out.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?"

Ichigo made a noise in his throat, but fortunately was able to speak. Unfortunately, what he asked made Grimmjow faint with shock. "Why would I know how to use either of those things?"

What the bloody hell did Ichigo mean "why would he know how to use either of those things"? Who the hell didn't at least know how to use a bow and arrow? Was he fucking serious?

"What are you speaking of?" he snapped stiffly, throat tight with displeasure and disbelief.

"What do you mean, 'what am I speaking of', Grimmjow? I don't know how to use a fucking sword or a fucking bow and arrow! Why would I?" Ichigo yelled, drawing entirely too much attention to them.

Grimmjow grabbed his arm and pulled him beside one of the houses lining the town's main road and away from the many dissecting stares. "Why would you?" he snarled, face inches from the smaller man's. "Why would you? To protect your own skin, perhaps? To survive?" he hissed, blood pressure skyrocketing and making imaginary steam pour from his ears.

Ichigo jerked his arm away and glared at him, warm, brown eyes shiny with fury, "Listen, Grimmjow. I'm not from here. I don't belong in this world. Where I'm from, I don't need to protect myself with a fucking sword or lame fucking bow and arrow, but if protection was necessary, I sure as hell wouldn't use such ancient methods! Where I'm from, we use these little things called guns!"

Grimmjow fisted a hand in the shorter man's shirt collar and slammed him against the wall of the house they stood beside. "You're not home anymore, Ichigo," he growled, patience long gone. "And if you plan to follow me anywhere, you will be armed. Whether you can use 'such ancient methods' isn't my problem."

With that, Grimmjow released Ichigo's shirt and stalked off onto the road, intent on finding the magic woman. He would find Ichigo a way to protect himself, but he damned sure wasn't going to teach the brat how to do so. Not with an attitude like that. He heard Ichigo hesitantly follow behind him, grinning smugly when he finally spotted the small woman dressed in a long, yellow robe. Her hair was long and violet, tied up in a high ponytail and her eyes were large, feline-like and a honey-gold.

He hurried up to her, making her pause in her trek to the door of her home and turn to him with a mysterious grin, "You require magic?" she asked, her voice throaty and feminine. Grimmjow was sure if he liked women, this one would be on his radar. There was something intriguing about her.

He nodded and followed her into her home, Ichigo not even four steps behind him. She glided over to a table and reached into a hefty, clay pot, submerging her arm to the elbow. When she withdrew it, she handed him a small, purple pouch. It trembled and shifted under his hand as he secured it to his belt beside his sword. He lifted his eyes and met Ichigo's curious gaze.

Something was going on in the boy's head, but Grimmjow didn't have time to try and figure it out. He was already behind schedule and it wouldn't do to reach Parapa Palace after nightfall. The things that came out in the night were frightful and menacing. Not to mention, quite deadly.

Shrugging, he gave a short bow to the magic woman, who remarked, "You owe nothing this trip," as she left the small house.

Grimmjow left the house, Ichigo hot on his heels. Now, he had to find the orange-haired man suitable protection. It would help if he knew what weapon Ichigo preferred, but he wasn't about to ask again, since the boy had adamantly proclaimed his ignorance of them. He shot him a cursory glance and grunted.

Ichigo looked like a sword man.

After months and months of waiting, I hope this was satisfactory. I'll try to update this more frequently, along with my other stories. Thanks to those that stuck with it!