Good morning star shine's, the earth says 'hello'! Oh Johnny Depp, my love for you will never die. Okay, so here I am with an AU, now, some of you might think, 'Hey! Why is she doing a friggin' AU, not the actual anime's story?' That, my dear children, is because I have seen scattered episodes of Bleach, and thus I know the basic story line, and recognized that all the male characters are sexually repressed, and while they think they are heterosexual, that is false…yeah, I read between the lines. Anyway, this is GrimmIchi, love love all around…er…slightly OOC…maybe? Not sure yet, guess we'll see. Some character relationships (friendship and otherwise) have been taken into account, others have been disregarded, and OTHER others have been forged from the confines of my mind. Oh, this, for now, remains…I dunno, T cuz of language, but it's gonna into some citrus later on, so stick around for the show, kay?

Chapter 1: Little Red Turned Blue

"Oi, Grimmjow, one last appointment, then we can all get outta here, so hurry it up, will ya? And try not to send this one out on a stretcher. If you decide to pummel him, don't make it hospital worthy." The teal haired, blue eyed man lifted his head from the desk for a brief moment to glare at the blonde haired man in front of him, then let it fall back onto the hard metal with a loud thunk, ignoring the way his skull now throbbed, his vision bursting with the red haze of pain, accompanied by the dull glow of the light that shown behind his eyes.

"Oh c'mon, it was not my fault that guy ran into the freaking door right as I was opening it." The blue haired man sighed are rolled his shoulders, head still resting uncomfortably on the table. "How long have we been goin' at this again? Can't we just…you know…stop? I can think of a million other things I would rather spend my time on, writing my will, filing taxes, going to see my parents…"

"Kami, I dunno, like a week or something? I lost track after the hot chicks stopped coming in, and all the freaky dudes started making an entrance." The tall fair-headed man shrugged his shoulders dismissively, sticking out a pierced tongue, wrinkling his nose slightly. "Anyway, like you're one to talk, you had like, maybe a day of interviews. You're the effing owner of the store; the least you could do is sit in on a few."

"Okay, fine, point taken, but why are we doing this again?" Grimmjow was beginning to get pissed at the man who was two steps away from seriously lecturing him. But it really wasn't his fault that he was bored. He was never the kind of guy to sit back and let life come at him, he always had something to occupy his time, whether it be a new hobby, managing his store, or getting in fights, to him, a dull moment might have well have been a sin. But when it came to serious duties as proprietor, he usually faltered slightly. Paperwork was just plain boring, dealing with customers could be a bitch, and, his current issue, interviewing bratty kids was a drag.

"Because four people do not a store run, and your sorry ass is more of a hindrance than a help. Ulquiorra can usually pick up the slack, but we've been falling behind on management stuff an-DON'T YOU DARE FALL ASLEEP!" Slapping his boss upside the head with an angry hand, Shinji ground his teeth in frustration. His chief was an idiot, he'd accepted that years ago, but his ability to tune out anything was a constant irritation on his part. Bastard could probably fall asleep through his own police interrogation, oh wait, he did.

"Look, just finish it up and you're done."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Because if I did, then you'd have to watch the front and deal with customers. The last we did that, a woman brought her child in and you made it cry."

"The damn thing was looking at me funny."

"It was eight months old!" Shinji released an exasperated sigh, running his hand through his bobbed hair, combing his fingers through the silky strands. His boss was an idiot and an ass. "Ah look, there he is, right on time just like…oh wow." At first Shinji had just passed his eyes over the figure in the door, paying it little attention, but the fire on his head made his whip his head back to the male. The fire ended up being his hair, a glowing orange that was almost-almost-an eyesore. It stuck out sporadically, an unmanageable mop of locks that practically glowed in its brilliance.

"What do-oh…" Shinji looked down to see Grimmjow's wide eyes looking with big eyed curiosity at the boy that was now striding towards them. His head quirked the side and in no less than a second he began grinning wildly. "This is gonna be so fun, what's his name again?" Never mind the fact that he didn't actually know the kid, but judging by the bandage on his cheek and wrapping constricting his wrists, Grimmjow wasn't being too presumptuous.

"Ichigo."

For a moment, the teal-eyed man froze, then his shoulders shook, then his whole body was quaking, and finally loud, barking laughter reverberated off the walls, making the boy stop in his tracks, eyes wide and confused. Shaking his head, Grimmjow motioned for the boy to approach, wiping away tears and trying to stop the dark chuckles that threatened to bubble to the surface. Hesitating momentarily, the teenager continued his steady stride to the desk, finally stopping when he was in close proximity to the two men.

"Er, I'm here for the interview but, you know, if you're too busy or something I can always just…" It was easy to tell he was slightly uncomfortable by the way he shifted his weight back and forth, never staying on the same foot for more than thirty seconds. And it wasn't the, 'I'm out of my element' sort of discomfort that radiated from his moving form, but the 'I'm staring at a guy that was just cackling like a maniac' kind. His body seemed to gravitate towards the exit, though he remained stationary, back straightening to feign bravado.

Grimmjow analyzed the teen's still figure. Tight jeans that hugged in all the right places and showing a narrow waist that most girls would die for, a tight shirt that showcased his thin, toned body, and the bandages that littered his body added to the dangerous mystery of his person. He had a pure, unmarred face that held remnants of a scowl though now it seemed a little out of sorts . Overall, he seemed to be a giant 'fuck you' on the face of the world, and Grimmjow couldn't help but like the boy instantly, if only for the fact that he looked like trouble in the name.

"Naw, right on time Ichi-chan, now if you'll just-"

"YOU CALL ME THAT ONE MORE TIME I'LL PUNCH YOUR FACE IN!" Immediately, the orange strawberry's face lost all timidity, his eyes flashed dangerously and teeth were clenched, making his jaw flex and Adams apple bob slightly. His brows knitted together in a scowl for the ages, and his fists were clenched at his side, quivering slightly, nails digging into rough palms, leaving crescent moons.

"I'd like to see you try, Strawberry." Grimmjow smirked at the challenge. This kid had a fire in him, but he was hoping he wasn't all talk, which seemed to be the story with all young people his age. Heck, tossing a few punches might make the mundane cycle he'd been going through a little easier to bear with, spicing up the blandness of everyday living.

"This is gonna be a lawsuit." Already Shinji was walking away towards the counter, remembering exactly where the first-aid kit sat waiting, ready to be used after another of its owners exploits.

If he wants to push it, I'll fucking push it. Deciding not to take the beaten path, and rather than throw a hook to the man's jaw, he kicked over the waist height desk to the seated man, hoping to slam his foot into the smirking man's cocky face.

Eyebrows shooting up into a blue hairline, the man lifted his arms instantly in defense, managing to catch the kick and absorb the shock of the attack with his forearm. If he hadn't been in such great shape, Grimmjow was sure he would have been thrown out of his seat. Hell, he'd have been thrown against the wall, kid had power. The force and precision of the assault made him think that perhaps the kid had studied martial arts. He rolled out of the chair, and stood up, towering over his attacker. It wasn't that the boy was short, actually, he was usually the one looking down on others, but Grimm was just a freak. He and his employees were all like that. Tall, freaks, it might as well have been in the job description. Speaking of which…

"So," he said, jabbing at the teen from across the table. "Why the hell should I hire you?" Shifting out of the way, the orange haired attacker knocked the arm away from him, slamming it on the table.

"Because I'm a good worker, and have worked in-" Punch. Block. Kick. "-retail before. I was referred to this place after the last one went-" Shove the table across the floor. "-belly up."

Finally being rid of the four legged annoyance, Grimmjow pounced on the shorter male, knocking the two of them to the ground, deciding that there was no honor or standards in this battle, he really didn't care of what was 'legal' and 'not cool' in the unwritten code for fighting.

"And what makes you think you'll be well suited for this job? We get a lot of freaks passing through and in here, you think you can handle it?" Panting lightly, the cerulean haired man was sitting comfortably on the gasping boy, pinning him to the floor, with his feet keeping the ginger headed kids arms securely held down.

"Can't." Gasp "Breath."

"That's doesn't prove you're good for this place. Come on, give me some solid proof." An insane grin was painted across his face. He'd thought he would have fun, and that had proven to be true. Hell, he'd hire the kid just because he seemed impulsive as he was, a complete contradiction to all the other workers who thought things through and had plans. Disgusting.

"I can-" Cough. "-take orders-" Wheeze. "-I'lldoanythingyousaypleasejustletmebreath." Evidently his oxygen levels were spent because his head began to loll to the floor, eyes fluttering, he could probably last another minute or…oh, looks like he couldn't.

"Uh, hey Ichi-chan? Er…Ichigo…you there?" Finally removing himself from the guys chest, he slapped it lightly, trying to usher him to consciousness. Damn it, he's not breathing…

"Hey Shinji, you know CPR, right?" He looked up to the blonde that was now practically stomping to them. Man, he hated it when Shinji had that huffy look on his face. It usually meant that Grimmjow was gonna have hell to pay.

"Yes, but you were the one who was supposed to take the class. This is your problem, so deal with it already."

"Yeah, I know. And I did I just…you know…always assumed my first time would be with a girl."

"There are several things I could say right now, most of them rather lewd and humiliating, but I'll save them for later when we're sure the kid's alive, now just get on with it will ya?"

"Ugh, dammit!"

"Your fault for beating on him."

"Hey, he started it, and anyway, I didn't beat, I sat."

"On his lungs which made him suffocate. You really should do something about him, his lips are turning blue." Though nothing as extreme as a blue, the still form was deathly pale, a stark contrast to his lively hair.

"But I really don't-"

"Then get outta the way." The blonde pushed his much heavier, bulkier boss aside, said man toppling to the floor with the sudden unexpected displacement of weight. Shinji, despite his slight figure, was strong. Without hesitating, the blonde planted his lips firmly over the ones of the younger man. Tipping the unconscious boys head back, he forced two breaths into his mouth, forcefully making his chest rise and fall. Pulling away, he planted his hands firmly near his sternum, pressing in quick jabs, unsure it his heart-beat was okay. He repeated the process until finally the body began sputtering, then his eyes shot open, he coughed before drawing in deep, rapid breaths. He mustered a pointed glare directed at the sitting blue man, though it lacked venom due to his weariness. He sat up, with the assistance of the blonde, and after a few minutes, lapsed into unlabored, relaxed breathing.

"You know the weird thing about me being knocked out right now?" He paused for a second, still staring angrily at the teal eyed man. He waited, and when he received no response, he continued. "I could hear everything. So that little…conversation the two of you were having, yeah, I could hear all of it." He turned his head to Shinji at that point. "Thank you for taking responsibility for that dumbass." He cracked his first smile since entering, and it suited his face. It was sweet, and warm, and lit the room more than his hair did. The blonde drew a blank for a moment. That grin was just too sweet.

"Er, no problem mate. I mean, anyone else would have…" He glanced at Grimmjow. "Most other people would've done it. Anyway, congrats, you got the job."

"What?!" Ichigo's and Grimmjow's voices range simultaneously.

Shinji grabbed the teal haired man by the scruff of his neck, bringing their heads close together.

"You assaulted him." He said in a hushed whisper. "Assault can result in a lawsuit. You think you don't like paper work now, wait until the news gets out. You'll have the press on your ass, lawyers down your throat, and enough stuff to sign and write to make a devoted author cry. Anyway, he's the best candidate we've had so far. The fact that he can handle you just proves my point." Sighing in defeat, Grimmjow turned, arms spread wide, a huge grin plastered across his face. Who knows, maybe having the little guy around would be fun, even if it was just so he could jerk him around.

"Welcome to Espada clothing!"