Time and Place

There are such things as guiding spirits. I should know. I am one. I have been one for years, decades, centuries, and so on. Actually in some ways I never really gave a damn about it. It was just something I was and it wasn't something I questioned. I didn't give a damn about it because I was actually comfortable with the whole idea of being one of the biggest influences in a person's life. It was actually fun in a way knowing that in some ways I am the one who can screw someone over if I so desire to fuck with them.

Of course, depending on which side you're on in the grand scheme of things, you may not be allowed to do that.

As a Shinigami, the ones with sticks up their asses, you're not allowed to so anything other than say influence a person's feelings; make the hairs on the backs of their necks rise and whatnot. As a Hollow, the ones the Shinigami see as lower than animals; you'd usually be a little more hands on than the Shinigami.

Of course, there were a few go betweens on the side; the Fullbringers who were children born from people who'd been influenced or harmed by Hollows and the Vizards who were the closest thing to Shinigami and Hollow hybrids. I know of a few defectors too but they weren't like the Fullbringers who hated the Shinigami for not protecting them from the Hollows that were drawn to them more than normal humans. The Vizards hated the Shinigami because they hadn't chosen to be changed. The defectors had their reasons and I didn't ask for them.

Usually, low level Shinigami worry over the surplus but occasionally, there are a few higher level ones get a person to look after. I wasn't a very high leveled one – not Captain Level by the fact that I refused to be in charge of people that stupid and Kenpachi was a pretty cool Captain to have – but I was strong. I had a bankai that I never had to use very often because it was one of the kind that changes a person's appearance. In bankai I look like panther hybrid complete with the ears and tail.

There are reasons I prefer my shikai which is a white panther with black paws and icy eyes that listens to my commands. It's like having a spirit guide for myself which is somewhat comforting.

Anyway, to the point, I was given a human to watch over. I was to be a conscious to him, I knew that. I knew and yet it didn't stop me from caring about him. Who wouldn't get attached when one is assigned in time to watch their person of interest in time to witness their birth?

Yes, I watched him from birth until he was about nine.

I didn't really fail you have to understand.

He lived past that age but he may as well have died. He'd been…scheduled – damn it I hate how that old bastard worded it – to die that day. I wasn't apprised of that fact until after the Hollow lured him towards a raging river and killed his mother. I know her guide, a kind woman from the Rokongai, was nowhere near that night. I remember her not being present for two weeks before that night too.

I wasn't supposed to get involved. As a Shinigami, I wasn't supposed to get involved. I was supposed to be a normal Shinigami who wore the dark robes and stayed at least five feet away. I was supposed to only sway his judgments and as a Shinigami I was supposed to make him go down a 'straight and narrow' path. Hollows liked making killers, sociopaths, and psychopaths. Shinigami helped with charities and whatnot.

Gag me.

I'd seen Fisher lure him to the river and I watched his mother chase after him thinking he was being a silly little kid in a dangerous situation. However, as I watched I couldn't find myself able to change his judgments and make him go back to his mother's side. It was like I wasn't able to do so, like I was blocked. The Hollow ate Ichigo's mother first, leaving a pool of blood nearing three feet wide. Its snout was covered in seconds with the blood and I nearly snapped when I saw it move towards the boy.

Actually, I think I did snap.

I know Fisher is dead mainly because I had Pantera rip him apart while I collected the boy in my arms and calmed his screams and sobs. I knew back then that I was screwing myself over but I didn't care. I still don't. That kid was scared out of his mind and yet he didn't care that an invisible force was holding him. Maybe it was because I was warm then and he could probably tell he was being held in strong arms.

Maybe. I have no real idea though. All I know is he calmed enough to let horror knock him unconscious and he slept through my torso being opened by a Hollow hole. If you want to talk about pain I will happily tell you about the burning, searing feeling of my torso being opened and kept closed at the same time. I'd ripped my black robes from my shoulders to look and I know I'd screamed. It wasn't right. I should have skin and organs there but I didn't.

I remember wanting nothing more than to kill that damn Hollow and yelling Bankai. Yes, Pantera and I ripped him to shreds together, suddenly finding ourselves one and the same. When I sealed my sword, I found myself stuck in Pantera's usual form; the white panther. I'd been tempted to stay when I smelled Shinigami coming. I almost took the kid with me though. Looking back, he'd probably have been a hell of a lot safer with me than there.

It took me years to find a way back from Hueco Mundo and I will admit that when I'd met Aizen and Gin and Tousen, I'd thought their deal was a little too good to be true. What could they possibly understand when they'd only just met me? They couldn't possibly realize that despite the hole representing my heart and soul were gone; they still ached for the boy I wanted to protect more than myself. It was a strange feeling but something told me it was because of my special circumstances.

Aizen had simply gazed at me in the white sand of the dead world, his two friends gazing to and from his form and mine. He'd asked a few questions sure. "What do you remember? What happened? What do you want to do about it?" For some reason I told him. I did remember everything from my time as a Shinigami. I explained the fact that I'd turned Hollow after saving my charge – Gin's expression was painful even for me. I stated I wanted my human back, I wanted him safe, that I loved him.

"He's your pup," Tousen had whispered then. "He's your soul mate."

I had ignored the second part then. It didn't make sense. I'd seen the kid as a pup more than a lover and all I knew was that as a cat I wanted to protect my young. Even though I was male I wanted to protect my kitten. My weak kneed kitten who had been the biggest momma's boy the world could have known but I still loved him.

Aizen had introduced me to some of his previous little converts.

Starrk, a lazy wolfish cowboy whose own pup Lily was a spit fire if I ever met one. Barragan was an old bastard who thought he was king of everyone. He wasn't king of me and he was only number two to Starrk who was still under Aizen's two friends and Aizen. Hallibel was third, her three girls he most loved people in the world. She tolerated Melony and Loly who were the biggest bitches I'd ever met. Not well but she did. Her girls didn't though.

Ulquiorra was a dark haired, poisonous green eyed bastard who thought everyone but himself were trash but I could smell something about him; something that reminded me of me. Under him was Nnoitra who was skinny as a stick and a little questionable. I didn't really mind though. Szayel and a few others were running around. Szayel was a doctor slash scientist. He creeped me out all on his own.

After the little tour, Aizen offered to bring myself and my acquaintances from my running around the desert into the fold. He was promising to help me as he would help the others. That alone made me question him closer to find most of them were like me, their humans left to fend for themselves as their souls 'expired' since we'd saved them. Apparently, I'd managed to miss two of Hallibel's girls keeping an eye on my human's younger sisters but were sent away for an unknown reason.

It was enlightening.

It started slowly. Aizen first gave me the ability to go outside Hueco Mundo to the world of the living to keep an eye on my human. I couldn't do it alone so I'd usually go with someone else. It was usually Ulquiorra since he'd go off to find the sister of the boy he'd tried to protect only to learn his sister was in more need for protection than him. Reassignments weren't easy to get especially if they were within the same family or if you screwed up the way we did.

It was easy to find him. Not as easy as I would have liked but I found him. I caught up quick too. His father was gone. His sisters weren't really stable anymore. Nor was he though. He had friends sure but he wasn't open with them. I knew more about him than they did and I'd been gone from his life for nine years. However, there were few people with such vibrant orange hair.

It didn't take me very long to find his new guides either. Yes, that was plural. He had two Shinigami following him one of them a Lieutenant. Needless to say, I wasn't happy to find two Shinigami in human bodies (a gigai) wandering around my human's group of friends. I cared for him greatly after all and the Shinigami ran me out last time I'd been involved with them.

"Well that won't do," Aizen had hissed when he'd learn of the situation from Ulquiorra – whose little girl was among my human's friends.

"No it won't," I agreed with a snarl. "If I have to drag him back here in my teeth I will Aizen!"

"We don't doubt," Hallibel murmured. "Besides, I want those little girls out of their new situation too Aizen."

"My girl is in danger with Shinigami around and no guide of her own," Ulquiorra murmured softly, gently.

"There's at least two other people we want to get out of there too," Starrk said, nodding towards Szayel at the same moment.

I found myself smiling as I recognized exactly who they were mentioning. Almost all of my human's friends were who they looked after. At least one other girl in the group was covered by the last girl the followed Hallibel. A few lower Arrancar – that's what Aizen called us – watched people around them as well and I could tell they wanted their humans back about as much as I wanted mine back.

Aizen didn't really need to be swayed either.

"Fine," he'd said. "However, before we do anymore, I have to give you your human body back my dear Sexta."

I'd thought having a hole in my torso had been painful. It was strange how I didn't remember my changing into a giant white panther before. However, this reminded me quickly of how painful it was to change from an animal shape to a human-like shape. Bones snapping into place and changing shape as skin shifted and grew while the hard armor disappeared. It was strange to have human appendages again actually. Nine years of being on all fours had taken a toll. I wanted the paws back for a day or two as I changed back.

I couldn't leave until my strength returned either so I was waiting for it to come while I missed chances to go see my human. I know that the others looked in on him since he was around their pups but they wouldn't tell me anything other than he was alive. It took me three days to come back fully. I was told to recoup for another two.

When I was better Aizen sent us back to the world of the living as a group. Almost all of his top level spirits who were all more Shinigami than Hollows would usually like were there. I found it comfortable though – I'd always been a little rough around the edges in comparison to the other wimps who called themselves warriors.

We'd landed near a convenience store and watched our pups wander inside with the two Shinigami guides I'd seen hounding my pup. We also saw another human, a small but powerful Hollow perched on its shoulder entered soon after. All I could tell was that it was almost as if it were scheduled. The two Shinigami weren't in spirit form so they weren't going to be able to do anything unless they snuck a soul candy without the humans noticing the demeanor change.

Starrk tried to keep us all back but I leapt in before he could stop me. I hid from sight because I knew the Shinigami at the least would see me. I wasn't very sure what the kids could see since we all knew at least my human had been approached by the Vizard horde. There were two of his closer friends who knew the Fullbringers by face and name. Who knew what they could see?

I know I'd found myself half hoping my human would not be able to see anything. The other half hoped he could see spirits so he could see me.

I'd gotten in a little after the Hollow carrier only to find my human and his group in the far back of the store, the two Shinigami separate from them by at least five feet. The Hollow bearer was twitchy to say the least but his fellow was giggling and smiling evilly. I could tell, I knew how those masks didn't really hide emotion as well as some people thought. It helped I'd been one and knew first hand.

I saw the gun first and so did the Shinigami for they popped little green pills and disappeared through the walls, their cells out and calling for orders. They actually looked scared for the kids. I remember the girl's violet eyes shooting back to my human mostly because I just did. The red head with her however, looked more worried about the other humans rather than mine – like it was the female's job to worry over my human and not his. I didn't bother watching them though when the Hollow bearer pulled the gun and yelled for them to not move.

One of the girls, Ulquiorra's girl, squeaked and flinched away. The man, the Hollow shrieking at her like she'd thrown something at it, swung the gun at her. His finger twitched. My kitten was faster and pushed her out of the way and took the bullet to his chest. He was thrown backwards as the girls screamed, the giant of a boy catching him and cradling him to his broad chest. I almost went and killed the stupid thing when I heard scared breaths from behind the group, backing away from them and moving towards me.

It didn't take long for me to see who it was and like I had that night, nine years ago, I pulled him into my arms and buried his head into my neck. I was never going to let him go again. I hushed him lovingly and whispered everything would be alright as I covered his ears with my hands as the man shot the rest of his friends.

I held him as he screamed and sobbed and mumbled things that made no sense. This wasn't his fault. This wasn't happening because he was here. He wasn't supposed to keep everyone safe at the risk of his own life. Where he'd gotten the idea was beyond me though I knew I wanted to know who exactly had instilled it in his head. If it had happened during the week I was gone, I'd be pissed.

It took an hour for the police to arrive and in that time, the Shinigami collected their injured – only injured – gigais as they looked for the spirits of the pups. They missed us moving in faster than them though, collecting our pups without a second thought. It was strange to see how easily they trusted us, like they knew us all and had always seen them. It was like we were long lost imaginary friends their parents made them grow out of.

Szayel pulled Uryuu to his side like a colleague. Starrk pulled Chad to him like a brother in arms. Sun-Sun and Mila Rose pulled the girls to Apache and Hallibel's sides like sisters. Ulquiorra pulled Orihime to him like a lover. Meanwhile I hugged my human to me like a scared pup, keeping him quiet as the others pulled their humans to them and whispered they were safe. Ichigo shook in my arms whispering he wanted his sisters and I rubbed his arms.

Getting them to Las Noches had been a bit eventful to say the least. The Gargantua, a black hole of a portal, had messed with them a bit since they weren't used to it but my human was strangely comfortable there. I was almost alright with that idea considering if he was comfortable there, he'd be fine in Las Noches and that was all I wanted.

"Welcome," Aizen had said once we entered. "I trust you all are slightly aware of your situations. That the Shinigami were no longer doing what they were supposed to be doing for you all."

"That our souls expired years ago," the nerd roared. "What those two that shadowed us were doing is beyond me! They let that thing lead that man in and didn't even try to stop it! Kurosaki at least fucking tried!"

"I know," Aizen whispered as his gaze fell on me and the boy in my arms whose legs refused to hold him up for some reason. I was kneeling behind him, holding his shoulders and whispering Aizen wouldn't hurt him and that I'd be there to be his protector. He could relax.

"Then what the hell is this about," the nerd asked contemptuously.

"These are spirits who were protected to you when they were Shinigami," Gin explained gently as he showed the others with a wave of his arm. "They did what the Shinigami have outlawed hence why they are here. We managed to get them back the bodies they had before they were turned and all they wish to do is protect their charges."

"If you don't believe us," Tousen chimed, "look at Grimmjow and how he's keeping Kurosaki calm. Think back to how easily you trusted them when they brought you all here." The boy went silent then. Tousen had a good point. They had trusted us all a little too easily.

Aizen was suddenly in front of me and my kitten, kneeling before us and looking over the boy with inquisitive brown eyes. He ran a hand through his brown hair and listened as Ichigo whispered to me that he wanted his sisters.

"We can arrange that," Aizen whispered to him before looking at me. I gave him a confused look. "Hal will happily let you see them. They're with Nel and her friends since their guards were busy getting all of you."

I nodded softly and lifted him up again, whispering we'd go see his sisters. He almost started walking again as I dragged him with me to one of Hallibel's old rooms. Nel was a young woman who had once been in her position before I'd been turned and had opted to relax rather than try to ignore feelings for a certain person who didn't give her a second glance.

None that she noticed anyway.

As I entered the room though, I was greeted by laughter and glee. My kitten perked up and entered on shaking legs. The girls were laughing, Bowabowa giddily following on his four paws. The giggling stopped for a moment as the door creaked and looked to who'd entered. The girls – all I could wonder was why were they here – beamed and ran to my boy laughing.

"Ichi-nii!" they called as they hugged him.

"Yuzu. Karin," he whispered as he hugged them. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Never," they whispered in disjointed chorus. "Never."

I ignored the scars on their wrists as I waited for them to talk. Nel and her friends played with the girls as we left for my quarters after everything was cleared up. I'd missed a lot those few days. Despite wanting his sisters, he'd only wanted to learn what had happened to them. He didn't want to remember what had led them there though. He wanted to run from it all. I don't think I can blame him.

I pulled him into my quarters, locking the door behind me before going and setting him on the couch and kneeling in front of him. I forced my blue eyes to lock with his brown ones only to find exhaustion in those coffee depths.

"Do you remember me?" I asked.

"Yes…you saved me that night…" he mumbled tiredly as he pressed his head to my shoulder.

I know I laced a hand through soft orange hair and rubbed his back comfortingly. I remember burying my face into his hair and breathing in deeply. I remember my head reeling from the heady scent coming from him. I swore it was strawberries and crème and chocolate. There was something else in there, something almost Hollow-like.

Together, it smelled addictive.

"Forgive me for not getting involved sooner," I said. I meant it. Maybe if I'd gotten involved sooner, he would still have had a mother as well as a father and maybe his sister wouldn't be here either. Then again, I also knew very well that all their souls seemed to have expired as soon as the Shinigami decided to not help them from the Hollows.

"I know you would have done something if you could have," he whispered back. "Thank you for helping out. Something tells me you shouldn't have though." His fingers brushed my Hollow hole gently, his eyes sad. So he saw what happened after all yet he was seemingly alright with it.

"It was my job," I whispered to him. "Just because the Shinigami think they should stay out of it when someone's going to die because it's 'scheduled' doesn't mean I felt the same way." I held him close; my head swimming from the heady scent that made my groin twitch and my teeth itch to sink into his smooth tan skin.

"Do you still feel that way?" he asked gently as he slid down to the floor with me.

"Yes," I replied, my teeth gently scraping against his ear. I'd never felt this way before. I wanted to pin him to the ground and ravage him to death. He was in between my knees and was burying his face into my neck like it was the last safe place left for him.

"I'm tired of protecting people," he mumbled. "Ever since she died I've tried to protect everyone I cared about. It never worked. We all kept getting hurt one way or another."

"All you have to do is stay in the walls of Las Noches and you'll never have to worry about it again," I said into his ear. I pressed my lips to his temple. "I won't let it happen again. You can relax my little kitten."

He smiled weakly and pressed his lips to my cheek. "Thank you."

"You're my charge Ichigo," I whispered, his name sending shivers down my spine. "I will always keep you safe."

"Isn't it easier to want to protect someone you care about than just a charge?"

"I do care about you."

He blushed and I nearly ripped his clothes off right then and there.

"My father was killed after witnessing something…after he'd gone to get his head straightened out after Mom died…I…sort of…fell in love with the person who saved me that night. It was like being saved by a cursed royal or something like that. I felt like a stupid kid all the time waiting for you to show up again knowing you probably never would….

"Then you showed up again…as a giant cat sure but you came back. I tried to never stare but knowing you were there was enough. I had security back and then…you left again. My sisters…tired of the foster parents being sick freaks towards them…slit their wrists together…I was about to give up completely and follow them when…when I saw you there today."

He stopped for a moment to get his breathing under control. I rubbed his back and weaved my hands through his hair.

"Please…I don't want to protect anyone anymore…I'm tired of protecting people."

I sealed my lips against his and leaned him down to the floor. He moaned gently against my mouth, opening it invitingly. I took the chance and slipped my tongue into his mouth and pressed myself against him as I explored his heat. He was as hard as I was and I almost let in then. I stopped for a moment to come up for air.

"I won't make you do what you don't want to Ichigo," I stated. "The only thing I will force you to do is stay in these walls. That's all I'll ask of you. As long as you stay in these walls, all you have to do is what you want."

He smiled and pulled my head back to his and sealed our mouths together. It took a while to get him to breathe again when we broke apart for a moment.

"I'll stay," he whispered. "As long as I can be with you, I'll stay here."

I smirked and palmed his groin gently earning a groan. Ichigo was flushed as deeply as his nickname, eyes glazed over with lust and want. His fingers brushed over my Hollow hole with a tickling grace that made me shiver. I crashed our lips together and wormed my tongue into his mouth as I slid my hand down his inner thigh.

Ichigo groaned, his hips bucking to meet mine. I could feel my hands pulling his clothes from his lithe form with a bit of difficulty. You try kissing someone while taking their clothes off at the same time and you tell me how easy it is. His own lithe fingers pulled my half coat off my shoulder and fumbled with my sash. We broke apart to make sure we were fully free of the restricting garments before I dropped to his neck and licked it all the way up to his ear.

"Ah…ha," he groaned happily. I bit down slowly and hard enough to draw blood earning low keening note from his throat. As I let my claim flow through him, I ground our hips together and ran my hands over his body, pressing sweet spots and pinching his nipples teasingly. He writhed under me but didn't try to escape my touches. His moans filled my chambers like a song and it thrilled me to no end.

"Can't do this on the floor," I muttered when I came up for air again.

Ichigo panted underneath me as I looked for the bed. Once finding it, I swept him into my arms and moved him there, throwing our bodies into the soft covers, my teeth nipping at his earlobes and lips. My hand reached for the lotion I knew would be there because Nnoitra was a pervert and would sometimes sneak women into empty rooms.

I lathered my fingers and gently pressed them to his puckered entrance. He tensed and chewed on his bottom lip nervously. I knew that look; lots of the lower level pricks in Soul Society would talk about the boys who'd always manage to find a virgin and wouldn't really help her with the whole preparation thing. I kissed him gently and used the distraction to slip them into him. His hands gripped my hair as he tensed around my finger.

"Relax a bit," I whispered lovingly. "I won't hurt you."

He let out a long, soft breath, his body relaxing slowly as he did. I smiled at him and kissed his temple as I moved the finger around a bit before slipping a second in and scissored them in as many directions as possible as I pressed them inside. He writhed a bit and continued to chew his lip a bit. He continued taking deep breaths as I searched for that little bundle of nerves that would send him over the edge.

"Ah!" he yelped as my fingers pressed it, his back arching.

"There it is," he chuckled as I licked the bite I'd given him earlier. "Feeling better now?"

"Y-yes," he gasped, hands weaving in and out of my hair. "What was that?"

"That was me hitting your prostate and making you relax," I grinned cheekily as I slipped in a third finger and pressed them against his little bundle again making him writhe.

"Ah…" he snickered a bit before I pulled my fingers free and slicked up my member. "It felt good…"

"Grimmjow," I whispered gently. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Sorry, should have given you my name a long time ago shouldn't I?"

"Probably but circumstances aside…ahn…I think I can deal with it." He smiled before I pressed my lips to his. I nudged my cock to his entrance and swallowed his gasp before snapping my hips and burying myself deeply into him. Velvet hot walls wrapped around me as I kept his attention with the kiss.

"Hang on a second," I whispered. "It'll feel good in a moment. Relax a little."

He nodded shakily and gripped my shoulders. I waited until he relaxed before pulling out and snapping back in. We groaned in chorus, his eyes rolling back into his head as his back arched beautifully. I was smirking though; I'd hit that little spot perfectly. We both knew I did but that didn't stop me – or him – from enjoying it.

"Ah…ha…that felt…good," he crooned gently. His eyes shone with want and I couldn't resist stealing a kiss.

"Indeed it did," I replied with a smirk as I wrapped a hand around his cock gently. He was new to sex so it wasn't surprising he didn't have much resistance. I don't think I gave a damn though. He felt good and that was all I cared about as I thrusted in and out of him fervently. We came together, Ichigo crying my name deeply as I groaned his, licking my claiming mark gently.

Tousen had been right I guess. He is my soul mate.

I know what to do with mates and pups.

Love them deeply.

Give as much as you can to them.

Keep them close and let nothing dangerous near them.

Never let them out of your sight.

I can do that.