Apparently I should be telling people I have tumblr? XD Idk, go follow me or something. It's under the same name as here ( ShadowThorne . tumblr . com ). I mostly just post random fandom things, plenty of bleach. I also post update notifications and even wips and teasers of upcoming things I'm working on, as well as all of my crappy art work.

Anyway, this was originally going to be a oneshot, but like everything I write, it's turning out much longer than I was intending, so I'll be splitting it into at least two parts, possibly three. In other words, expect another chapter. Also like most things I write, it's not going to be the happiest of stories. The last chapter will darken considerably. There will be character death.

If you're still up for it, enjoy the story!

The day was a hot one, quiet and lazy. Gentle waves lapped up on the nearby shore, pushing and manipulating the clean sands so that if one were to stand at the water's edge, they would slowly sink into the warm melding of earth and sea. The sun shone high overhead, the sky blue. The water was a welcome coolness, it's color a deeper, more rich blue-green to blend with the sky in the distance. Smelling of salt and open water, the air was clean, the breeze gentle and caressing.

Not far off, where the land gave way below the ocean and the water deepened, a large, imposing ship bobbed with the easy waves. It had three masts and the sails were lowered, edges fluttering in the gentle breeze, the ropes of the rigging slack. The few members of the crew still upon the mighty vessel, a handful of men left to watch guard, lazed about below deck in the shade, little to worry about along the abandoned stretch of coast.

The captain, infamous and dangerous if one were to listen to the whispers that circled round the dark corners of taverns, was a man as formidable as his ship. Tall and broad of shoulder, he cut quite the figure. Lean muscle, strong and toned from years of plying the seas and all that came with it, slid in smooth motions below golden, sun-kissed skin. His features were angular, a little sharp, but handsome and his eyes were bluer than the sea. Hair to match the clear sky above swept back as if tussled by a perpetual, salt-licked breeze.

Captain Jaegerjaquez was a man of note, a man with a name to remember. The sword he usually wore at his hip had drank deep the blood of men and his ship and crew had conquered countless others. There wasn't a sailor around the globe that didn't search for white sails and a blue flag on the horizon. Even other pirates often fled when he approached. And he grinned as he gave chase.

Currently, he stood just offshore in water that reached his waistline, his ship and a good portion of his crew less than a kilometer in the distance and further out to sea, in nothing but a pair of tight breeches that reached mid-calf and usually tucked into his boots. His heavy, knee length coat and sturdy boots sat spread out in the warm sand, left to dry and air out with the rest of his clothing. The gun usually strapped to his belt lay nearby, where the flintlock and powder would stay dry. All that he carried with him was a single, well-crafted but aged dagger, tucked into the leather belt he'd left around his waist to hold his pants up.

Bathing in salt water wasn't exactly possible, but none of Grimmjow's crew questioned it when, after the third week of being docked and motionless while the men rested and his ship was restocked, the captain claimed he wished privacy to bathe and waded out into the shallows. Most in the crew thought him part fish anyway, there was nothing new to the captain's need and yearning for wide, open waters and the smell of salt.

So Grimmjow was granted his privacy, and the men he kept nearest him remained respectfully upon the ship. He waded a bit further out to sea, simply breathing in the scent of all that lay around him. Trailing his fingers across the top of the water, arms out to his sides, he felt the smooth, liquid slide of coolness between his fingers. The water lapped at his naked torso. His bare feet settled upon the cool, soft sand below him, confident and well balanced despite the small waves that reached out toward him. It was as though they both pushed him towards shore and pulled him out to sea.

Closing his eyes in a moment of peaceful bliss, Grimmjow tipped his head back and drank in the sun above, hands still held out to brush the very surface of the water. Standing there like that, eyes closed, his body pushed and pulled by the waves, he could almost pretend he was back on his ship finally, sailing the seven seas with land no where in sight and nothing but endless, blue freedom all around.

His peace was shattered when something smooth, leathery almost, grazed across his shins. Surprised and startled, his eyes snapped wide, but he didn't dare jolt or move. Sharks hadn't been spotted. No one from his crew not far off had called out, nor had he seen any evidence of one himself, but that didn't mean one or many hadn't slipped through their radar.

Remaining remarkably calm, he oh so slowly brought his hands out of the water, holding them in an almost surrendering position as he looked down and around him. Blue eyes trying to look past the glittering surface, he made a careful circle where he stood, quickly searching for shadows and shapes below the surface or fins above.

When he found nothing, his attention darted back toward his ship. Letting a calm, just barely shuddering breath slowly exhale through his nose, he dared a step backward and back toward shore, making no sudden movements that might draw extra attention, and careful not to drag his feet and thus stir up the sand into a cloudy mess that would do the same. He'd yet to be attacked by a shark in his history at sea and he fully hoped to keep it that way.

Just as his back foot planted and he shifted his weight to continue backward, another brush of a leathery fin caressed the backs of his thighs, like the thing was circling him. There was an almost playful nature to it, the way the creature stayed out of sight, yet came in close enough to touch him.

"Fuck..." The captain muttered under his breath, again looking out toward his ship. He kept his arms up, hands out of the water, despite that exposing his torso left him feeling bare and vulnerable. His every urge and instinct screamed to bring his hands down so that he might have a way of blocking or deterring the animal, but he knew that to be asinine and the extra motion of hands in the water would only draw more attention.

He was just about to call out, letting his lookout on deck know he might be in need of assistance soon, when something warm and solid and very much alive wrapped around his leg, just below the edge of his pants. His shout turned into a startled yelp as he was jerked from his feet. The water seemed to rush up to meet him as he went under.

On board, a crew member frowned and turned to look, thinking he'd heard something out of place. "Hey," He called to another crewman, "D'you see the captain?"

The man walked up to the railing, leaning over it slightly to look into the distance. After a heartbeat, he frowned, "Maybe he's on his way back?"

But even as he suggested it, both sets of eyes panned towards the water's edge to see the captain's pile of clothing still scattered among the sand, untouched. Just then, Grimmjow resurfaced with a deep, desperate gulp of air. Water sprayed around him as he backpedaled in a rush through the waist-deep shallows. Around him, the sand below had been churned into a cloudy haze. He yelled something aggressive, something wordless as he frantically searched the depths around him with wide eyes.

Stunned, the two crewmen stared.

The captain's aggressive, growling shout was cut off yet again, this time raising in something more pained and startled as he was once again yanked below the surface by something too powerful for him to combat.

Both crewmen scrambled into action. One dashed across the deck and toward the plank that allowed men to walk to and from the ship and dock. The other sprinted in the opposite direction, shouting for the first mate. The obviously hurried actions of their comrades brought the rest of the crew that had remained onboard to attention. The first mate, a tall, lean man with intelligent eyes, heard the frantic shouting and met the crewman half way up the stairs that led below deck.

"The captain!" The man shouted, pointing toward the ship's railing and the direction Grimmjow had been swimming, "Something's wrong, something's attacking 'im!"

Trained and accustomed to a rough life at sea, a life full of pirating and danger and unpredictable situations, the first mate leapt into action. He started calling out orders, gathering the crew that hovered nearby. Following behind their second in command, they scrambled from the ship and onto shore, streaking in a dead sprint toward where Grimmjow had entered the water at.

Under orders, the lookout stayed upon the ship. He practically threw himself against the rails as his sharp eyes scanned the water's surface. All he found was churned water and chaos. The water bubbled almost like it was boiling a moment before Grimmjow again reappeared.

Teeth bared and features twisted with pain, rage and maybe even a bit of fright, the big man seemed hunched forward, like he grappled with something in front of him and just below. His head was above water for hardly a second before he again shouted something and was dragged back under. Soon, the chaotic surface was stained with a murky red.

Below the surface, Grimmjow practically screamed as sharp, hooked claws shredded the tender flesh of his stomach. The talons cut through muscle, bit deep, before being pulled free. Eyes wide, even below the surface, Grimmjow only caught glimpses through the muddied, churned water as he searched for the thing attacking him. He caught the glide of smooth muscle, of skin that shone a light gold and something that shimmered with deep, vibrant purples and reds. Whatever it was, it was long and fast, too swift. Claws found his body again and this time, fingers wrapped around his arm, dragging him toward even deeper water.

He fought against it, strained and tried to dig in his feet. Something thick and leathery slammed against his lower legs, kicking them out from under him. Then it was in his face, up close. Deep, brown eyes glared murderously at him, framed in flowing, fiery orange.

Lungs burning and salt eating at his ravaged flesh, Grimmjow choked out a desperate sound that was lost in the chaos of waves and thrashing limbs. The claws dug in and he could have sworn they cut nearly to his sternum, like the monster was trying to grab hold of bone, of something it wouldn't tear through like paper. Teeth flashed in the gloom, sharp and elongated and vicious, but not a shark's. They came for his throat and he couldn't get out of the way, not while fighting the water's weightless effects and the creature's strength.

He finally got his bearings and his wits enough to rip his arm from it's grasp and reach to his belt. He pulled the old, heavy dagger from it's sheath. Everything seemed slowed down by the water, timeless. Brown eyes flashed away from his, caught sight of the dagger, just before the wicked blade was jammed under the creature's arm and plunged between its ribs.

Even in the dampening water, Grimmjow heard the monster shriek. The claws were finally ripped from his flesh and Grimmjow rose back to the surface as shapes closed in from behind him. He'd just barely taken his first breath in far too long when hands were again upon him.

He thrashed, panicked while pain and adrenaline clouded his mind. "Captain! Captain, we've got you!" It was shouted over and over, as three or four sets of hands tried to hold him up and keep him above the surface.

Finally, the familiar face of his first mate came into focus and Grimmjow tried to choke out words but he had no idea what he was trying to say and nothing but saltwater seemed willing to work its way up his throat. He stumbled, disoriented from the blood-loss, exhaustion of fighting off the beast and air deprivation. Pulled back to his feet, he was half guided, half dragged back to shore.

In all the time the captain struggled and fought below the waves, in all the time the few crew members waded out to his aid, the lookout never once called out a sighting of the thing responsible for Grimmjow's attack. The injured, bleeding man was carried back to his ship, only half aware of those around him as he mumbled incoherent nonsense about legends and sea monsters.

The first mate, soaked by seawater and smeared in his captain's blood, called for the doctor of the crew.

Grimmjow reawakened hours later, after the sun had settled below the horizon and the moon lit everything in a pale whitewash. It reflected on the surface of the water like a mirror, only the occasional small wave to make it shimmer. Like it had been earlier, as if nothing at all had happened, the ocean was smooth and calm, unchanged and unaffected.

The captain groaned a small sound as he struggled to roll from his bunk. He'd been stripped from his wet pants and changed into something looser, something dry. It was the only shred of clothing he wore and floor of his cabin was warm below his bare feet. As he straightened, everything came back to him in a rush and fire lit his abdomen with a hungry strength that burned the air from his lungs. He doubled over, a steadying hand on his bunk, and hissed a breath between his teeth.

A few seconds later, measured steps brought him further below deck to find his crew. He found them gathered round in their shared quarters, speaking and whispering amongst themselves like conspiring traitors.

"Shark." One said, like it made sense, like it was only logical answer.

Another shook his head, "Captain knows how to handle sharks. Wasn't a shark."

Yet another, the man that had patched the injured, bleeding captain up, spoke up, "No, it wasn't a shark. When I was in town the other day, there was mention of a lack of sharks around this stretch of coast. Apparently there hasn't been any in years now."

"What was it then?"

The makeshift doctor shook his head in a helpless gesture, "All I know is that sharks don't leave marks like that. Shark teeth didn't do that to his chest."

"There's nothing else to expl-"

"Wasn't a shark." Grimmjow grunted as he neared, silencing the lot of them. His first mate stood from the chair he'd occupied and Grimmjow gratefully accepted the silent offer, taking a seat amongst his crew. "And the damn thing ended up choking on my favorite dagger. Kept it, too."

There was a short round of laughter at that, knowing the man well enough to know that he had personally delivered that dagger in the most painful way possible.

"Was high time ya got a new one anyway, Cap'ain." A crewmen, the lookout, said. A wide smile split the young lad's features, his scruffy blond hair hanging in his eyes as usual.

Grimmjow grunted a laugh, "Guess our next catch better be Imperial."

Another round of laughter, before Grimmjow's first mate pushed a bottle of rum into his hands and said, "Only the finest for Captain Jaegerjaquez."

A wicked grin split handsome features as Grimmjow raised the bottle up and out towards his comrades, "Only the very finest."

Bottles and mugs clanked as the crew drank, relieved and in good spirits now that their superior was well and would recover.

The crew was given the rest of the week, before Grimmjow called an end to their downtime. The ship was restocked, the rigging and haul inspected, casks and trunks tied down below deck as they prepared. They set sail again, Captain Jaegerjaquez eager to be at the helm and on the open sea. The incident was brushed off, the evidence of the attack hidden below bandaging and the captain's clothing.

•••

Deep under the water, in a kingdom not like ours, the creature Captain Jaegerjaquez had encountered bared teeth in an uncomfortable hiss. Slim fingered hands gingerly grasped the heavy handle of the blade embedded under his arm. Blood seeped from torn flesh, thick and cloying in the water around him. The gills along his throat fluttered wide, a deep breath filtered into his lungs. On the exhale, little bubbles rising through the dark waters, he bared his fangs further and pulled the dagger free.

Around him, predatory fish swarmed in schools, drawn by the blood that clung in the water. A flash of fangs was enough to keep them back and, tail fin flashing with bright reds and angry yellows with the sharp pain of the wound, the creature was given easy passage as he began to swim.

Brown eyes flashed in the darkness of deep water, reflecting what little light reached such a depth. They were wide with a mix of curiosity and animosity as they studied the heavy dagger held in clawed hands.

As he swam, powerful tail propelling him through saltwater, Ichigo stretched out, letting the ocean water flow over the deep wound in his side. Unlike to the human he'd injured, the salt and coolness was soothing to a mercreature. Within minutes, the brilliant colors that had bled into his tail with the angry pain began to sooth and dull. Vivid, intense reds and yellows slowly faded, replaced by their usual gold-gilded, calm violet. The deep color blended well with the gloom of deep sea, but Ichigo had very little to worry about.

Since he'd come of age, years ago, he'd been the top predator of his territory. Even the large sharks that had once roamed this stretch of coastal waters, feared by even the most seasoned and hardened of sailors, had learned to avoid him.

Though his top half was that of a man, Ichigo was armed with an array of natural weapons the humans lacked. Wicked claws tipped his fingers, which when opened wide, sported a flexible webbing to help him when navigating through tighter spaces or between sea plants and ship wrecks. His teeth were pearly and strong, fanged more like a barracuda's than a shark's, though still sporting the same number and general size of a human's teeth. His gold-shimmering, violet tail was long and slim, but powerful, ending in a wide, flexible caudal fin that carried spines. His dorsal and pelvic fins were tapered, elegant almost. They fluttered and swayed with the current and his movements in an almost sensual way, but the tips were barbed and the spines were designed to break off in whatever surface the embedded in, like shorter versions of porcupine quills. When that surface was living flesh, they cause infection and bleeding and great pain, then they grew back so that Ichigo was only left unarmed for a matter of days at most. And even then, he still had teeth and claws.

So when something managed to wound him and not die in the process, Ichigo took note. Humans were soft, they were fragile and easily killed. Often, he didn't even have to cut them open, simply drag the pitiful things out to sea. They drowned in a matter of minutes and left him with an easy meal.

But this most recent prey item had actually fought back, and more than just flailing about and screaming. Of course there had been that, but the man that had dared set foot in his waters had been strong of mind and body. He'd done surprisingly well at keeping his wits about him, despite the panic Ichigo had been able smell seeping into the waters around them. When the man had not only been clear of mind enough to think to grab the dagger he'd had with him, but swift and confident enough to accurately strike even underwater, Ichigo had been caught off guard.

He'd met other sailors that had struggled, even a few that had drawn weapons on him, but few had ever managed to wound him so deeply. A few cuts and scratches at most, as they tried to slash at him and drive him away, but now he'd forever sport a scar to mark where a human had harmed him.s

Ichigo snorted a derisive sound and scowled his dislike as he swam, tail flushing with a deep, swirling blue.

He couldn't stay away though, and the next day, after the sea had cleaned and dressed his wound for him, he returned to the stretch of beach he'd found the sailor. He could still smell the blood in the water, but as he glided closer to shore, close enough that he had to use his hands against the sand of the bottom and more crawl than actually swim, he found no evidence of the man, nor of the men that had bravely scrambled to his aid. He halted his shore-ward trek when he was in water so shallow he could straighten his arms and bring his head and shoulders above the surface.

Peeking from the water, he blinked the clear lens that protected his eyes from the salt away, and peered around as his vision focused. To his left, not even a kilometer away, a massive, deep hauled ship rocked with the surf. He'd known it was there, of course. A massive, human ship didn't roll into his territory undetected, but he hadn't actually went to explore it yet. So that's what he did.

Wiggling and pushing himself into deeper water again, he turned and glided through the shallows and toward the ship. Once there, he trailed his fingers along the smooth, wooden haul. He dove, following the curve until he found the bottom of the ship, then started ascending on its other side until he once more reached the surface.

When he once more breached the surface, tail swaying out below him to hold him aloft and keep him from drifting with the tide, he again trailed claw-tipped fingers over the haul, feeling where water smoothed wood gave way to dry, oiled wood. Looking up, he eyed the railing high above, face lifted to the air around him. He could smell alcohol, the poisonous scent making his nose burn and his lip curl to flash teeth. Though he'd never tried it, he would never understand how humans drank that stuff... He could also smell the man he'd attacked though; his blood, his sweat and his general musk. It seemed he'd live.

Despite that he hovered close by, Ichigo didn't actually catch sight of the sailor that had survived his attack. That was a rare thing, almost unheard of among his kind, and as much as it angered Ichigo, it also drew his curiosity.

It became something of a habit for him to check in on the ship and its crew. At night, after the sun had dropped below the horizon and the crew had mostly turned in, Ichigo would surface and curiously explore what parts of the haul he could reach. He mapped the underside that sat below the water's waves, studied the various scratches and pits in the wood, the evidence of distress and repair. He reached as high up as he could, traced his fingers along the scuff marks and scars of battle that ran the haul's length. Near the bow, on the starboard side, the dull, rhythmic clank of heavy chains was a constant background noise. No doubt the crew and captain no longer even noticed it, but to Ichigo, who'd never been on a ship, the creak of the massive anchor and it's chain as it rocked with the ship and the rolling waves was new. After finding the source of the noise, he realized it wasn't a fault in the ship. Looking up at where the chain disappeared in the ship's side, he guessed he could probably reach it if he tried and was in water deep enough to get a good, running start. Well, swimming start. But aside from peeking out over the deck and chancing that he was spotted by a bunch of murderous humans, there was little point. It wasn't as if he could exactly climb over the rail and go exploring, seeing as he had no legs meant for dry land.

Following the chain, he dove down to the ocean's bottom where the heavy anchor had been dropped. The chain itself was nearly as big around as Ichigo was, and when he found the massive weight half embedded in the sand below, he wasn't really all that surprised that the huge anchor was bigger than him. Even had he wanted to, there would have been no chance he'd have been able to lift it. It was scratched and pitted from use, from dragging along the bottom, along rock shelfs and who knew what else. Like the ship's underside, it showed the worn signs of having been well used, seeing its share of many a sea battle.

Ichigo let out a thoughtful, almost curious sound and scraped his claws over it's rough surface. He gave a harsh tug to the link of chain where it attached to the anchor and, even in the weightlessness of water, it hardly moved. He snorted, pushing air from adapted lungs and sending a few bubbles upward. Swishing his tail, he slowly followed the bubbles and headed back toward the surface and the ship that floated there.

By the end of the week, he pretty much had the bottom side of the ship memorized. In the middle of the night, just before the week could turn to a new one, a deep reverberating sound sent ripples through the water of Ichigo's territory. Startled awake, Ichigo's eyes snapped wide, before he realized it must have been the ship. He rocketed through the water, arms at his side to keep him streamline and his powerful tail and fins guiding his motions. It took him only minutes to reach the ship and he watched as the anchor dragged the bottom, chain pulled tight. Then the ship's bulk rocked slightly with the weight, and the anchor pulled free of the sand. The slow crank of wooden cogs could be heard, vibrating through the ship's haul as the anchor was drawn upward.

Curious, Ichigo swam up to it, following it's ascent. When he was nearly to the surface, he paused and watched as enormous, off-white canvas attached to sturdy crossbeams was heaved upward along the three masts. The higher they were raised, the more they unfurled until wide sails were pulled taut and ready to catch the wind. Rigging was tied down as crewmen bustled back and forth and orders were shouted along the ship.

Another noise, much quieter and less reverberating then before, echoed through the water and Ichigo looked toward the aft and watched as the large, flat device that steered the ship's course began to angle. The rudder paused once it got to a certain angle and Ichigo finally coasted upward the few feet that had separated him from the surface, just in time to listen as a familiar voice called out.

"You doubting my prowess?" The captain called aftward in a good natured jab.

"No!" Was the responding answer, "Course not, Cap'ain. All I'm sayin's that it's going to be a tight fit."

"She made it in!" Grimmjow's features split into a wide grin as he stood at the helm, carefully but confidently rotating it until the ship would turn at the angle he needed to maneuver from the cove they'd made port in. "She'll make it back out."

The ocean this close to land was still shallow, the ground below the water not far from the ship's keel and the bottom of the haul, but it was high tide and Grimmjow and his crew were skilled.

Ichigo ducked back below the water as a few men leaned over the railing. He watched them point and call out the position of troublesome outcroppings below the surface as the ship groaned into motion. Another man stood high above the rest, balanced upon pegs that lined the rear mast. His footing was surprisingly sure as the large ship lurched from it's resting place. He too called out, warning the captain when steering correction was needed.

Twenty minutes later, the merman swam at the ship's side in deep, free ocean waters. He listened to happy cheers of victory and congratulations of a job well done from the crew upon the ship, then watched in something close to awe as the rudder cut clear to one side and the massive vessel leaned almost impossibly to one side, making an incredibly sharp turn for such a large craft. Not more than a few seconds later, the ship's bow was cutting through water as the pirate vessel sailed away from land.

Never had Ichigo seen such skillful maneuvering in a craft of this size.

Still recovering from the injuries he'd received earlier in that week, from an animal he had never before seen, Captain Jaegerjaquez retired back to his private cabin after he and his crew had gotten the ship into open waters safely. He left the captaining to his first mate, confident in his men that all would be smooth sailing while he re-bandaged his wounds and rested.

Grimmjow and his crew were out to sea for weeks before they approached imperial traffic lanes. Just as he'd said, they were out for a large catch this time around. The lost dagger was merely an excuse, though he did intend to select a new one to call his own out of what they looted.

In that time, Grimmjow had healed up and was left with only a single, wide scar running the length of his abdomen to show where claws had shredded his front. He remained oblivious to the silent observer that had been keeping tabs on him and his ship and his crew.

Even as Ichigo finally grew curious enough and dared climb his way up the hull of the ship, so that he could peek over the railing, Grimmjow remained none the wiser to his admirer. Breathing the waterless air for extended periods of time was strange at first, pulling the air through his nose rather than through his gils, where oxygen was usually filtered from the water. But he quickly figured it out and grew used to it. And of course, after doing climbing up to the ship's deck once, Ichigo naturally grew more confident in his ability to get a closer look, and so grew more bold. It became an almost nightly thing in the weeks that the ship plied the sea, almost peaceful in its journey.

Each night, he climbed up to prop his top half against the deck, just below the railing, in a new area so that he could see more and more of the massive craft's body. His tail hanging over the side, he would wiggle it excitedly, almost cat-like, and curiously study all that there was to see; masts, rigging, the helm, the doors that led below deck, the various casks and chests left tied down on the deck. In the dark of night, he even studied the way the skeleton crew interacted and talked amongst themselves while on watch as the rest of the crew rested in their bunks.

Several times, he was even witness to the captain wandering about the deck. His crew treated him with respect, but it was in a loose, friendly way, not rigid and forced. One night, Ichigo learned the big man's name and he rolled it around on his tongue until he could pronounce the foreign sounds with ease. It was almost a growl, more of a sound than a name, and it fit the human well from what Ichigo had seen.

Then, what the pirates had been waiting for finally happened. Weeks after Ichigo had watched the skillful extraction and captaining, large, white sails were spotted on the horizon. It was the middle of the night when the lookout called down from his perch in an excited voice. Calls instantly went out through the crew that remained on deck to watch over the ship through the night.

Ichigo jerked back, his first thought to drop back into the safe depths of the ocean as the thud of boots made the wood his front half rested on vibrate. But he refrained, and peeked over the edge of the deck to watch as the blue haired captain emerged from the depths of his ship's belly.

A wide, eager grin pulled at Grimmjow's handsome features, making his blue eyes swirl with a contagious chaos. Orange brows arched slightly, as Ichigo watched, wondering just what was up.

Taking up a telescope being pushed into his hands, Grimmjow leaned against the railing and raised the object. The ship that had been spotted was too far away to see figures moving about on the deck, or to begin working out its identity, but it held four masts and imperial flags and excitement stirred in the captain's belly. "Time to get me that new dagger, boys." He announced. His crew cheered.

By the approaching day, the imperial ship had drawn close enough that looking through his telescope, Grimmjow could watch the nervous way the crew milled about on deck. With a sharp bark of laughter, he signaled that his flag be raised. High up and fluttering in the breeze, a black flag with blue markings announced his identity and intent as a pirate and an enemy.

The two ships clashed with the falling of the sun. Grimmjow's ship was steered none to gently into the approaching imperial ship. Hooks were thrown across, anchoring the larger ship and preventing it from fleeing. Soldiers poured over the railing in retaliation, all dressed in imperial uniforms. Grimmjow's men waded through them with flashing blades and booming gunshots, the captain himself amongst them with a manic grin on his handsome features.

Grimmjow soon found himself squaring off against the military commander of the ship. Their single shot, flint pistols had been discarded within the first few minutes of the battle and now their swords danced and struck and lashed out.

Entranced by the brutal fighting, Ichigo had found himself clinging to the edge of the deck, peeking below the railing as he watched the pirates go against the uniformed men. As his fascination and curiosity demanded, he'd worked his way around the ship until he found Captain Jaegerjaquez.

He watched as the pirate captain's sword cut a shallow gash low across his opponent's stomach. As the man doubled over and Grimmjow closed in, his intent clearly set upon ending the small exchange, Ichigo's eyes widened. Not quite ready to surrender, the enemy commander jerked upright and, instead of ducking away, dove forward. His shoulder caught Grimmjow in the gut, arms wrapping round the captain as the two tumbled back and slammed against the railing near where Ichigo hid.

He ducked lower, but watched with a sort of nervous awe.

The pirate grimaced, the lean lines of his muscular body going rigid as his features twisted. It took Ichigo a long moment to realize what had happened, and it appeared to take the the military commander by surprise as well, but the man saw his opportunity and took it.

Fiery pain lighting his scared chest where the extensive wounds he'd taken weeks ago were still tender, Grimmjow barely rolled out of the way and threw his sword up in time to block the one trying to carve him in half. He growled and ducked, teeth still bared in mixed pain and anger.

The sharp sword took a chunk out of the wooden railing inches from where he'd been thrown against.

Watching the two struggle, Ichigo realized the captain had lost his advantage. Now the enemy knew of his weakness and the commander took advantage of that. Every sword slash was followed by an attempt at blunt harm, all targeted at the pirate's already tender, still healing core. Only a few glancing blows landed; en elbow thrown at just the right angle, and hard shove from a flat palm, but those few shots were enough to steal the air from Grimmjow's lungs as he tried to both attack his enemy, and block his abdomen from the abuse.

Anger flared in Ichigo, his tail flushing vibrant reds and purples and yellows as he watched. He snarled a viscous little sound and bared sharp fangs. Without thought, when the two struggling men threw themselves against the railing nearby again, he propelled himself up. The dagger he'd kept close since it had been embedded in his flesh found the military commander's thigh. It sank clear to the hilt, the sharp point thrusting clean through and out through the other side of the man's leg.

The commander screamed in surprised agony. Grimmjow didn't waste his opening. His sword opened wide the man's throat and he watched for a moment, panting, as the commander dropped to the deck in a gasping, panicked heap. Then his gaze landed on the jutting hilt of the dagger and he frowned. In the short, heated scuffle he hadn't really put any conscious thought to what was going on, only acting and reacting as he needed to. But glacial eyes narrowed in recognition as he took in the familiar curve of the hilt, before widening and darting over toward the railing.

Ichigo clung to the deck, frozen under that stare for a long moment, before he found his wits and his eyes widened right back.

Around them, the noise of fighting seemed to fall away. The rock of the ship at sea was so second nature to both that neither even noticed as the undulated with the waves and the wind. Grimmjow blinked, then seemed to wake up again and kicked himself into gear. His first reaction was to dive for the man that had apparently fallen overboard. He didn't really recognize him, but his features looked vaguely familiar and instinct kicked in. He wasn't from the imperial ship, that was as far as his conscious thoughts went.

But as Grimmjow scrabbled toward the railing Ichigo had latched himself onto, the mercreature realized what he'd done. He'd interfered and allowed himself to be seen. As Grimmjow neared him, he let out something of a startled sound and pushed off from the deck. Falling backwards the height of the ship, he looked up before he splashed into the safety of the water, and watched as the pirate captain slid below the railing, half hanging over the deck's edge to watch his decent.

Their gazes met just as Ichigo plunged into the cold, dark depths he'd come from. The captain hung over the side of his ship for a long moment, his sharp, blue eyes searching almost desperately. He'd seen those feral, handsome features before, he knew he had, but it hadn't been until he'd caught sight of the tail that he realized who he was looking at. Or what.

He only pulled himself from between the bottom of the railing and the deck's edge when he heard boots thudding upon the wood, headed in his direction. Pulling himself upright, he turned to find members of his crew coming toward him, victorious expressions on their features one and all. He forced a wide, overbearing grin upon his own, and as he passed the body of the military commander, he bent to snag his once lost dagger. He tucked the dagger away in the edge of his pants, where his crew wouldn't get a good enough look at it to recognize it, and pulled his shirt tail over it.

Lifting his sword high, he declared their victory and led his crew across his ship's deck so that they could board the imperial ship. He couldn't help but turn to look over his shoulder as he led the way, despite knowing he'd find nothing staring back at him.

After plunging into the ocean, Ichigo had at first darted through the dark water, straight under the ship's haul, where he could hide from view should the pirate captain somehow be able to penetrate the darkness and see him through the water's blackness. But after a moment, he'd slowly crept back out, using clawed fingers against the wood of the haul to guide his motions, and stayed just below the surface as he looked back up the length of the ship's side at the man half hanging over the deck, searching for him. His sight better than that of a humans, designed to allow him to see while swimming in near lightless depths, he watched the way the big man's features twisted with disbelief, confusion and surprise even, but he found very little fear in the expression.

Even though he knew by the way those blue eyes darted around that the captain couldn't actually see him, Ichigo felt entranced by the man's gaze. There was a commanding strength there, a power that only further drew Ichigo in. Never had he found a human so interesting before.

Above the water's surface, Grimmjow oversaw the capture of prisoners and the looting of the imperial ship. The surviving military sailors were tied up and left to sit in the middle of the deck, watched over by a few of Grimmjow's crew while the captain dug through the cargo of the other ship.

Upon climbing below deck, Grimmjow found that the ship he'd captured was transporting slaves, of which he had no interest in. The holds were opened up, locks broken and shackles destroyed. He gave a few of the more experienced slaves the opportunity to join his crew, the rest he turned loose and left them to fend for themselves. He and his crew pillaged what they wanted from the imperial commander's private stash of alcohol and wares, and Grimmjow very carefully selected a new dagger, all the while ignoring the burning weight of his lost one where it settled hidden against his hip. Then the captain and his crew turned the imperial ship over to the slaves they'd set free and wished them luck.

The captain had his prisoners locked up below deck, shackled like the slaves they'd been intending to sell. Then he retreated to his cabin and left the cleaning of his ship to his first mate and crew.

As soon as the door was closed and latched behind him, he dropped his new dagger to his table and pulled out the old one. He turned it in his hands, ran long fingers over the curve of the blade, the smoothness of the metal. He dragged his blunt nails over the familiar indentations of the grip and held it up, turning it so that it caught the flickering flame of his lantern as he inspected it.

The salt water had corroded the finer intricacies of the inlaid gold and vicious claws had screeched across the flat of the blade, leaving shallow, twisted grooves behind. Grimmjow frowned at the dagger, almost gently laying it on the table as he crossed his arms over his chest and sank into the chair at its side. In his mind, there was no denying that the creature that had climbed upon his ship and aided him was the very same that had attacked him on the coast. Had it really followed him and his ship all this way?

Absently itching at the scars across his chest, he leaned back in the chair. Obviously it had.

Above water, the creature -a merman, of which Grimmjow was now certain, despite that such a creature wasn't supposed to exist- hadn't had the same ferociousness to him. In the water that day, he'd been all teeth and swift, graceful movements, aggression and and feral power. But clinging to the deck of the ship in the short moments Grimmjow had gotten to see him, the creature had looked young and more curious than anything. Though he looked a bit awkward clutching at the deck the way he had, there was obvious, hard earned strength to the creature's toned body. His arms and shoulders had been lean, smooth skinned, but obviously roped with wiry muscle.

And when Grimmjow had nearly thrown himself overboard, he'd just glimpsed a long, graceful tail and fluttery fins. It'd been too dark to make out colors very well, but he got the impression of cold blues and greens as the mercreature had stared wide eyed up at him, before it had disappeared in a hurried splash of water. The image was transfixed in the captain's mind and would be for days to come.

Even as they continued their world wide trek, Grimmjow's eye always seemed to stray around the railing of his ship. It wasn't new for him to always have his gaze turned outward, toward the horizon and the open water, but rarely had he been known to keep his attention so close by. He was ever looking for that bright, fiery hair and handsome features peeking over the edge of his ship. The mercreature had followed him this far, he had a hard time believing he would suddenly stop just because he'd been seen.

At night, when most of his crew slept after a long day at manning a full sized ship, he would climb from his bunk and quietly make his way up from below. He would spend hours walking the railing of his beloved ship, searching, waiting.

"I know you're still out there…" He'd growl, not quite under his breath as he leaned over the rail and watched the water lap against the bulk of the haul. Then, after several long minutes of finding nothing, he'd straighten and continue making laps until he wore himself out and retreated below deck again.

Grimmjow was right. He may not have glimpsed the evidence, but Ichigo dared climb the hull again the very next night. He witnessed the captain's circling, like a predator. But Ichigo didn't fear sharks.

He watched the man, observed him, every night for nearly a week, until one night, when Grimmjow's loop brought him near where the mercreature clung to the deck below the railing, he let his curiosity get the better of him. Rather than ducking out of sight, Ichigo stayed put. He didn't announce his presence, he didn't make a sound and didn't dare move, but it was naive to think the captain wouldn't see him.

The moment the big man caught sight of him was beyond obvious. The night already half over, light beginning to bleed into the far horizon, Grimmjow's steps were slow and weary with fatigue. He was just about to call it a night when something not the same colors as his ship and the sea caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Bright orange. He glanced at the figure watching him and made it another step before it sank in that the object of his sleeplessness had finally shown itself again.

Freezing midstep, Grimmjow's head whipped up and around, those piercing blue eyes locking with wide, deep brown. They stared for a moment longer, before Grimmjow took another step in the creature's direction.

The merman ducked lower, like he would push from the deck and drop back into the ocean again. His clawed fingers curled against the wooden planks and his shoulders tensed as he watched the captain with a wary but interested gaze.

Grimmjow froze again, his hands shooting up in a staying motion, "Wait-! Wait…" he called quietly to the creature. With careful motions, he reached to his side and pulled free his old dagger, dropping it to the deck where he couldn't so easily reach it. Then he dared another step closer, further from the weapon.

Brown eyes narrowed on him, but the mercreature pulled himself higher again, until his arms were crossed upon the deck and his features were fully visible. He watched as the human neared and when the captain got too close, within a few strides, he flashed long, pointed teeth but still didn't make for the safety of the ocean yet.

Taking the warning for what it obviously was, Grimmjow froze again. There wasn't even half a dozen feet of clear deck between them. Deciding not to push his luck any further, the pirate lowered himself to crouch nearer the creature's level where he'd stopped, and continued to watch the creature for a few heartbeats more.

He looked so human, at least what Grimmjow could see of him. Long, orange hair hung wet about the creature's shoulders and handsome, youthful features shown with cautious curiosity. The merman's pupils were slitted, and when he blinked, there was two lids, but there was a thinking, intelligent softness to them, not the cool, dullness of a fish. Barely visible and closed while out of the water, slitted gills lined his throat but Grimmjow could easily see the way the creature's chest swelled with his even breaths, and the way his nostrils flared slightly as he took in the pirate's scent.

After the silence had drawn out, he frowned, and hesitated to speak as he wondered about the creature, but did so anyway, "Can you understand me…?"

At his gravely voice, a sound Ichigo had only heard from afar until then, orange brows unfurrowed from their previously aggressive expression. Then Ichigo nodded a subtle motion. He glanced first in one direction, than the other, and when he was satisfied that they were still alone on the ship's deck, he wiggled his tail and reached out with clawed hands to better grip the wooden surface, and pulled himself further aboard, below the railing so that his chest and stomach rested on dry wood and he could take more weight off his arms and shoulders.

Grimmjow watched him, one corner of his lips twitching into a subtle smirk at the awkward way the creature hauled itself around, clearly designed for water and not land. Then he frowned harder as more of the creature's body became visible, a row of barbed spines that followed the curve of the creature's lower back and continued down its tale in an elegantly vicious looking fin. "You tried to kill me."

Ichigo winced and gave the man a somewhat sheepish shrug as his sharp claws dug against the wood below his hands slightly, "You were in my territory and I was hungry…"

"…" Grimmjow's features twisted, "You were going to eat me?!"

"Well…most of you." Ichigo answered truthfully, again shifting where he half laid upon the deck as he watched the crouching pirate captain. "Only the soft parts. Humans are usually rather tasteless…" He paused when blue eyes widened a bit, like he realized he'd said something wrong. Then perked up and nodded like he was trying to salvage his blunder, and added, "but you smelled wonderful!"

The pirate stared for a long second, having no idea how he was supposed to respond to that. "Umm… thanks…"

Ichigo nodded again, a single, defined motion and smiled at the human. His teeth were sharp and gleaming, designed to puncture and hold against slippery scales and wiggling, thrashing prey, but the expression still managed to look warm and almost inviting.

Grimmjow grunted a mildly amused sound, and flattened a palm against the warm wood of his ship as he eased himself from his crouch and into a sitting position. The mercreature watched him carefully, but didn't look ready to bolt like before. "Do you always make a point of killing and eating pirates?" He couldn't help but ask, a bit of amusement in his tone. The merman wasn't the first being to try to kill him, after all. It kind of came with the job.

"Not really," Ichigo half smiled, relieved that the human wasn't angry with him. "I've only killed a few actually, usually I'd rather just watch them try to swim with their funny legs. You humans are very clumsy in the water. But your ship had been keeping most of my prey from settling in for the few weeks you had been there… So…"

"Oh… I hadn't realized…"

"It's fine now, I'm glad you put up more of a fight than most. You're more interesting alive." Ichigo smiled again. The captain merely grunted another laugh and shook his head.

When the big man said nothing, Ichigo made a face and once more glanced around the empty deck, before redirecting his attention on the captain. His tail swished out below him, scraping with a quiet, leathery sound against the side of the haul. "Why did you attack the other ship?"

"I needed a new dagger, thanks to you." Grimmjow grinned, then waved a hand out in front of him, "It was an imperial ship. Not only do they carry the best loot, but dealing a blow to the governing body is always a small victory."

"Why?"

Grimmjow shrugged, then spent the next twenty minutes explaining what slavery and taxes were. The mercreature decided he didn't like imperial ships either, after finally wrapping his mind around the idea that schools of humans weren't really a community, but were actually really mean to each other. Grimmjow was amused by the whole thing, really.

"Thanks, by the way, for aiding me the other night." Grimmjow motioned over his shoulder toward his dagger. "I owe you."

"You were only struggling because I had injured you…" Ichigo gave the man another sheepish shrug, "Shall we call it even?"

The pirate barked a laugh and nodded his agreement, "Alright. We're even then."

The mercreature, looking rather pleased with himself, wiggled his way a bit further onto the deck. Moving closer towards the captain, though still leaving several feet between them, he hauled the bulkiest part of his tail upon the deck. It was hard work keeping himself up the way he'd been clinging to the haul without anything to support his lower body, but the pirate didn't seem too malevolent towards him, so he deemed it safe enough.

Grimmjow watched him, again smiling at the awkward way the creature maneuvered over the deck. As the merman half slithered, half dragged himself closer, all those barbed fins contracted, folding and flattening against his body, making him more streamline. It seemed a natural thing, a way to limit the resistance of what would normally be dense water as the creature swam. In the open air, upon dry wood, it wasn't as helpful but it was still interesting.

Straightening his arms, Ichigo pushed his top half off the ground, bringing his features more level with the human sitting nearly within arms reach now. He didn't extend a hand or anything, but he inclined his head slightly, in friendly greeting, "My name's Ichigo, by the way."

The pirate captain mimicked the slight motion with a smirk, "Grimmjow."

They spent nearly another hour getting to know each other, sitting upon the deck of the captain's ship, before Ichigo confessed that he really needed to return to the water. While he could breath air and he could leave the water for several hours at a time, it was still hard on him. Grimmjow agreed that he should have been sleeping anyway, in preparation for captaining his crew with the rising of the sun, and so they called it a night and Grimmjow climbed to his feet as he watched the mercreature push himself backward, back under the railing, before disappearing from the side of the ship.

After Ichigo let go, Grimmjow couldn't help but take the few short steps to the railing. He peered over to watch the creature enter the water much more gracefully this time than last. After a moment, as he was just about to turn from the railing and return below deck, Ichigo broke the surface again and waved up at him. Grimmjow laughed, and half saluted back, before they officially parted ways.

There was no discussion of it, but they both knew they'd not seen the last of each other.

That day, the man's crew joked that he must have sneaked one of the slave wenches into his cabin that night because it looked like he'd slept even less than usual. Grimmjow laughed it off, rolling with the good natured jabs and said nothing of his strange visitor. Later, as the crew was busy navigating his ship and fulfilling their duties, he went below deck to their stores and found a length of spare rope used for rigging. Nearly as thick as his forearm, it would be beyond strong enough to hold someone's weight. He coiled it up, threw it over one broad shoulder, and lugged it up from below deck and across the ship's breadth. Near where he'd met with the mercreature the previous night, he tied one end around the sturdy railing, making sure it was secure, then kicked the rest of the bundled length under the rail so that it fell over the edge and would hang down the side of his ship. The end didn't quite reach the waterline, short by a few feet, but he figured it would be easy enough to reach, and probably easier to climb than the side of haul.

That night, after the sun had set below the horizon and the waters began cooling off with the loss, Ichigo circled the ship, cutting through the water with graceful ease. He wondered if it would be wise of him to return and meet with the human again. He knew they could be dangerous creatures, especially while not in the water, but he felt no threat from the captain. When he broke the surface to look up the hulking side of the ship, he was pleasantly surprised to find a rope hanging nearby. A tug on it assured it was secured and hadn't been an accident. He smiled at the obvious invitation and decided another talk with his new friend couldn't hurt.

Grimmjow was waiting for him, half asleep and slumped against the railing a few feet down ship from where he'd tied the rope. Like the night before, he'd left his weapons sit in a pile out of his reach, but within view of the railing so that the mercreature would see he was unarmed.

Surprisingly quiet for a literal fish out of water, Ichigo wiggled his way far enough upon the deck to make himself comfortable, so that his upper body and the thickest part of his tail was settled upon smooth wood, then paused as he looked the resting pirate over.

Long legs were splayed out before the man and his head was tilted back, leaning against the bars of the railing. Long fingered hands rested in the man's lap and his body moved so naturally, so comfortably, with the gentle swells and motion of the rocking ship. His handsome features were turned toward Ichigo just slightly, like the man had nodded off while waiting for Ichigo's arrival.

Smiling an almost mischievous expression, Ichigo observed the human for a moment more, than flicked his tail out toward the man, fins opened, and sprayed the captain in a fine showering of cold droplets of ocean water.

Grimmjow startled from his light sleep and nearly scrambled upright, before his eyes landed on a laughing mercreature. Grunting, he settled back against the railing and used one hand to wipe dry the back and side of his neck. "Ha ha." He said dryly, "Real funny."

"I thought so." Ichigo chuckled as he propped an elbow upon the deck and rested his chin in his fist. "I'm sorry, it was kind of mean of me…" But there was still a smile on his features.

The captain rolled his eyes, but smirked and waved it off. Shifting so his legs were crossed under him, he pulled open one side of his heavy coat and from an inside pouch, pulled forth a silver flask. Untwisting the cap, he tilted it to his lips and took a swallow. From the corner of his eye, he took note of the skeptical curiosity that lit the mercreature's features. He sighed at the flavor and the burn, and pulled started to recap it, "Only the best for the captain," he commented, then eyed Ichigo and thought better of twisting the cap back on. Instead, he held the silver container out to the creature in offering and arched his brows a bit.

Nostrils flaring slightly, Ichigo sniffed at the pungent, toxic scent wafting from the flask and curled his lip.

"Just try it." Grimmjow prompted, an amused smirk slanting his lips.

"It smells awful…" Ichigo frowned, but extended his free hand and tentatively wrapped clawed fingers around the silver container.

"It takes some getting used to, I guess," Grimmjow shrugged, dropping his hands back to his lap as he watched, "But I'd rather drown in that than in sea water."

Ichigo shot him a skeptical look and brought the flask under his nose. He gagged at the smell, but tilted his head back for a small taste. At his side, the pirate erupted in deep laughter as he choked on the burning liquid and accidentally spit it all over the ship's deck. He almost forcefully shoved the canister back toward the pirate as he coughed, his handsome features scrunched in distaste.

Laughing, Grimmjow accepted the flash, took another swallow, and finally put the cap back on before tucking it away in his coat again.

"Oh it's terrible! How do you drink that?" Ichigo shook his head, honestly contemplating a dip in the ocean just to chase the lingering taste away.

"It's as I said; takes some getting used to." The human chuckled.

The next night, he brought with him something different from the ship's stores. Everything alcoholic the merman tried ended up right back on the deck or in the glass and Grimmjow decided Ichigo just wasn't going to make a good drinking partner. Instead, he started bringing various foods with him. Ichigo could take one sniff of anything from the sea and tell Grimmjow exactly what it was, no matter how it had been dried and prepared. It turned out that Ichigo had absolutely no interest in any of the fruits or vegetables kept onboard to be eaten by the crew, but anything else Grimmjow brought him to try went over well. It didn't take long for the captain to realize he was strictly carnivorous, which he supposed he should have realized after seeing his teeth and claws.

Soon enough, the captain was skipping dinner in his cabin and waiting until after his crew had retired for the night. Sitting against the railing, he would take his evening meal in the company of the merman he'd befriended. Ichigo would occasionally accept a bite or two of whatever the captain offered him, but he always assured the man he did all his hunting in the ocean throughout the day and was well fed.

In the coming days, the two grew closer and more comfortable with each other. The original mistrust between them all but disappeared. No longer did the captain strip himself of his customary weaponry. In fact, he didn't even think to do it, and Ichigo didn't seem to really notice or worry that the man was armed and seated next to him. The space they had purposefully left to linger between them dwindled by the hour, until they sat side by side in comfort every night.

Eventually, it went forgotten that they were two different species. That they probably should have been enemies. Ichigo had always seen humans as cruel, nasty creatures better suited as a quick, easy meal or entertainment than as decent company and Grimmjow had always assumed mercreatures were just tails, made up in the dark of night to keep children and lesser sailors alike from misbehaving while on ships and boats and docks.

"I used to think your kind fictitious." Grimmjow chuckled one evening. He shook his head a bit, blue eyes flashing in Ichigo's direction, before coasting out to pan over the star littered horizon. Below where he and Ichigo sat upon the deck, his crew slept after a long day at sea.

Ichigo snorted and shot the captain an almost mischievous look. "That's what my kind wants your kind to think." Then he followed the man's gaze outward and tilted his head fractionally, "You explained what pirates are to me, but you never explained why… Why are you a pirate, Captain? Why not work on an imperial ship? Or on dry land where it's safer for your kind?"

Grimmjow shrugged, "I've never much liked dry land. It's too…solid, too set in stone and confining. Out here," He swept an arm out, motioning around them at the endlessness of the water surrounding them, "no one tells me what I can and cannot do. I work together with my crew and the only higher being we have to obey is the ocean."

A comfortable quiet settled between them for a while, nothing but the gentle lapping of the ocean against Grimmjow's beloved ship. Then Ichigo scooted his way back under the railing, so that the bulk of his tail hung from the edge of the ship and he smiled at Grimmjow. "I've never met a man like you, Grimmjow, would that more humans could be this way."

The pirate captain grinned and nodded his agreement, "The world would be a much freer place, I think."

"Indeed." Ichigo agreed, then glanced backward a bit and down at the water below, "…I'm growing uncomfortable, but I cherish our time… " He confessed, having been out of the water for too many hours now, "Swim with me for a short while?"

Blue brows arched as Grimmjow glanced over at the merman with something of a smirk, "You are truly a merman, yes? And not a siren?"

Ichigo laughed, "Oh Captain, I assure you that do not sing, nor have I any more intentions of drowning you. I've grown quite fond of you as you are."

Grimmjow laughed and inclined his head, then held out a hand toward the railing of his ship and beyond in invitation, "After you," He said, "But don't make fun of me for not being as water savvy as a fish like you."

Smiling a pretty expression, Ichigo shook his head, but used his arms to push himself the rest of the way from the railing. He dropped overboard like it was hardly even an intimidating thing and landed in the water with barely a splash.

Grimmjow watched him slip below the surface as he climbed to his feet, then shrugged from his coat and his boots, setting them aside neatly upon the deck, and climbed over the railing. He waited until he saw Ichigo break the surface again, then took a deep breath, and stepped off the slim, outer space between the railing and open air. He dropped from the ship and entered the water feet first, as streamline as was possible for a human.

It took him a few long seconds to make it back to the surface, but he was an experienced swimmer and seaman. His movements were long and surprisingly graceful, calm even immersed in a foreign world.

Ichigo watched him swim back to the surface, watched the way strong muscle slid below smooth, suntanned flesh. He swam close, circled the human in his domain, but it wasn't a predatory or even taunting motion. When Grimmjow reached the surface and took that first deep breath of air, Ichigo slowly broke the surface again as well, to hover at the man's side. Only half of his features were visible as he floated low in the water, letting the cool, enlivening substance slide through his gills and fill his lungs with living oxygen.

Sweeping a hand back through his now wet hair, so that it fell backwards and out of his face, Grimmjow glanced at him, then dropped his hand and swept it out towards the merman, sending a spray of cool water at the creature. Ichigo laughed, flashing wicked teeth, and sunk below the surface again.

The captain spun a slow circle, arms out and feet kicking in easy, slow motions to help keep him afloat as he searched for the creature. Despite how their first meeting had gone, being in deep water around the merman didn't make him nervous. It was oddly comforting, like all the things that would normally pose a threat to him were nulled.

Below the surface, a smooth, almost leathery fin glanced across the back of his legs and the pirate grunted a laugh. Just like before, there was a playful nature to it, only this time there was no danger of being ripped to pieces and dragged out to sea. Filling his lungs with a deep breath of air, he pushed his arms to his sides and ducked below the water's surface.

He found Ichigo barely six inches in front of his face, a wide, amused smile on boyishly handsome features. In the darkness of the water, the creature's eyes flashed like a cat's, taking on a milky color while Ichigo's clear, second lens protected his eyes from the salt water. Whereas he looked a little on the awkward, clumsy side while on Grimmjow's ship, in the water, Ichigo was streamline and graceful. The water fluttered against his elegant fins and fanned his long mane of orange hair out around his features. It wrapped around him like a warm embrace. He was beautiful.

Grimmjow spent as long underwater as he could, simply hovering there, taking in all the little details of Ichigo's person that didn't stand out quite so well while he was above water; the gilded shimmer of his tail, the intricate patterns that worked through the rich colors, the way he moved, the way his gils alternated as he breathed, the minuscule bubbles that floated to the surface on his exhales. The captain stayed there until his lungs burned, until his chest ached for breath, before he finally resurfaced.

When he did, he reached the surface and took a blessedly fresh breath, only to hear shouting. Blue brows furrowed as he spun round to find his ship, then looked up.

Looking back down at him, his lookout leaned over the railing, shouting for help, "Man overboard!" He called to the rest of the crew, "Captain! Hang on, Cap'ain, we got a rope on the way!"

Confused, Grimmjow shook his head and frowned, than realized Ichigo was at his side and likely had no idea what was going on. With a muttered curse, he shoved a hand back under the water and shook it in an urgent staying motion, trying to tell the creature to stay where he was, stay down where the crew wouldn't see him. Stay out of view where he was safe.

"No! No, D-roy, I'm fine!" He called back up. Surprisingly warm fingers interlocked with his below the water and he tried not to jolt from the unexpectedness of contact he'd not yet had with the merman. He couldn't quite keep his eyes from widening, though, when a gentle pulse of water, like an exhaled breath, flushed against his abdomen. In the dark, he hoped his lookout couldn't see his expression, "J-just thought it was a good time for a swim." He sheepishly explained to the man above as his hand pulled free and settled on the shoulder of the one below.

Gentle fingertips danced a not so random pattern across his chest, clear down to his hip and the pirate captain shuttered in the water as claws oh so carefully followed the marks scarred across his body. As his feet swayed in the water, keeping him from sinking below the surface, his bare skin brushed leathery tail fins. Then a slim but muscular appendage wrapped clean around the backs of his legs and he sank lower in the water for a moment, mildly startled, before he realized it was Ichigo's tale and the creature was taking part of his weight to make staying afloat easier.

"In the middle a the night?" D-roy called down, the skepticism and confusion obvious in his voice as he leaned over the railing and looked down at his captain. It was no secret that the ocean called to their captain, but still… this seemed a little extreme, even for Grimmjow. "How'd you plan to get back up here?"

Grimmjow pointed, "Come now, D-roy. Take me for a complete fool, do you? I've already got a rope tied and ready for climbing when I'm done."

The younger lad glanced, sharp eyes catching the knotted rope tied to the railing. He shook his head, "Is this what you been doin' up here every night, cap'ain? Swimming?"

"Some nights." Grimmjow lied, ignoring the warmth of the body wrapped around his below the cool water. "Go get some rest, D. We need those eyes of yours sharp for lookout in the morn."

Now that his panic and startlement at finding his captain overboard had settled, D-roy reached up and rubbed at one eye as he sighed. "Aye, cap'ain. You'll be alright out here on your own?"

"Course I will."

D-roy didn't say anything more, merely swiping an almost irritated, dismissing hand through the air toward the captain, and turned from the railing. When he'd disappeared from sight, Grimmjow's other hand shot through the water to find Ichigo's other shoulder as he half tugged, trying to get the merman to surface again.

Ichigo did so slowly, first peeking above the surface before swimming high enough that he could speak. He glanced around, eyeing the ship's length carefully. "Your crew cares a great deal for you."

"I pay them handsomely." Grimmjow replied.

"It's more than that." Ichigo arched a brow at the captain.

Grimmjow shrugged, a lopsided smirk tugging at his handsome features, "We're all the family we got."

Ichigo smiled at that, nodded a small motion. Then, below the surface of the water, his fingers found the scars running the length of Grimmjow's torso again and his smile faded, "I did this…"

"Yeah," The man didn't try to deny it, nor brush it off. The hands that were so gentle against him now were capable of being truly vicious. "tore me up pretty good."

Expressive, big brown eyes turned downward, unable to meet the captain's gaze. In a whisper, Ichigo admitted, "You are the first human to survive my attacks…the first I set out to kill and eat, and did not… I'm glad for that."

Still half supported in the water by the merman's powerful tail wrapped around his legs, Grimmjow covered Ichigo's hand against his chest with one of his own. He ran the fingers of his other hand through bright orange, shoulder length locks. When boyish features edged back towards his again, he smirked. "Wasn't the first mark upon my body and it wont be the last." He assured.

It wasn't long after that Grimmjow had to end his swim, the water beginning to get too cold for him. Ichigo seemed impervious to the chill. He slid silently through the water at Grimmjow's side as the captain made his way to the side of his ship and grabbed the rope he'd left for Ichigo's convenance. He bid the merman goodnight, then they parted ways; Grimmjow back to his own world and Ichigo hidden deep below in his.

That morning, when Grimmjow climbed from his rack only a few short hours after having gone to bed, he was faced with amused and exasperated jabs from his crew about midnight swims and mythical siren lovers. He took it all in stride and they went about their day, taking care of and manning his ship during a long day of hard work and travel.

Eventually they made port at their destination and Grimmjow put his first mate in charge of selling his portion of the riches they'd collected. The money gained was, as usual, put towards taking care of his ship and commissioning the larger repairs he couldn't do on his own.

From offshore, Ichigo watched as the captain directed his crew and the team hired to make repairs. Being closer to land, where the water was shallow and the sandy bottom was visible through clean, clear water, he had to be more careful than while in open seas.

In the evenings of the few days they spent at port, Grimmjow would wade out into the shallows. His crew wasn't surprised, though after the last time when he'd been attacked by something unseen, they'd been leery at first.

"Careful, Grimmjow," Shawlong would warn from shore as he watched his captain, "D says he thought he saw something big swimming through the surf earlier."

Grimmjow tugged his shirt over his head, tossing it back at the tall man so it could be dropped with his boots and the majority of the other things he'd had on his person. He chuckled and waved off his first mate's concern. "I've never been attacked by a shark, Shaw, not going to happen now."

The slim man shook his head, "Said big, didn't say shark."

"That's what this is for." The captain patted the dagger at his hip and sent the first mate a wicked grin, though he knew he wouldn't need it. Even if it wasn't Ichigo his lookout had managed to spot, the mercreature's presence was a predatory one. Anything else out for the captain's blood would surely flee when Ichigo drifted into the area.

Of course, there was no arguing with the stubborn captain, so his first mate assured that there would be a few men on the ship nearby if the captain needed anything, then took his leave and left Grimmjow to his own devices.

Grimmjow waded out until the water lapped at his hips. After only a few minutes of being out there, he didn't catch sight of his friend, but he felt the familiar, playful glide of fins against his shins. Smirking, he took a deep breath and in the same motion, dropped to sink below the water and sit crosslegged on the sandy bottom below his feet.

Ichigo flashed an excited circle around him, then pulled up to float in the water before his face, mere inches away. His clawed hands settled surprisingly gently against his knees, keeping the subtle current from tugging him away from the human. Grimmjow half chuckled soundless amusement and Ichigo flashed a sharp toothed grin at him.

It was a short lived moment, of course, and Grimmjow patted Ichigo's hands when he needed air. The mercreature readily released him and watched the man rise. He followed as far as the surface of the water, but paused before breeching. Flipping so that he floated on his back just below the surface, he looked up through the shimmering, darkening water at the man.

A curious frown tugged at the captain's features as he stood in the water, looking down at the creature. The long tail half coiled around him was becoming so second nature that he hardly even noticed it anymore. "You can hear me?" He asked, his voice an average volume as if he spoke to someone standing at his side.

Ichigo nodded, despite being below the water's surface.

"Can you speak while underwater?"

"Of course." Ichigo laughed, a flutter of tiny bubbles following his words and his laugh. His muffled voice just barely reached the captain and the amused look on Grimmjow's face told him that, so he reached out of the water to grab hold of the man's wrist and tugged, giving the captain just long enough to take a breath before he brought the man under with him.

Underwater again, Grimmjow arched a brow in question.

"The sound carries better down here." Ichigo explained with a shrug. His voice took on a bit of a distorted ring, but was still easily understood. "But yes, of course I can speak while below. What good lungs that can breathe underwater if I cannot actually function underwater?"

The captain shrugged, a smirk on his handsome features, and motioned toward the sea creature as he conceded Ichigo's point. Then he resurfaced again, in need of air.

Later that night, after the sun had sank below the horizon, Grimmjow waded back toward shore, Ichigo swimming at his side in easy, smooth motions. When he'd made it to about knee deep and Ichigo had to begin using his hands to pull himself through the shallow water, the captain lowered himself to sit in the water, letting it lap gently against his chest.

Ichigo happily joined him, twisting so that he half sat, half laid in the clear shallows. Had someone been on shore throughout the night, they would have simply seen two men sitting in warm, shallow ocean water.

As with their other nights together, they mostly spoke of idol things. Grimmjow recounted valiant tales of battles at sea, of massive ships and artillery and glinting swords. He told Ichigo about simple things too, like what human villages were like and markets, but he always went back to stories of adventures at sea and upon his ship.

The mercreature listened with a pleased fervor, excited to hear more and ask about the things he didn't understand. He told stories of his own, about others of his kind and how they didn't hold such a tight knit community like the humans. He told the captain about great underwater places he'd been; coves and shipwrecks and reefs, as well as some of the other terrifying creatures that could be found in places like that. At one point he lifted the lower half of his tail from the water to show off the scars left behind by a particularly large, aggressive squid. It was clear he had no desire to ever meet with another one again.

Seated comfortably in the water, Grimmjow listened to the recounted tales as happily as Ichigo had. He truly enjoyed the merman's company and looked forward to his nightly visits as much so as he looked forward to going back out to sea.

Something occurred to him then and he frowned a bit as he looked over, "Why do you follow my ship, Ichigo?"

He'd realized quite some time ago that mercreatures were mostly solitary and apparently claimed vast, roaming territories as their own. But even so, Grimmjow had sailed half way around the world and still Ichigo had followed.

Ichigo shrugged, claws idly digging furrows through the sand below him. The subtle waves and currents of the water smoothed them over and he started again. "Mostly out of curiosity at first," he admitted, then let a wide, almost playful smile stretch across his features and turned over so that he very nearly ended up in Grimmjow's lap as he looked at the captain, "Now, because I enjoy the company of sailor that happens to be on the ship."

Grimmjow barked a laugh and trailed his fingers along the creature's jawline, "Never until now have I met a man that held my attention so well as the sea."

Using one hand to support his weight against the sea's bottom on one side of Grimmjow's waist, Ichigo lifted his other hand and covered the human's against the side of his neck. He wasn't unconscious of the way Grimmjow purposefully avoided the slits along his throat and he was appreciative of that. "Well, Captain, I'm a bit of both, so it's only natural."

The man laughed again, but the rich, rumbling sound Ichigo had grown fond of was cut short by warm lips and a rush of cool water.

Grimmjow's hands shot to Ichigo's shoulder's, than worked up through the merman's wild mane of hair as he stared wide eyed at the creature, breath held as he slowly sank the rest of the way back and to the bottom of the shallows.

Ichigo pulled back just long enough to whisper in the water, "Nor have I, Grimmjow, never have I met a man like you." The rush of tumbling words was short lived as the mercreature reconnected their lips in another heated kiss.

Taken off guard at first, Grimmjow was recovering now, and returned the second attempt. Laying against the soft, sandy bottom of the ocean, he kissed a creature that wasn't human like his very life depended upon it, hands fisted tight in orange hair. Ichigo half laid across him, his long, powerful tail pointed towards deeper water and resting between the captain's spread, bent knees.

They only parted when Grimmjow needed air. When he broke the surface half choking, Ichigo eased his way up as well, a sheepish expression on his features and the hint of a red flush as well. Still below the water and laying against one of the captain's legs, a brighter, more vivid purple bled and swirled through the normally deep violet of his tail. His barbed dorsal fin was arched high, the tips of the longer spines poking out through the water's surface, but it was more in alertness than it was aggression.

"Uh… I'm..sorry…" Ichigo awkwardly muttered, and started to use his hands to push himself backwards and out of the pirate captain's lap.

Still looking mildly taken aback and still attempting to catch his fled breath, Grimmjow looked upon the creature before him with a slightly widened gaze. He reached up and very carefully traced his fingertips against his own lips, as if searching for proof that Ichigo's had been there a moment ago.

He must have found what he'd been searching for, because a moment later, before Ichigo could pull away completely, he leaned forward and hooked his fingers under the merman's chin. Halting Ichigo's leaving, he sealed their lips again in a heated kiss. "Don't be." He breathed before swiping his tongue along Ichigo's bottom lip and tasting salt. "-just-" He kissed the creature again, a smirk working its way across his handsome features, "-don't drown me."

Ichigo laughed into the next kiss, his caudal fin flourishing happily in the water. He pulled up against the big man's chest again and, as strong arms wrapped tight around his ribcage, just under his arms, he reached up and used both hands to smooth wet, chaotic blue hair back and out of the human's face. "I'll try to remember."

This is almost too fluffy for me to write tbh XD but no worries, it'll get better.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts~ c: