A/N: I don't own Bleach.

Chapter 1

The water felt marvelous.

Rukia was so tired and dirty she had hardly been able to stand it any longer. Removing her clothes and taking a dip in the river had been a great idea. She lowered her head into the water one last time and smiled as tiny bubbles tickled her scalp and ran around her ears. I could float in this water all day, she thought. She gave a regretful sigh and headed back towards the water's bank, where her clothes lay.

She stopped mid-stride when she saw him.

He was just sitting there, leaning against the trunk of a big pine tree like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her gaze shifted to her clothes, and then back to his handsome face. It was then she realized that his own gaze had dropped. She glanced down and saw that her breasts were just above the water level, and he was enjoying the view.

Rukia dropped down in the water and covered her chest with her arms, blushing in embarrassment. If she hadn't been naked she would have gone and smacked him upside the head. "This is private property. My private property."

"Sure is." He grinned, his words having nothing to do with her land.

Her face turned a deeper shade of red, this time in anger. "Bastard," She growled. "Leave."

He stood up and brushed the seat of his pants off. A smirk was still on his face when he said, "Well you see miss, I can't really do that right now. I had a little run in with the law and ended up in the woods. I think I lost them, but I sure found you." His lopsided grin grew wider.

Rukia frowned at him, unaffected by his casual flirting. "Turn around so I can get out put my clothes back on."

"Why? It's not like I haven't seen you already."

"Just do it," She ordered sternly. "Now."

He chuckled and turned to face the opposite direction.

She hurried out of the water as fast as she could and snatched up her clothes, eying him to make sure he didn't peek as she dressed herself. When she was finished, she rung out her hair and sighed. "I'm done now."

He nodded and turned to her. She noticed that he was extremely tall and had a lean, built frame. His blue hair was messy and tousled, and it hung in his matching blue eyes. They looked at eachother for a few moments before the man held out a hand to her. "Name's Grimmjow."

She raised an eyebrow before taking the hand and giving it a solid shake. "Rukia."

Rukia turned and began to walk back to her jeep, not planning on carrying the conversation with the strange man any further. But he caught her arm. She turned and gave him a questioning look, which he quickly obliged to answer.

"Can I sleep at your place?"

Her brows scrunched together and she looked up at him like he had just asked the most stupid thing she'd ever heard. "Excuse me?"

Grimmjow repeated the question patiently, his voice unchanging.

Rukia really didn't know what to say. It was obvious this man had been through a lot lately. His clothes were tattered and worn, and he looked as if a shower and food would do him good. She could easily guess that he was homeless. Still, she didn't know this man nor did she trust him. He hadn't exactly given her a good first impression. He had also mentioned something about getting in trouble with the law. What was that about?

"If it works better, I'll sleep on your back porch." He told her. "I just need somewhere to sleep, and I'd rather it not be on the ground for a night." His face held an honest expression, despite the fact that there was obviously much more to it than what he had told her. She knew she would feel awfully guilty for leaving him like this, though.

She sighed and dropped her hands to her sides, allowing her kinder instincts to take over. "Fine." She stopped him before he got too excited. "But, I have some rules."

He nodded as if he had expected as much. "What would those be?"

"You must respect my privacy, help around the house, and don't steal anything from me. If you do any of those things I'll kick you out."

He shrugged, but agreed to her terms. "Okay."

Rukia nodded her head and turned to finally get back into her jeep, wondering what she had just gotten herself into. He didn't seem like a bad guy other than being a tad bit perverted, so what kind of trouble could he possibly be in? And why was it so bad that he was chased into the woods?

She got into the red vehicle and started the engine. Grimmjow got into the passenger seat, and she started to drive across the bumpy terrain. She had so many questions that she needed answered, but she decided not to ask them yet and wait for another time. For now, she would just set him up in one of her many spare rooms and see how that went. If he got out of line she would kick him out. It was that simple.

Grimmjow tapped his long fingers against the window, peering out at the large stretch of grass and trees that surrounded them. His face looked calm and serene, like nothing had happened to him. However, his appearance suggested otherwise. His clothes weren't just dirty and tattered... in some places there were spots of dried blood and quite a lot of grass stains. She didn't know if the blood was his or someone else's, but again she didn't ask.

When she pulled up into the driveway of her small mansion, Grimmjow was obviously impressed.

"You own all this?" He asked as he got out.

"Yes," She said, walking next to him.

It was then she noticed that he was walking with a slight limp, like one of his legs were hurt. Why hadn't she seen that before?

"What's wrong with your leg?"

He was silent for a few seconds, as if pondering an answer. "I got bit by a dog, that's all." He shrugged it off like it wasn't a big deal.

She opened her front door and walked inside with him. "Sit on the couch and let me take a look," She told him seriously. She didn't want a man with rabies in her house. He did as asked and sat down on the large L-shaped couch, sighing at the comfortableness of it.

Rukia dropped her keys on the coffee table and sat down in front of him. "Give me your leg."

He did, his gaze never leaving her face. He watched her intently as she rolled the pant leg up, not showing any sign of pain when it brushed against the large bite on his leg. It was covered in crusted blood, and there were four clearly visible puncture holes, showing where the dog's canines had chomped onto his leg. He was telling the truth.

"This is horrible..." Rukia told him, scrunching her nose. "I'm going to take you to a doctor."

"I'm fine," He said, and took his leg away from her.

Rukia shook her head and stood up. "No. it needs to be treated, otherwise you could get an infection. Take a shower first, then we'll go."

He looked up at her, an emotion burning in his eyes that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "I just asked for a place to sleep. You don't have to-"

She shushed him. "I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart, and you better accept it. I don't know what happened to you or what kind of trouble you're in, but at least let me help you." She turned and walked into the large hallway. "The shower is upstairs and to the far left."

She disappeared from the room, muttering something about finding him some clothes that belonged to a man named "Byakuya."

Grimmjow watched her go, wondering why a stranger would do this for him and how he had even gotten her to agree in the first place. He was normally turned down before he asked. Pure luck, I guess.

He got up and limped over to the stairs, agreeing that he desperately needed a shower. He could smell his own stench.

When Grimmjow finished, he came out of the bathroom clothed in a pair of slacks and a white button up. He found the clothes lying on the sink and figured Rukia must have put them there while he was still in the shower. She even had shoes for him. He had a bit of trouble making it down the stairs, but eventually he managed it.

She was waiting for him on the couch, one leg crossed over the other while she read a magazine.

When she heard him limp over to her, she turned her head and stood up, giving him a half-smile. "I already called the doctor's office. They're expecting us to arrive soon."

She turned the TV off and grabbed her purse off the counter, heading towards the door and expecting him to follow. Grimmjow watched the soft sway of her hips as she walked, another one of his smiles creeping up his lips. Pure luck indeed.

Rukia turned and gave him a look. "Come on, or we'll be late."

He followed her back outside, a bit too willingly.

A/N: This will obviously be a GrimmRuki fic in the future, and there will also quite possibly be a lemon or two also. I hope you like what I've got so far, and if there's something you see wrong with it don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks for reading.