[aim log/completed]
WHO: Grimmjow (stradapanthera) and Kairi (memoria_persa)
WHAT: Going out for drinks because Kairi owes Grimm five of them.
WHERE: Some bar somewhere.
WHEN: Last night (June 21st)
Grimmjow nudged the door to the bar open as he prowled inside. Going out for a drink was a hell of a lot better than sitting at home watching some damn boring movie on the television. And he seriously doubted that this Kairi girl would be any kind of trouble for him. He knew she could have been hired to take him out, but he guessed he'd learn that when she tried for him. She'd have a hell of a surprise in store for her if she thought she could take him on. Grimmjow had his sword with him in the event of there being any difficulties.
When he was finally inside it didn't take him long at all to find her. At least she was on time. There was someone in the seat he wanted and rather than taking the other spot on the other side of Kairi, he gave the fucker a warning look. The guy hurried away with no questions asked and Grimmjow threw himself onto the stool with his back to the bar and his arms back on the counter. The only greeting he gave was a, "Yo."
Kairi never liked going out to places alone. Sure, she might've been used to all the stares she received from the other men she was around, but in a way, they still unnerved her. Though, she tried her hardest to never show it, and if she still did now, she'd definitely need to work on it. She glanced at the guy that was sitting next to her that was trying his hardest to woo her in his drunken state.
That was something else she needed to work on--telling guys to back off. Gently swirling her tonic water around in the glass, she politely mentioned something about him leaving her the hell alone, and when he stopped talking and left, she actually thought it worked. Until she saw someone sit down next to her. "Grimmjow," she greeted with a smile, relieved. "Thanks for that. That guy just didn't know when to back off."
Grimmjow hadn't even known he'd just done something like getting rid of a jackass. Hell, he wished he'd noticed it before so he could have done a hell of a lot more than just look at him. It might have been a hell of a lot of fun to throw him over the bar counter and into the bottles of alcohol on the wall. Fucking whatever. Grimmjow gave a clumsy shrug. "Can't defend yourself, huh? What're you gonna do if some asshole tries to hurt you while you're doin' your 'job'?"
Not that this situation had been exactly the same as what he'd been suggesting, but it wasn't hard to tell someone to fuck off in a firm way. And if they didn't leave, you just gave them a good shove so they'd fall and crack their head open on the floor. You didn't even need to be as strong as Grimmjow was to push over a drunken idiot.
Kairi rolled her eyes and looked away from him for a second. "I'm working on it. Rikku's teaching me a few things." Finishing off her tonic water, she set the glass down and turned to look back at him. "Besides, I don't like causing a scene." ... Like she didn't do that whenever she wore those short skirts. But they didn't used to be that short, and she was saving up money to go on a shopping spree later to get some more 'appropriate' clothes.
When the bartender came over to take her glass, the redhead held a finger up to signal for him to hold on before looking back at Grimmjow. "What do you want?"
How the hell could someone not enjoy causing a scene? Grimmjow sure as hell loved it. He loved beating the hell out of someone in front of people. And then he loved beating the hell out of those people who tried to get him in revenge for the first guy. It was a beautiful thing, causing a scene. It made people look at and fear you when you showed you couldn't be taken down.
"Just beer," Grimmjow told her with a grin. "A real man's drink." He hated all of that fruity, sparkly, girly shit that people liked to pretend was actually alcohol. It wasn't a real drink if it was a color of the rainbow.
Kairi looked back at the bartender with a smile. "A beer for him, then." He nodded and took her glass and left, leaving the two of them. She tried to look him over, now that she had the chance to, and she failed to know how exactly she managed to 'befriend' someone like him. He definitely looked like he could kill someone in five seconds flat, maybe quicker if he was actually trying. Or maybe that was just what she'd gathered from his personality from the times that they talked.
Smiling a bit to herself, she crossed her legs and leaned her elbow on the counter, turning her body to face him again and resting her cheek against her fist. "So, I'm curious; why did you bother coming here? I honestly wasn't expecting you to show, since I assumed you hated me."
That wasn't a completely stupid assumption to make--Grimmjow hated a hell of a lot of people. They were worthless cowards who weren't worth a dime and the more that died, the better. Kairi, though, wasn't someone Grimmjow hated. She looked pretty weak and pathetic, but she kind of reminded him of Rukia. Their personalities and jobs were different; it was more of the fact that they both actually spoke to him even knowing he could snap their necks one-handed.
"Hate ya?" Grimmjow repeated. "Even if I do, you really think I'd pass up the chance for some free beer? I ain't a dumbshit. I get to spend the evenin' with a pretty little girl who's buying me drinks. That's not shit a smart guy would ignore."
The fist against her cheek uncurling, Kairi's fingers moved to slightly cover her mouth to hide her growing smile. That was probably one of the last things she expected to come out of Grimmjow's mouth, given their past conversations. After a few seconds, she was sure it was under control and she replied. "You have a point, I guess. But you flatter me. And the scary part is, that was something I didn't see coming."
She moved her elbow off the counter when she saw the bartender send Grimmjow's beer sliding past her, she held out her hand to catch her own drink. "But I'm not complaining any," she finished, taking a sip of her tonic water. She was half-tempted to ask for some salt to sprinkle in it to get rid of the bitterness, but she was sure she could suck it up..
Grimmjow liked doing things people didn't expect, because it was worth seeing the expression on their face. It had been why he'd kissed Ulquiorra in their first fight, aside from needing to distract him. He'd known Ulquiorra would flip the fuck out. And kissing Cirucci had been too damn funny--the little bitch hadn't known what had hit her. But if he tried to kiss Rukia he'd need to bend down to half his height and break his back. It just wasn't worth it for that.
Grimmjow turned in his seat and caught the mug as it slid to him. "That so? If it weren't for that bastard Ulquiorra, I'd do somethin' else you wouldn't expect. Guess I'll have to save that for some other time." It was a damn shame he wouldn't be able to see Kairi's reaction to him kissing her--either she'd like it or she'd slap the hell out of him.
Kairi raised an eyebrow after he spoke, a curious smile spreading across her lips. "Now you've got me intrigued." If she had to guess what he was thinking of, she'd have to give up. There was no telling what was going on in that head of his, she knew. She could only expect things that he'd say, after all. Actions were a whole other game. Though she thought it strange that so far, she was only expecting words from the people that either annoyed the hell out of her or would end up killing her if she said one wrong thing or made one wrong move.
Drumming her fingers against the counter and giving him a sidelong glance, she grinned. "But if you say I have to wait, I guess I'll have to," Kairi chimed, her voice laced with a playful tone.
There was no way in hell Grimmjow would be with Ulquiorra forever; one day they'd both stop the shit and try to kill each other again. One of them would end up winning and Grimmjow would be damned if it wasn't him. And then he'd be free to kiss whatever pretty girl or boy he felt like. After taking a good, long drink of his beer (and damn if it wasn't good) he glanced at Kairi again. She really was a cute little bitch. It was a damn shame.
"You asked me why I showed up," he said to change the subject. "I gave ya my reason. I'm ten times bigger than you. I could crush your fuckin' head into the counter. Why'd you think you'd be safe around someone like me? Don't I scare you?"
Kairi had lifted her glass and was about to take a drink when he asked her that. She started laughing as she set her drink back down and bit her lip to keep her laughter under control. She wanted to tell him it was because she was sure he was just like a giant teddy bear under all that tough, intimidating, badass exterior, but that would probably land her in the hospital with a broken arm.
Calming down, she just smiled at him. "What would you say if I told you it was more like I am a little afraid, but I trust you not to do anything that'd hurt me?" She casually shrugged, reaching up to idly rub the pendant of her necklace. "I don't know, so far I've managed to sort of befriend people who could kill me in an instant, and I don't know why. Maybe I just have more charm than I thought." Really, she had no clue how she did it. She was sure there were at least four men she knew, including Grimmjow, that wouldn't have any qualms about killing her, but despite their threats, they hadn't. If they really wanted to off her, wouldn't they have done it by then?
Grimmjow heard that laughter and he wondered at why the hell his question had been so damn funny. He didn't think it had been funny. When he wanted to be funny, then he was a riot. Right now he was being perfectly damn serious. Maybe she was laughing because she was nervous. Girls did shit like that all the time. He didn't understand why they did it, since being nervous about something usually wasn't a reason to laugh.
"You trust me?" he repeated with a laugh of his own. "Are you some kind of retard? This city's fucking overflowin' with 'em." Grimmjow leaned a little closer as if to tell her some kind of secret. "You don't trust a politician to do a good job. You don't trust a spider not to kill that fucking fly in its web. You don't trust a snake not to bite ya. And you sure as hell don't fucking trust that I won't wring your tiny neck if you say one wrong thing. I ain't a nice guy who likes doing nice things. I like tearin' people apart."
Now it was safe to say, she was a bit freaked out. But she just stayed still and listened to him, keeping a small smile on her face to cover it. When he finished speaking, she looked at him, the smile still there. "Why do you think I watch my tongue around you? I had a feeling you were bad news the first time we talked." And oh, how true that was. Despite their first conversation lasting a few sentences and was about kittens, his personality just seeped through those comments.
Kairi took a drink and sighed, shifting her legs to cross at her ankles instead of her knees. "I didn't think that hearing that a near stranger trusted you would be so offending. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she joked.
Grimmjow moved away again and easily emptied the rest of his mug. "You know," he added and put the empty glass on the counter, "if you trust people so easily, you're gonna get yourself killed. Nice I ain't, but I like killin' people who can give me a fight. There are some assholes out there who'd kill you for sneezing in their direction. Trusting people is fucking stupid. Never fucking trust anyone but yourself. You'll live a little longer if you do that."
And it was the truth. Grimmjow had gotten by on his own for so long because he never trusted anyone. Though he'd known Il Forte for as long as he could remember, he didn't really trust him. Nor did he completely trust Rukia. You couldn't afford to trust a damn person in this world.
Kairi gave a groan as he spoke. Grimmjow wasn't the first person to tell her something like that. Sure, he had his own way of saying it, but it was the same concept as everything else. "I know, I know," she said, pausing to finish her own drink. Watching as the bartender made his way over, she stopped him again, pondering. She was sure she could afford to have a little something, but obviously not a lot of it. She hardly had a tolerance, and she was sure Grimmjow wouldn't want to have to drag her unconscious body home. Hell, he'd probably just leave her there in the bar. "Add a little something extra to mine. Nothing too strong, though."
Turning away from the bartender as he took the glass and mug away, she sighed again. "Really, you all tell me the same thing. I just... Maybe it is stupid, but I like to give people chances. Sure, I've been hurt by people I trusted in the past, but I guess I'll just never learn."
If others were telling her the same damn thing, then maybe she should be fucking listening. But she was a woman--they thought they knew every damn thing in the book without even having read the damn book. If Kairi wanted to run her life that damn dangerously, though, then it would be on her if she was killed. "Sure as hell won't learn by doin' shit like this forever," Grimmjow muttered, more to himself than Kairi.
Grimmjow hadn't ever trusted a single damn person, as far as he could remember. And he planned on keeping it that way until the day he finally died; that wouldn't be for a fucking long time. "Well, I ain't gonna kill ya. Not unless you really piss me off. Or someone gives me enough money to take you out. Can't say you'd be much fun to kill anyway. Looks like you don't have any fuckin' fighting in that little body."
The redhead perked up when she heard Grimmjow mutter something, but she brushed it off and sighed, staying quiet. When he spoke again, she smiled a little again. "Well, I don't plan on making you mad anytime soon. And I can't imagine that anyone would pay enough money to kill someone like me."
She couldn't help but let her smile grow, though. "If you really want to test that theory out, come find me in about a month." That was probably a silly thing to say, especially since she was only learning enough from Rikku just to defend herself against an average person, not someone like Grimmjow. At least he'd get something from it.
Grimmjow laughed and gave her a look asking if she was a complete fucking retard. If she couldn't fight now, then in a month she wouldn't be much better. Especially not against his transformation. If even Ulquiorra couldn't even handle it then Kairi wouldn't be able to. It was laughable even just thinking about fighting her in his other form.
"You wanna fight me?" Grimmjow asked, his grin suddenly widening from ear-to-ear. "I don't wanna break those pretty legs of yours. You need 'em for the type of work you do, right? Can't imagine sex is much good if you ain't got the legs to help. Unless you've got some kind of positions I ain't ever heard of."
Kairi just settled with rolling her eyes as the bartender came by again. She waited until she was gone before she spoke, examining her glass and vaguely wondering what was put in it. "I'd be out of a job--I don't think anyone would want to screw a cripple." She laughed dryly as she picked up her drink, catching a whiff of it as she did so and refraining from making a face. "Then again, I've heard some people have some pretty strange fetishes."
She took a very small sip of her drink and tried to cover her coughing. She didn't expect it to burn going down. Tingle, maybe. Kairi took a deep breath before she spoke again. "So no, I don't want to fight you. It was just a suggestion that would probably end with my body sliced in half."
Yeah, that was more like it. Grimmjow really would slice her in half if they fought. He'd never met a woman who had been a worthy opponent, either. They all died too damn easily. Women thought they were strong enough to take on men and ended up getting the shit beaten out of them within seconds. It was almost funny watching them attempt to fight.
Grimmjow grabbed his re-filled mug--this was the second one. "You suggest shit like that to the wrong person, and they won't wait a month," Grimmjow pointed out, this time only to be annoying. "They'd cut your head off right here. You're pretty fuckin' lucky I'm feeling like such a nice guy tonight and giving you all these helpful tips. Guess it pays off to be a pretty little girl, huh?"
Kairi shrugged, ignoring the first part of what he said. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just because you care more than you'd like to admit," she teased. Looking back at her drink, she picked it up, then thought that over again before setting it back down. "Maybe I deserve to have my head cut off." She laughed, though. "Or maybe my intestines pulled out from my mouth. That'd be interesting."
Honestly? She couldn't believe she was actually discussing this with him. Then again, they were talking about her, not some other poor sap. That she could handle, she guessed. There were times when Kairi wasn't too pleased with herself.
Wouldn't it just be ironic if she ever actually got depressed enough to want to die, and she went to Grimmjow to do it? The more she thought about it, the more she would've preferred that he did it. At least she actually knew him. Better to die at the hands of someone you recognize than someone you don't know, right?
Grimmjow didn't care about much. Maybe he did care more than he wanted to admit, like Kairi had suggested. But there wasn't much to care about. There was something about Kairi that Grimmjow sort of liked. It pissed him off a little that he did like her. Grimmjow didn't like it when he couldn't completely hate someone. People weren't worth a damn thing--not in this city or any other. None of them meant what they said when they were trying to be sincere. And none of them were trustworthy. It was only that some of them knew how to properly be appealing.
Though it didn't sound like Kairi thought of herself as entirely appealing. Not with the way she was talking. Thinking she deserved to die in some horrible way? Only pathetic bastards ever said shit like that. But she was a girl and their moods did tend to swing all over the fucking place. Despite that, though, Grimmjow began to think of people whose intestines he would like to pull through something.
"I can tell you exactly who'd deserve shit like that." Grimmjow took another drink to calm the nerves he could already feel getting riled up. "Fuckin' scientists. And those Monacello and Vescovo bastards. 'Specially the ones who think they can order people around like dogs. They're the only fucking animals around here."
Kairi vaguely wondered as she stared intensely at her drink if she were to start choking, if Grimmjow would help her. Why did she want to know? Because she was about to finish off that large amount of her drink that was left in one go, and she knew the burn was going to do some damage to her nerves. She dryly laughed again at what he said. "I don't even have anything against them and I'm going to agree with you on that. They haven't really done anything to me, unless I happen to find out that they're behind whatever happened to my parents. Then I'll have a better reason to dislike the families."
She sighed and finished off her drink, trying to swallow it was quickly as she could. Yeah, stupid idea, Kairi. She shut her eyes and clenched her fists against the counter, trying her hardest not to cough, and failing horribly. All she could think was that if Grimmjow laughed, she'd kick him. Hard. Heels were a woman's best weapon, after all.
What the hell was the little idiot doing? Did she really think she was man enough to swallow down that shit in one go? Grimmjow could do it. Renji could probably do it. But this tiny girl? Grimmjow's eyes widened as he watched Kairi gulp it down. Jesus Christ. Did she have a death wish? How much experience did she even have when it came to fucking drinking? It wasn't that damn hard to drink right. All you had to do was take as much as you could without killing yourself and then swallow it.
But that didn't really stop it from being funny. Any time someone thought they could do something without getting hurt and ended up getting hurt, it was funny. Because it was a girl who'd just tried to drink far more than she could handle at once, it was funny. Grimmjow set his drink down, laughing at her complete and utter fucking failure at this shit. Then he pat her firmly on the back just in case she'd managed to inhale any of that burning alcohol. That kind of shit wouldn't feel good in her lungs. "You're just fucking amazin'."
And there went Kairi's 'stiletto of death'. Where it ended up, she didn't care, as long as it hit some body part of Grimmjow's. She opened her eyes and gasped, taking in a breath--maybe she could ask him to rip out her lungs instead of her intestines. They burned like hell right then, that was for sure.
"Sc-screw you," she spat hoarsely, still trying to breathe without killing herself. She slumped over so her head was almost touching the counter, running a hand through her hair. She cast a glance over at him, coughing a few more times before she was sure her voice was at least halfway back to normal. "Remind me to never... do that again."
That was the price you paid for being nice. When you tried to help you got punished for it. When you were an asshole you got to be the one doing the punishing. That fucking shoe collided with Grimmjow's shin. As quick as a cat he lifted his foot off the floor just enough to rub a hand over his now-throbbing leg.
"Never do which part again?" Grimmjow growled as he set his foot down. "Because I can pick which one you shouldn't do." Then he slapped the back of her head hard enough so it just might hit the counter and hurt.
Oh yeah, it hurt. And that earned yet another blind kick from the redhead as she rubbed at her forehead, trying to fight off the oncoming headache. "Arschloch," she muttered in German, not caring if she understood him or not. Really, she didn't care. She was busy wondering if she managed to kick him in a better place than his shin and trying to get rid of that headache.
... Kairi'd apologize later. Right now, she wasn't in the mood to do that. Besides, that's what he got for laughing at her. That one was planned. The second kick was just her reflexes. And he couldn't do anything to prove her wrong, either.
Had the brat really just done it again directly after Grimmjow had told her not to? The foot connected with the exact same spot as before, which hurt even more, as it sent a more painful jolt running along that bone. There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to have a nice bruise there later. Hissing in pain, he snatched up a handful of Kairi's hair in a tight grip so that if she moved, she'd lose some.
"Just because you're a pretty little girl doesn't mean I won't slap the shit out of you," Grimmjow warned. "I don't believe in that 'no hittin' women' bullshit. You wanna hit me, then I'll give it right back to ya."
Kairi winced and her arm twitched as if she were going to wheel around and backhand him, but she stopped herself. To die or not to die, that was the question. And quite frankly, the answer for her was to stay alive as long as she could. She still had to buy that car for Rikku, after all.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and calmed her nerves--'don't blow up at him, and you'll be fine, Kairi.' "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Was she scared? Of course she was. He probably could've ripped her head off of her shoulders if he really wanted to. But like hell she was going to admit that to him. And it wasn't going to keep her from talking to him, if that's what he was aiming for.
Grimmjow eyed her for a moment to make sure she wasn't going to try anything else and then released her. The girl had some fucking balls doing shit like that. But he'd meant what he'd said; women or man, he'd beat the shit out of them just the same if they deserved it. And Kairi sure as hell deserved to get a split lip. The only thing really saving her was the beer and Grimmjow picked up his mug again.
"Ungrateful bitch," he muttered. "If you ever start fucking chokin' around me, expect to die. Because I ain't gonna try and help you again if all I get is kicked for it."
She rubbed the back of her head when he let go, wanting to say something nasty, but he spoke first. Kairi turned and looked at him, an incredulous look on her face. "I only kicked you because you laughed!" Was he really that clueless? Or was she just really that funny just because she couldn't take down a whole lot of alcohol.
Kairi rolled her eyes and sighed. "Control your amusement when it comes to my pain and maybe it won't happen again," she finished bitterly. She glanced at the mug and inwardly sighed. He still had three more beers to go after that one. This was going to be an interesting night.
"Of course I fucking laughed, you fucking retard," Grimmjow replied, seemingly shocked that she hadn't thought she was that funny. "You come into a bar and order a drink and can't even drink it right. And you think I'm not gonna laugh at shit like that?" Grimmjow held his mug out to her. "Here. Have a drink of this. Might like it more than whatever piece of shit fruity drink you're havin'."
If she did drink some and somehow managed to choke on it, Grimmjow was going to laugh all over again. And then if she tried to hurt him again he'd take that leg she kicked him with and throw her across the room by it. Maybe she'd first need to learn to fly before learning not to try any funny shit on Grimmjow.
Ignoring what he said, Kairi eyed the mug, then Grimmjow warily before taking it. She slowly lifted it to her lips, then paused, catching the smell. At least it smelled better than what she had before. Not the best, but better. Maybe the taste would be the same, too. She smartly took just a sip, and on tasting it, she held the mug away a little as she thought about it.
... Definitely better. She took another sip, a bit bigger to help get the taste of the other drink out of her mouth, then handed it back to him. "Thanks," she said softly with a small smile. See, she didn't make a fool of herself that time. And she was being nice again. She learned from her mistake. Just like how she certainly doesn't plan on touching Grimmjow to hurt him again. Not unless she has a death wish, anyway.
Grimmjow drained the rest of the mug and set it back down for the bartender to refill again. Beer was definitely better than any shit women ever ordered. It was better than anything else, too. Yeah, there was harder stuff out there. Shit that got you drunker faster. But Grimmjow didn't drink so he could get drunk. He drank because he loved the shit. It tasted a hell of a lot better than water did.
As he watched the guy behind the counter filling up the mug, his mind wandered. Ulquiorra had shown some kind of interest in coming along, he remembered. That shit really pissed him off. Grimmjow liked being left alone. He didn't like it when people tagged along when he made plans. And he didn't like it when people tried to talk to the people he was acquainted with. "What do you think about Ulquiorra?"
Kairi had made sure to tell the bartender to not get her anything else. After that little episode, she doubted she'd be drinking anything like that for a while. She perked up when Grimmjow spoke, and she tilted her head to the side in thought.
"Well," she started. "I haven't really talked to him much--not nearly as much as you, anyway--but he's an okay guy." She looked at Grimmjow curiously. "Why do you ask?" And yes, she failed to mention that she was taking Ulquiorra out to dinner the next night, half because she felt bad that Grimmjow didn't want him to come and half because it'd be a good opportunity to get to know him better. Making friends was her strong point, after all. And if she managed to be on a truce with Reno and Axel and was somewhat getting along with Grimmjow, then she wouldn't really have a problem with anyone else, she was sure.
An okay guy. Grimmjow laughed and picked up his third serving of beer. Little did she know that he was the farthest thing from an okay guy that there was. It wasn't even a matter of being an asshole--that kind of shit Grimmjow could handle. But Ulquiorra was like a clingy, needy child who was nothing like the person Grimmjow had been trying to kill. Strength was attractive to Grimmjow. Weakness wasn't. And all Ulquiorra had shown lately--even after their agreement in the club--had been weakness. Acting like a fucking shunned woman or some shit. That wasn't what Grimmjow was interested in fucking.
"Just fuckin' curious," Grimmjow replied and hid another laugh behind a drink of beer. Maybe Kairi would like Ulquiorra--they were both women, after all, even if one of them didn't have all the right parts.
Kairi raised an eyebrow at his laugh, but remembered her conversation with Ulquiorra about their 'relationship'. She still thought it was more of a love/hate sort of relationship than anything, but even so, it was complicated. ... Were relationships like that even able to be complicated?
She glanced at Grimmjow and hid her own laugh--with him involved, they were bound to be. Either way, she'd have to talk to Ulquiorra about it more to see if she could get a better understanding. She might be able to help them out, after all. She almost smirked as she reached for her necklace again, bringing the thin cord of it barely in between her lips and running the pendant up and down along the cord. "I expected you to have a better reason. Then again, I guess you don't need to have a good reason for anything you say or do, do you?" the redhead teased, that almost-smirk turning into a very small smirk.
"Not only do I not need a good reason," Grimmjow replied, "but I don't even need a reason. The shit I say and do is because I wanna say and do it. And that's fucking good enough for me. Anyone who doesn't like it can come and say so. Then I'll show 'em what I think about their fucking opinion."
He took another drink with a smirk into his mug. Grimmjow wasn't about to go and tell the little girl why he'd asked. Not when she could easily tell Ulquiorra and then Grimmjow would be stuck with another screaming fit with the bastard acting like a bipolar woman on her goddamn period. Christ. What the hell had happened to the serious, lethal fucker he'd fought? Grimmjow shook the thoughts away as he drank. What the fuck ever.
"And I'll hide until you're done, then clean up the mess for you," Kairi replied, grinning around her necklace before letting it go. She turned in her seat and crossed her legs at her knees again. "Unless you like the color red for decorating."
This guy was probably going to end up turning her into some sort of sick and twisted sadist, and she wouldn't even realize it until it was too late. Sure, she noticed it now, but most of that was her own twisted humor that had rubbed off on her from other people that she usually kept hidden away for her own personal musings. Grimmjow was just bringing it out in her. He and a few others, anyway.
Grimmjow liked the color red when it was all over his hands. And when it was spattered over the ground. That was the kind of decorating that he enjoyed when it came to the color red. But he just finished off his third mug and put it down. Two more to go. Five wouldn't even make him tipsy. He needed a hell of a lot of that shit to do any kind of damage. The last time he'd been knocked out by alcohol had been a couple days ago with Renji. But Renji had passed out first. It didn't matter if Grimmjow couldn't really remember anything; he just knew that the fucking redhead hadn't beaten him.
"Tell me somethin'," Grimmjow said after a grin toward her red comment. "It might help me understand Ulquiorra a little better. Why the fuck do women cling so fucking much? Do they enjoy playing fucking helpless victims?"
So Ulquiorra was considered the woman of the relationship. Understandable, she guessed. He seemed much more gentle than Grimmjow when she spoke with him. Then again, she hadn't forgotten that he told her they were trying to kill the same target when they met. "I'm not too sure about Ulquiorra," Kairi started, raising an eyebrow a little at him, "and each woman has their own reasons why. For myself, it's like a test. If the guy can handle being clung to and doesn't push me away, then that's how I know I can rely on him and be with him."
She smiled, though; a completely sincere smile. "But Ulquiorra's case might be a little or a lot different. You two are a pretty complicated pair, you know." She leaned forward a little, still smiling. "My advice is to try talking to him. Ask him what's going on his head." Kairi laughed softly then. "I know it sounds like you have to get all cozy and sensitive and caring to do that, but I'm sure you can handle pulling that off for a few minutes. You can handle anything, after all."
Grimmjow made a face by wrinkling his nose and leaning far away from Kairi as she moved in. Talk? Fuck no. They'd already talked once and after that Ulquiorra had found a different way to behave like a woman. Grimmjow didn't want some fucking pussy clinging to his arm. He wanted the tough asshole he couldn't kill. And all he was getting was a woman that was becoming less and less attractive to him. Ulquiorra knew exactly what he wanted and he still failed at behaving the way he should have been.
"Tell you what," Grimmjow said, disgust still on his face. "If he doesn't clean up his act soon, I'm kickin' his ass to the curb. Then I'll go and get me a real woman. One with tits and the whole fucking package. Think that might be nice. I'd get one who wouldn't sit there like a fucking puppy. Need a woman with some attitude. I don't need someone I have to fuckin' babysit all the time."
Kairi shook her head as she leaned back and closed her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "It's your loss. He seems like a nice guy to me. Polite, kind..." She opened her eyes again, giving him a meaningful look. "Concerned."
She sighed again, leaning an elbow against the counter. "That's probably not what he was like when you two met, and I'm sure he knows it. Maybe all he needs is a push in the right direction. Or maybe no push at all." She carefully went over what she was about to say next, just to make sure that it didn't sound like she'd actually talked to Ulquiorra about the subject. "He probably already thinks that you're close to leaving him anyway. And if he does think that, then he's probably just waiting for it."
Kairi paused to fiddle with some of her bracelets before looking back up at Grimmjow. "That's why you need to try talking to him. Maybe he wants to know exactly what you want from him right now. The only way to do that would probably be for you to tell him what you expect." She smiled again. "Some women are willing to change for their partners, and some aren't. Maybe you'll get lucky with Ulquiorra and he'll want to."
Grimmjow couldn't help it--he laughed so hard into his drink that he ended up inhaling it. It sure as hell didn't feel any kind of good and he nearly spilled the entire mug over as he tried to quickly set it down and cover his mouth. It hurt like hell and he knew he'd be feeling it in his nose for a couple hours. He was coughing hard and his eyes were watering so much that it was like he was about to fucking cry. And even through that he was still laughing. Which only increased how much he was coughing. Fuck, he was going to have an aching throat later.
Finally the bartender offered Grimmjow a towel and he covered his coughing with that, but it did little to muffle his laughter. "You think I want nice?" Grimmjow's chest was hurting and he turned away to cough again. "Polite? Concerned?" The more he spoke, the funnier it got. Coughing so hard had irritated his fucking throat and it made him want to cough even more. "Losing that would be a God damned blessin', is what it'd be."
When Grimmjow finally managed to get it under control, he set the towel down and sniffed. "How 'bout you date 'im? I'd approve. Just let me be the one to fucking kill him and we've got a deal."
Kairi looked at Grimmjow like he had five extra eyes. He was laughing about that? Granted, when he started choking on his drink, she wanted to point and laugh in his face and tell him that karma was a bitch, but still. He was laughing?
But what he finally said (minus the part about her dating him--she probably wouldn't mind that, but that wasn't the point and she ignored it for now) explained everything for the most part. "So you want to kill him. That's it? That's the only reason you're even with him, just so you can be the one to kill him?" Kairi scoffed at that, making a mental note to ask Ulquiorra exactly what his reason was for even trying. "I hate to break it to you, but you have some really screwed up ideals."
"Yeah." Grimmjow finally managed to finish laughing and he coughed again just to clear his throat. Christ, that had been funny. The last time he'd had such a good, hard laugh had probably been sometime when he'd been drunk so he couldn't remember it. "Might've had a different reason in the beginning. Thought the way the fucker wouldn't back down was sexy. I liked how strong he was. Real stubborn, too. But the second I showed any interest he turned into a fucking quivering girl. I can't deal with that shit. Right now I'm only interested in killing him again. And if he don't fucking know it then he's a piece of shit retard."
Grimmjow didn't give a damn what people thought of his ideals. You didn't take his fucking prey away from him. Eventually he and Ulquiorra would finally fight to the death and Grimmjow would be the one to win. He couldn't be interested in someone like Ulquiorra if he was secretly a cowardly bastard beneath that emotionless exterior. When Grimmjow had told Ulquiorra to show more emotion, he hadn't meant for him to turn into the biggest fucking waterfall in the world.
Listening to Grimmjow and what he thought made it make a little more sense to her, Kairi supposed. In his point of view, it probably made perfect sense and there was nothing wrong with it. For herself, though, it was just a waste of both male's time. Then again, Grimmjow was a generally violent guy. Ulquiorra, she wasn't so sure about--maybe she'd just gotten the wrong impression of him when they spoke.
Sighing, Kairi closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. Usually when she gave advice, it was for normal relationships. She had to actually dig pretty deep to get something decent for these two. "Do you want me to talk to him?" she asked, looking back at him. It didn't matter to her whether or not he said yes, since she was going to, anyway. The only difference was that if Grimmjow didn't want her to, she'd tell Ulquiorra not to mention anything about what she said to him.
That made Grimmjow snort into his beer, but fortunately this time, there wasn't any inhaling, choking, or coughing involved. Jesus, the girl was funny. Maybe Grimmjow had somehow known it all along and that's why there'd been something about her that he liked. A truly funny girl was as rare as finding a pearl in the ocean. And if she actually thought she was helping it just made it all the funnier.
"No, I don't want you to fuckin' talk to him, you dumbshit," Grimmjow laughed and swallowed down his beer for the next refill. "I've already tried that more than once. Doesn't do much good. And I don't have the patience to try an' guide him through every fucking thing in life. He ain't that special. Only girl who's special enough for me to try hard with is Rukia. Because she's actually worth a fucking thing or two."
"Like I said earlier," she started, rolling her eyes. "Maybe he just needs a little push. And no one said you had to give him that push, either." Honestly, what would it take for him to acknowledge that she was trying her damnedest to make him realize he needed to open his eyes a little?
"Are you sure, though? I wouldn't mind at least attempting to help you two." Kairi almost wanted to do her little pouting trick, but she had a good feeling that it wouldn't work on someone like Grimmjow. "And even if the things I'm saying aren't getting through to you, they might get through to him and he'll get back to his old self. I can't guarantee anything, but I can sure as hell try." ... She was still going to talk to Ulquiorra. She didn't care if it was something that could end horribly for her. She'd be self-sacrificing for them if she really had to. Her reason? Pfft, she didn't need a reason.
"Not fuckin' interested enough to wait for him to come around and be the way he's fucking supposed to be," Grimmjow said plainly with a shrug. "Don't have the patience. He wants a nice guy who's gonna be too damn affection for my tastes. I ain't a nice guy and I won't fucking pretend to be one for some sensitive asshole with all kinds of fucking issues. He needs to go and find himself a pretty girl to fuck if he wants to be treated real gentle. I'm not into that shit."
Grimmjow had been interested in Ulquiorra. He'd been completely fucking taken with him. But then everything had changed and Grimmjow couldn't be bothered to continue to chase someone he had little interest in. Now the only thing he wanted to do to Ulquiorra was gut him like a fucking fish and leave him on Gin's doorstep.
Kairi was quiet for a long moment, thinking of how exactly to say what she wanted to without risking getting her throat ripped out. Now she really did need to talk to Ulquiorra to get a better view of his side of the situation. But when it came to what she wanted to say to Grimmjow, only one word came to mind. "Heartless." It was muttered and she half-hoped he heard it and half-hoped he didn't--then again, he'd probably take it as a compliment.
"You just don't care. Being with someone just so you can guarantee the first chance to kill them... What the hell is wrong with you?" Kairi honestly was about to give up on him, but she kept going, looking at him with a look she probably couldn't even identify if she could see it. It was probably disgust and hurt and maybe even a little hatred. And it wasn't even her Grimmjow was having the problem with. "No, really. Tell me. Did something happen that made you like this or were you just born a sadist? I want to know what the hell happened to that brain of yours, if anything."
It was a compliment, being called heartless. It sure as hell kept him safe and happy. Though the truth was that he wasn't completely heartless. He really wasn't. Somehow, Rukia had come to mean just about everything to him as a little sister would. And anyone who ever dared to lay a finger on her would meet Grimmjow's wrath--not because he wanted to be the one to kill her, but because he truly cared. Il Forte was just beneath her as the best friend he'd known since he had been a young teenager.
Grimmjow gave a slow shrug. "Not everyone can love every tree branch, flower petal, and dust bunny the way you do, Kairi," he replied, his grin still there. But this time he was at least attempting to be sincere. "You seem like a nice person, so you probably aren't gonna understand anythin' about me. And I don't fucking expect ya to. I live my life the way I wanna live it. I make my own fucking rules. I don't take orders from anyone like a fucking dog. I do what I do because it's what keeps me happy and healthy. And if it isn't the same shit that works for you, it don't mean there's much wrong with me. You wanna find someone who's got real problems, go out there and try talkin' to a rapist or a child molester. See what they do to ya and then come ask me the same shit again."
Kairi vaguely picked up on his sincerity, making a note to be shocked and surprised later. Right now, she was still a bit pissed at his attitude about everything. But it was the last thing he said that caught her off guard. "I'm sure in about two weeks, you can expect it," she said bitterly. That was the downside to that dreaded third job. But hey, maybe if she had a boyfriend, she wouldn't be going that far--she could just get away with that exotic dancing instead. But finding someone now that she'd taken the job would probably be hard.
Then again, she hadn't even been doing that much--she still hadn't even had the first client yet. Kairi thought about that for a moment, and she was reminded about when Grimmjow mentioned her dating Ulquiorra. She actually laughed about it now, looking up at him. Time to change the subject a little. "What you said about me dating him, you weren't serious, were you?"
Why the hell was she bringing that up? Whatever. Grimmjow didn't give a shit. "Yeah, I was. I'd sure as hell feel sorry for you, havin' to deal with that dependent, clingy asshole," he remarked. "But it'd get him offa my back and that's the real thing that counts here. But I can't say you ever struck me as a lesbian."
Fourth beer now. One more after this and Kairi wouldn't owe him any more. The idea of Ulquiorra and Kairi dating was probably enough to give him nightmares if it ever happened. Nightmares that he'd wake up laughing from. Jesus fucking Christ that'd be a circus act if he ever saw one.
Kairi laughed and shook her head. "He's got the right parts for a man, right?" She grinned. "As long as those are present and he's got a good personality, I'm all for it." She was teasing, of course. At least, she hoped she was. Yes, it was bad enough that she couldn't tell whether she was joking or not when it came to other guys. That wasn't her fault, though.
"Besides, I can deal with clingy. Clingy isn't that bad when you get used to it, you know," she continued to tease.
Grimmjow practically gagged. "I might have to let you buy me just four beers," he said with a wince. "Don't think I can stomach anything if you keep talkin' like that."
There wasn't anything joking in his demeanor, either. Grimmjow liked things to be rough and mean. Anything fucking mushy was saved for the few times Rukia caught him off-guard. And then he'd stuff her in a closet. Anyone else who tried being completely disgusting needed to get the fuck away from him before he tore them apart.
Kairi held up her hands and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm shutting up now." She turned back towards the counter and put her fist to her cheek to try to hide her grin from him. That actually was a first for her, making someone sick from talking about mushy stuff. She couldn't help but want to laugh, but she had some self control at least.
And she sure fucking better shut the fuck up unless she wanted that fifth beer poured over her head when he got it. Fuck. Grimmjow gulped down the fourth mug of beer and set it heavily down. One more to go. When he got back to his place he'd have some more and watch some cartoons with his dumb cat. That sounded nice.
"Why the hell don't you have a fucking boyfriend? Pretty girl like you should have dozens of guys falling at your feet."
Kairi's face fell when Grimmjow asked her that. Why didn't she have a boyfriend? He was right, after all; she couldn't go anywhere without having at least two guys staring after her. "I don't know. Maybe I'm waiting for someone who doesn't stare at me like I'm a piece of meat. Or at least someone who isn't a womanizing moron." She laughed dryly at that. "I guess I'll be waiting a while, won't I?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Might be waiting forever," Grimmjow said with a grin. "Never heard of a guy that doesn't fit into one of those descriptions. Except for me. But I'm not about to throw myself at your fucking feet, as much as I'm sure you'd love it."
Grimmjow didn't throw himself at anyone's feet. That was for dogs, and he was as proud as a cat. They had no masters; anything and everything they did was because they wanted to do it. Not because they'd been ordered to or because they wanted to please someone.
Kairi couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm not into the submissive types, anyway." Pfft, like she'd actually know that or not. But had a feeling she was one of those girls that would enjoy being treated like royalty every once in a while, but not all the time. It'd probably get old, she figured, and if it got old, then it wasn't any fun.
"I guess I'll have to start hitting for the other team and see if I have any luck there," she said, heaving a dramatic, but obviously fake, sigh afterwards, then grinning.
Grimmjow smirked. "You never fuckin' know. Don't completely close the door on the other team 'til you try it."
He had never closed that door, after all. And it sure as hell made his life a lot more interesting. Being interested in only women or only men was fucking ridiculous. You couldn't do much if you only liked one thing. It was like ordering the same meal for dinner every damn night for the rest of your life. Didn't people ever get bored with fucking practically the same thing all the time?
"I guess you have a point there," Kairi replied, still grinning. "I don't even know if the door's ever actually opened or closed, though."
She probably should do some experimenting. There was a problem with that idea, though: the only other girl she actually knew was the same girl that was practically her sister. Sure, she talked to Rukia once and... she just realized that the ratio of men to women she knew was probably about 4:1. That was pretty sad on her part.
Picking up the fifth and final beer, Grimmjow grinned over at Kairi. "Then go and see if it's open. Bet you'd like a girl more'n a guy anyway."
She seemed too damn sweet to handle a guy. Now Rukia, she could easily handle a man. But Kairi hadn't even been able to get rid of the asshole previously sitting in Grimmjow's seat. How the hell did she think she could take care of a boyfriend? Grimmjow took a drink. The little idiot was going to get herself hurt.
Well damn, she hadn't actually been expecting to be swayed by Grimmjow of all people. Especially on a subject like this. "We'll see," Kairi responded, her grin fading to a small smile.
He was probably right, anyway. A lot of the guys she'd met (excluding Sora, Zack, and Aloy--maybe a few others, like Ukitake, though he was her boss) were pretty much egotistical jerks. Girls, on the other hand, weren't like that, unless they had a tomboy-ish attitude. At least, that's what she knew from her own experiences around other girls. Most of which seemed to have that tomboy attitude.
And if she really would like girls more, she'd definitely love Ulquiorra. Hiding a snicker, Grimmjow buried himself in his last beer, drinking half of it in one go. Whatever Kairi did was up to her. Grimmjow wouldn't ever fucking give himself out like she did, but that was her damn decision, too. No matter how bad it was.
The beer was putting him in a better mood even if he wasn't anywhere near drunk. So he looked at her with a grin. "You ain't so bad for a girl. You're a hell of a lot better company than that dumb bitch Cirucci."
Taking note that Grimmjow was done with his five, Kairi got up from the stool and dug into the back pocket of her skirt and pulled out the money she'd brought with her. She glanced up at him and shook her head with a grin. "That's not really saying much to me, considering I don't know her."
Calling over the bartender, she asked for the amount she owed for both of their drinks, and paid him, slipping the rest of the money into her pocket again. "Either way, I'm not turning down a compliment."
Grimmjow set down his finally empty mug and watched Kairi pay the bartender. He'd feel bad about making her pay if he actually gave a shit. It had been her offer so she'd need to take the blow of the price of their drinks. He stood finally, stretching out his legs and masking a wince at his sore one. Those fucking heels. Grimmjow tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans, smirking down at her.
"Hope you're not gonna stay here alone after I leave. That asshole might come back and try to put some fuckin' moves on ya again," he pointed out a bit smugly. "I won't be here to save the day."
Kairi scoffed as she moved away from the counter. "Are you crazy? I have to get back to my movie night with Rikku anyway."
She grinned to herself a bit before looking back at him. She was going to do this and take off, without even stopping. "Well, it was nice actually meeting you, minus the pain. I'm still sorry about your leg, but it'll be fine, I'm sure." Stepping up on her toes as much as she could, she quickly gave Grimmjow a kiss on the cheek before turning and walking away. Okay, she lied--she only paused for a moment, and that was to look back, wink, flick her hand in a wave and call out, "I'll talk to you later" before leaving him.
Grimmjow blinked. What the hell had possessed her to do that? Was she doing it to be a shit? Probably. She was a girl, after all. They liked trying to push buttons and seeing how much they could get away with. Wasn't enough to piss him off, anyway. Rukia would have probably slapped him over the head as her way of departing and that was just fine, too.
After waiting for Kairi to be gone, he left the bar, too. Despite her being a dumbshit regarding Ulquiorra, it hadn't been a waste of an evening. Grimmjow hated most people but it wasn't too much of a pain in the ass to meet new ones. Especially when they bought him beer. One of the fastest ways to his heart was some good fucking beer.
WHAT: Going out for drinks because Kairi owes Grimm five of them.
WHERE: Some bar somewhere.
WHEN: Last night (June 21st)
Grimmjow nudged the door to the bar open as he prowled inside. Going out for a drink was a hell of a lot better than sitting at home watching some damn boring movie on the television. And he seriously doubted that this Kairi girl would be any kind of trouble for him. He knew she could have been hired to take him out, but he guessed he'd learn that when she tried for him. She'd have a hell of a surprise in store for her if she thought she could take him on. Grimmjow had his sword with him in the event of there being any difficulties.
When he was finally inside it didn't take him long at all to find her. At least she was on time. There was someone in the seat he wanted and rather than taking the other spot on the other side of Kairi, he gave the fucker a warning look. The guy hurried away with no questions asked and Grimmjow threw himself onto the stool with his back to the bar and his arms back on the counter. The only greeting he gave was a, "Yo."
Kairi never liked going out to places alone. Sure, she might've been used to all the stares she received from the other men she was around, but in a way, they still unnerved her. Though, she tried her hardest to never show it, and if she still did now, she'd definitely need to work on it. She glanced at the guy that was sitting next to her that was trying his hardest to woo her in his drunken state.
That was something else she needed to work on--telling guys to back off. Gently swirling her tonic water around in the glass, she politely mentioned something about him leaving her the hell alone, and when he stopped talking and left, she actually thought it worked. Until she saw someone sit down next to her. "Grimmjow," she greeted with a smile, relieved. "Thanks for that. That guy just didn't know when to back off."
Grimmjow hadn't even known he'd just done something like getting rid of a jackass. Hell, he wished he'd noticed it before so he could have done a hell of a lot more than just look at him. It might have been a hell of a lot of fun to throw him over the bar counter and into the bottles of alcohol on the wall. Fucking whatever. Grimmjow gave a clumsy shrug. "Can't defend yourself, huh? What're you gonna do if some asshole tries to hurt you while you're doin' your 'job'?"
Not that this situation had been exactly the same as what he'd been suggesting, but it wasn't hard to tell someone to fuck off in a firm way. And if they didn't leave, you just gave them a good shove so they'd fall and crack their head open on the floor. You didn't even need to be as strong as Grimmjow was to push over a drunken idiot.
Kairi rolled her eyes and looked away from him for a second. "I'm working on it. Rikku's teaching me a few things." Finishing off her tonic water, she set the glass down and turned to look back at him. "Besides, I don't like causing a scene." ... Like she didn't do that whenever she wore those short skirts. But they didn't used to be that short, and she was saving up money to go on a shopping spree later to get some more 'appropriate' clothes.
When the bartender came over to take her glass, the redhead held a finger up to signal for him to hold on before looking back at Grimmjow. "What do you want?"
How the hell could someone not enjoy causing a scene? Grimmjow sure as hell loved it. He loved beating the hell out of someone in front of people. And then he loved beating the hell out of those people who tried to get him in revenge for the first guy. It was a beautiful thing, causing a scene. It made people look at and fear you when you showed you couldn't be taken down.
"Just beer," Grimmjow told her with a grin. "A real man's drink." He hated all of that fruity, sparkly, girly shit that people liked to pretend was actually alcohol. It wasn't a real drink if it was a color of the rainbow.
Kairi looked back at the bartender with a smile. "A beer for him, then." He nodded and took her glass and left, leaving the two of them. She tried to look him over, now that she had the chance to, and she failed to know how exactly she managed to 'befriend' someone like him. He definitely looked like he could kill someone in five seconds flat, maybe quicker if he was actually trying. Or maybe that was just what she'd gathered from his personality from the times that they talked.
Smiling a bit to herself, she crossed her legs and leaned her elbow on the counter, turning her body to face him again and resting her cheek against her fist. "So, I'm curious; why did you bother coming here? I honestly wasn't expecting you to show, since I assumed you hated me."
That wasn't a completely stupid assumption to make--Grimmjow hated a hell of a lot of people. They were worthless cowards who weren't worth a dime and the more that died, the better. Kairi, though, wasn't someone Grimmjow hated. She looked pretty weak and pathetic, but she kind of reminded him of Rukia. Their personalities and jobs were different; it was more of the fact that they both actually spoke to him even knowing he could snap their necks one-handed.
"Hate ya?" Grimmjow repeated. "Even if I do, you really think I'd pass up the chance for some free beer? I ain't a dumbshit. I get to spend the evenin' with a pretty little girl who's buying me drinks. That's not shit a smart guy would ignore."
The fist against her cheek uncurling, Kairi's fingers moved to slightly cover her mouth to hide her growing smile. That was probably one of the last things she expected to come out of Grimmjow's mouth, given their past conversations. After a few seconds, she was sure it was under control and she replied. "You have a point, I guess. But you flatter me. And the scary part is, that was something I didn't see coming."
She moved her elbow off the counter when she saw the bartender send Grimmjow's beer sliding past her, she held out her hand to catch her own drink. "But I'm not complaining any," she finished, taking a sip of her tonic water. She was half-tempted to ask for some salt to sprinkle in it to get rid of the bitterness, but she was sure she could suck it up..
Grimmjow liked doing things people didn't expect, because it was worth seeing the expression on their face. It had been why he'd kissed Ulquiorra in their first fight, aside from needing to distract him. He'd known Ulquiorra would flip the fuck out. And kissing Cirucci had been too damn funny--the little bitch hadn't known what had hit her. But if he tried to kiss Rukia he'd need to bend down to half his height and break his back. It just wasn't worth it for that.
Grimmjow turned in his seat and caught the mug as it slid to him. "That so? If it weren't for that bastard Ulquiorra, I'd do somethin' else you wouldn't expect. Guess I'll have to save that for some other time." It was a damn shame he wouldn't be able to see Kairi's reaction to him kissing her--either she'd like it or she'd slap the hell out of him.
Kairi raised an eyebrow after he spoke, a curious smile spreading across her lips. "Now you've got me intrigued." If she had to guess what he was thinking of, she'd have to give up. There was no telling what was going on in that head of his, she knew. She could only expect things that he'd say, after all. Actions were a whole other game. Though she thought it strange that so far, she was only expecting words from the people that either annoyed the hell out of her or would end up killing her if she said one wrong thing or made one wrong move.
Drumming her fingers against the counter and giving him a sidelong glance, she grinned. "But if you say I have to wait, I guess I'll have to," Kairi chimed, her voice laced with a playful tone.
There was no way in hell Grimmjow would be with Ulquiorra forever; one day they'd both stop the shit and try to kill each other again. One of them would end up winning and Grimmjow would be damned if it wasn't him. And then he'd be free to kiss whatever pretty girl or boy he felt like. After taking a good, long drink of his beer (and damn if it wasn't good) he glanced at Kairi again. She really was a cute little bitch. It was a damn shame.
"You asked me why I showed up," he said to change the subject. "I gave ya my reason. I'm ten times bigger than you. I could crush your fuckin' head into the counter. Why'd you think you'd be safe around someone like me? Don't I scare you?"
Kairi had lifted her glass and was about to take a drink when he asked her that. She started laughing as she set her drink back down and bit her lip to keep her laughter under control. She wanted to tell him it was because she was sure he was just like a giant teddy bear under all that tough, intimidating, badass exterior, but that would probably land her in the hospital with a broken arm.
Calming down, she just smiled at him. "What would you say if I told you it was more like I am a little afraid, but I trust you not to do anything that'd hurt me?" She casually shrugged, reaching up to idly rub the pendant of her necklace. "I don't know, so far I've managed to sort of befriend people who could kill me in an instant, and I don't know why. Maybe I just have more charm than I thought." Really, she had no clue how she did it. She was sure there were at least four men she knew, including Grimmjow, that wouldn't have any qualms about killing her, but despite their threats, they hadn't. If they really wanted to off her, wouldn't they have done it by then?
Grimmjow heard that laughter and he wondered at why the hell his question had been so damn funny. He didn't think it had been funny. When he wanted to be funny, then he was a riot. Right now he was being perfectly damn serious. Maybe she was laughing because she was nervous. Girls did shit like that all the time. He didn't understand why they did it, since being nervous about something usually wasn't a reason to laugh.
"You trust me?" he repeated with a laugh of his own. "Are you some kind of retard? This city's fucking overflowin' with 'em." Grimmjow leaned a little closer as if to tell her some kind of secret. "You don't trust a politician to do a good job. You don't trust a spider not to kill that fucking fly in its web. You don't trust a snake not to bite ya. And you sure as hell don't fucking trust that I won't wring your tiny neck if you say one wrong thing. I ain't a nice guy who likes doing nice things. I like tearin' people apart."
Now it was safe to say, she was a bit freaked out. But she just stayed still and listened to him, keeping a small smile on her face to cover it. When he finished speaking, she looked at him, the smile still there. "Why do you think I watch my tongue around you? I had a feeling you were bad news the first time we talked." And oh, how true that was. Despite their first conversation lasting a few sentences and was about kittens, his personality just seeped through those comments.
Kairi took a drink and sighed, shifting her legs to cross at her ankles instead of her knees. "I didn't think that hearing that a near stranger trusted you would be so offending. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she joked.
Grimmjow moved away again and easily emptied the rest of his mug. "You know," he added and put the empty glass on the counter, "if you trust people so easily, you're gonna get yourself killed. Nice I ain't, but I like killin' people who can give me a fight. There are some assholes out there who'd kill you for sneezing in their direction. Trusting people is fucking stupid. Never fucking trust anyone but yourself. You'll live a little longer if you do that."
And it was the truth. Grimmjow had gotten by on his own for so long because he never trusted anyone. Though he'd known Il Forte for as long as he could remember, he didn't really trust him. Nor did he completely trust Rukia. You couldn't afford to trust a damn person in this world.
Kairi gave a groan as he spoke. Grimmjow wasn't the first person to tell her something like that. Sure, he had his own way of saying it, but it was the same concept as everything else. "I know, I know," she said, pausing to finish her own drink. Watching as the bartender made his way over, she stopped him again, pondering. She was sure she could afford to have a little something, but obviously not a lot of it. She hardly had a tolerance, and she was sure Grimmjow wouldn't want to have to drag her unconscious body home. Hell, he'd probably just leave her there in the bar. "Add a little something extra to mine. Nothing too strong, though."
Turning away from the bartender as he took the glass and mug away, she sighed again. "Really, you all tell me the same thing. I just... Maybe it is stupid, but I like to give people chances. Sure, I've been hurt by people I trusted in the past, but I guess I'll just never learn."
If others were telling her the same damn thing, then maybe she should be fucking listening. But she was a woman--they thought they knew every damn thing in the book without even having read the damn book. If Kairi wanted to run her life that damn dangerously, though, then it would be on her if she was killed. "Sure as hell won't learn by doin' shit like this forever," Grimmjow muttered, more to himself than Kairi.
Grimmjow hadn't ever trusted a single damn person, as far as he could remember. And he planned on keeping it that way until the day he finally died; that wouldn't be for a fucking long time. "Well, I ain't gonna kill ya. Not unless you really piss me off. Or someone gives me enough money to take you out. Can't say you'd be much fun to kill anyway. Looks like you don't have any fuckin' fighting in that little body."
The redhead perked up when she heard Grimmjow mutter something, but she brushed it off and sighed, staying quiet. When he spoke again, she smiled a little again. "Well, I don't plan on making you mad anytime soon. And I can't imagine that anyone would pay enough money to kill someone like me."
She couldn't help but let her smile grow, though. "If you really want to test that theory out, come find me in about a month." That was probably a silly thing to say, especially since she was only learning enough from Rikku just to defend herself against an average person, not someone like Grimmjow. At least he'd get something from it.
Grimmjow laughed and gave her a look asking if she was a complete fucking retard. If she couldn't fight now, then in a month she wouldn't be much better. Especially not against his transformation. If even Ulquiorra couldn't even handle it then Kairi wouldn't be able to. It was laughable even just thinking about fighting her in his other form.
"You wanna fight me?" Grimmjow asked, his grin suddenly widening from ear-to-ear. "I don't wanna break those pretty legs of yours. You need 'em for the type of work you do, right? Can't imagine sex is much good if you ain't got the legs to help. Unless you've got some kind of positions I ain't ever heard of."
Kairi just settled with rolling her eyes as the bartender came by again. She waited until she was gone before she spoke, examining her glass and vaguely wondering what was put in it. "I'd be out of a job--I don't think anyone would want to screw a cripple." She laughed dryly as she picked up her drink, catching a whiff of it as she did so and refraining from making a face. "Then again, I've heard some people have some pretty strange fetishes."
She took a very small sip of her drink and tried to cover her coughing. She didn't expect it to burn going down. Tingle, maybe. Kairi took a deep breath before she spoke again. "So no, I don't want to fight you. It was just a suggestion that would probably end with my body sliced in half."
Yeah, that was more like it. Grimmjow really would slice her in half if they fought. He'd never met a woman who had been a worthy opponent, either. They all died too damn easily. Women thought they were strong enough to take on men and ended up getting the shit beaten out of them within seconds. It was almost funny watching them attempt to fight.
Grimmjow grabbed his re-filled mug--this was the second one. "You suggest shit like that to the wrong person, and they won't wait a month," Grimmjow pointed out, this time only to be annoying. "They'd cut your head off right here. You're pretty fuckin' lucky I'm feeling like such a nice guy tonight and giving you all these helpful tips. Guess it pays off to be a pretty little girl, huh?"
Kairi shrugged, ignoring the first part of what he said. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just because you care more than you'd like to admit," she teased. Looking back at her drink, she picked it up, then thought that over again before setting it back down. "Maybe I deserve to have my head cut off." She laughed, though. "Or maybe my intestines pulled out from my mouth. That'd be interesting."
Honestly? She couldn't believe she was actually discussing this with him. Then again, they were talking about her, not some other poor sap. That she could handle, she guessed. There were times when Kairi wasn't too pleased with herself.
Wouldn't it just be ironic if she ever actually got depressed enough to want to die, and she went to Grimmjow to do it? The more she thought about it, the more she would've preferred that he did it. At least she actually knew him. Better to die at the hands of someone you recognize than someone you don't know, right?
Grimmjow didn't care about much. Maybe he did care more than he wanted to admit, like Kairi had suggested. But there wasn't much to care about. There was something about Kairi that Grimmjow sort of liked. It pissed him off a little that he did like her. Grimmjow didn't like it when he couldn't completely hate someone. People weren't worth a damn thing--not in this city or any other. None of them meant what they said when they were trying to be sincere. And none of them were trustworthy. It was only that some of them knew how to properly be appealing.
Though it didn't sound like Kairi thought of herself as entirely appealing. Not with the way she was talking. Thinking she deserved to die in some horrible way? Only pathetic bastards ever said shit like that. But she was a girl and their moods did tend to swing all over the fucking place. Despite that, though, Grimmjow began to think of people whose intestines he would like to pull through something.
"I can tell you exactly who'd deserve shit like that." Grimmjow took another drink to calm the nerves he could already feel getting riled up. "Fuckin' scientists. And those Monacello and Vescovo bastards. 'Specially the ones who think they can order people around like dogs. They're the only fucking animals around here."
Kairi vaguely wondered as she stared intensely at her drink if she were to start choking, if Grimmjow would help her. Why did she want to know? Because she was about to finish off that large amount of her drink that was left in one go, and she knew the burn was going to do some damage to her nerves. She dryly laughed again at what he said. "I don't even have anything against them and I'm going to agree with you on that. They haven't really done anything to me, unless I happen to find out that they're behind whatever happened to my parents. Then I'll have a better reason to dislike the families."
She sighed and finished off her drink, trying to swallow it was quickly as she could. Yeah, stupid idea, Kairi. She shut her eyes and clenched her fists against the counter, trying her hardest not to cough, and failing horribly. All she could think was that if Grimmjow laughed, she'd kick him. Hard. Heels were a woman's best weapon, after all.
What the hell was the little idiot doing? Did she really think she was man enough to swallow down that shit in one go? Grimmjow could do it. Renji could probably do it. But this tiny girl? Grimmjow's eyes widened as he watched Kairi gulp it down. Jesus Christ. Did she have a death wish? How much experience did she even have when it came to fucking drinking? It wasn't that damn hard to drink right. All you had to do was take as much as you could without killing yourself and then swallow it.
But that didn't really stop it from being funny. Any time someone thought they could do something without getting hurt and ended up getting hurt, it was funny. Because it was a girl who'd just tried to drink far more than she could handle at once, it was funny. Grimmjow set his drink down, laughing at her complete and utter fucking failure at this shit. Then he pat her firmly on the back just in case she'd managed to inhale any of that burning alcohol. That kind of shit wouldn't feel good in her lungs. "You're just fucking amazin'."
And there went Kairi's 'stiletto of death'. Where it ended up, she didn't care, as long as it hit some body part of Grimmjow's. She opened her eyes and gasped, taking in a breath--maybe she could ask him to rip out her lungs instead of her intestines. They burned like hell right then, that was for sure.
"Sc-screw you," she spat hoarsely, still trying to breathe without killing herself. She slumped over so her head was almost touching the counter, running a hand through her hair. She cast a glance over at him, coughing a few more times before she was sure her voice was at least halfway back to normal. "Remind me to never... do that again."
That was the price you paid for being nice. When you tried to help you got punished for it. When you were an asshole you got to be the one doing the punishing. That fucking shoe collided with Grimmjow's shin. As quick as a cat he lifted his foot off the floor just enough to rub a hand over his now-throbbing leg.
"Never do which part again?" Grimmjow growled as he set his foot down. "Because I can pick which one you shouldn't do." Then he slapped the back of her head hard enough so it just might hit the counter and hurt.
Oh yeah, it hurt. And that earned yet another blind kick from the redhead as she rubbed at her forehead, trying to fight off the oncoming headache. "Arschloch," she muttered in German, not caring if she understood him or not. Really, she didn't care. She was busy wondering if she managed to kick him in a better place than his shin and trying to get rid of that headache.
... Kairi'd apologize later. Right now, she wasn't in the mood to do that. Besides, that's what he got for laughing at her. That one was planned. The second kick was just her reflexes. And he couldn't do anything to prove her wrong, either.
Had the brat really just done it again directly after Grimmjow had told her not to? The foot connected with the exact same spot as before, which hurt even more, as it sent a more painful jolt running along that bone. There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to have a nice bruise there later. Hissing in pain, he snatched up a handful of Kairi's hair in a tight grip so that if she moved, she'd lose some.
"Just because you're a pretty little girl doesn't mean I won't slap the shit out of you," Grimmjow warned. "I don't believe in that 'no hittin' women' bullshit. You wanna hit me, then I'll give it right back to ya."
Kairi winced and her arm twitched as if she were going to wheel around and backhand him, but she stopped herself. To die or not to die, that was the question. And quite frankly, the answer for her was to stay alive as long as she could. She still had to buy that car for Rikku, after all.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and calmed her nerves--'don't blow up at him, and you'll be fine, Kairi.' "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Was she scared? Of course she was. He probably could've ripped her head off of her shoulders if he really wanted to. But like hell she was going to admit that to him. And it wasn't going to keep her from talking to him, if that's what he was aiming for.
Grimmjow eyed her for a moment to make sure she wasn't going to try anything else and then released her. The girl had some fucking balls doing shit like that. But he'd meant what he'd said; women or man, he'd beat the shit out of them just the same if they deserved it. And Kairi sure as hell deserved to get a split lip. The only thing really saving her was the beer and Grimmjow picked up his mug again.
"Ungrateful bitch," he muttered. "If you ever start fucking chokin' around me, expect to die. Because I ain't gonna try and help you again if all I get is kicked for it."
She rubbed the back of her head when he let go, wanting to say something nasty, but he spoke first. Kairi turned and looked at him, an incredulous look on her face. "I only kicked you because you laughed!" Was he really that clueless? Or was she just really that funny just because she couldn't take down a whole lot of alcohol.
Kairi rolled her eyes and sighed. "Control your amusement when it comes to my pain and maybe it won't happen again," she finished bitterly. She glanced at the mug and inwardly sighed. He still had three more beers to go after that one. This was going to be an interesting night.
"Of course I fucking laughed, you fucking retard," Grimmjow replied, seemingly shocked that she hadn't thought she was that funny. "You come into a bar and order a drink and can't even drink it right. And you think I'm not gonna laugh at shit like that?" Grimmjow held his mug out to her. "Here. Have a drink of this. Might like it more than whatever piece of shit fruity drink you're havin'."
If she did drink some and somehow managed to choke on it, Grimmjow was going to laugh all over again. And then if she tried to hurt him again he'd take that leg she kicked him with and throw her across the room by it. Maybe she'd first need to learn to fly before learning not to try any funny shit on Grimmjow.
Ignoring what he said, Kairi eyed the mug, then Grimmjow warily before taking it. She slowly lifted it to her lips, then paused, catching the smell. At least it smelled better than what she had before. Not the best, but better. Maybe the taste would be the same, too. She smartly took just a sip, and on tasting it, she held the mug away a little as she thought about it.
... Definitely better. She took another sip, a bit bigger to help get the taste of the other drink out of her mouth, then handed it back to him. "Thanks," she said softly with a small smile. See, she didn't make a fool of herself that time. And she was being nice again. She learned from her mistake. Just like how she certainly doesn't plan on touching Grimmjow to hurt him again. Not unless she has a death wish, anyway.
Grimmjow drained the rest of the mug and set it back down for the bartender to refill again. Beer was definitely better than any shit women ever ordered. It was better than anything else, too. Yeah, there was harder stuff out there. Shit that got you drunker faster. But Grimmjow didn't drink so he could get drunk. He drank because he loved the shit. It tasted a hell of a lot better than water did.
As he watched the guy behind the counter filling up the mug, his mind wandered. Ulquiorra had shown some kind of interest in coming along, he remembered. That shit really pissed him off. Grimmjow liked being left alone. He didn't like it when people tagged along when he made plans. And he didn't like it when people tried to talk to the people he was acquainted with. "What do you think about Ulquiorra?"
Kairi had made sure to tell the bartender to not get her anything else. After that little episode, she doubted she'd be drinking anything like that for a while. She perked up when Grimmjow spoke, and she tilted her head to the side in thought.
"Well," she started. "I haven't really talked to him much--not nearly as much as you, anyway--but he's an okay guy." She looked at Grimmjow curiously. "Why do you ask?" And yes, she failed to mention that she was taking Ulquiorra out to dinner the next night, half because she felt bad that Grimmjow didn't want him to come and half because it'd be a good opportunity to get to know him better. Making friends was her strong point, after all. And if she managed to be on a truce with Reno and Axel and was somewhat getting along with Grimmjow, then she wouldn't really have a problem with anyone else, she was sure.
An okay guy. Grimmjow laughed and picked up his third serving of beer. Little did she know that he was the farthest thing from an okay guy that there was. It wasn't even a matter of being an asshole--that kind of shit Grimmjow could handle. But Ulquiorra was like a clingy, needy child who was nothing like the person Grimmjow had been trying to kill. Strength was attractive to Grimmjow. Weakness wasn't. And all Ulquiorra had shown lately--even after their agreement in the club--had been weakness. Acting like a fucking shunned woman or some shit. That wasn't what Grimmjow was interested in fucking.
"Just fuckin' curious," Grimmjow replied and hid another laugh behind a drink of beer. Maybe Kairi would like Ulquiorra--they were both women, after all, even if one of them didn't have all the right parts.
Kairi raised an eyebrow at his laugh, but remembered her conversation with Ulquiorra about their 'relationship'. She still thought it was more of a love/hate sort of relationship than anything, but even so, it was complicated. ... Were relationships like that even able to be complicated?
She glanced at Grimmjow and hid her own laugh--with him involved, they were bound to be. Either way, she'd have to talk to Ulquiorra about it more to see if she could get a better understanding. She might be able to help them out, after all. She almost smirked as she reached for her necklace again, bringing the thin cord of it barely in between her lips and running the pendant up and down along the cord. "I expected you to have a better reason. Then again, I guess you don't need to have a good reason for anything you say or do, do you?" the redhead teased, that almost-smirk turning into a very small smirk.
"Not only do I not need a good reason," Grimmjow replied, "but I don't even need a reason. The shit I say and do is because I wanna say and do it. And that's fucking good enough for me. Anyone who doesn't like it can come and say so. Then I'll show 'em what I think about their fucking opinion."
He took another drink with a smirk into his mug. Grimmjow wasn't about to go and tell the little girl why he'd asked. Not when she could easily tell Ulquiorra and then Grimmjow would be stuck with another screaming fit with the bastard acting like a bipolar woman on her goddamn period. Christ. What the hell had happened to the serious, lethal fucker he'd fought? Grimmjow shook the thoughts away as he drank. What the fuck ever.
"And I'll hide until you're done, then clean up the mess for you," Kairi replied, grinning around her necklace before letting it go. She turned in her seat and crossed her legs at her knees again. "Unless you like the color red for decorating."
This guy was probably going to end up turning her into some sort of sick and twisted sadist, and she wouldn't even realize it until it was too late. Sure, she noticed it now, but most of that was her own twisted humor that had rubbed off on her from other people that she usually kept hidden away for her own personal musings. Grimmjow was just bringing it out in her. He and a few others, anyway.
Grimmjow liked the color red when it was all over his hands. And when it was spattered over the ground. That was the kind of decorating that he enjoyed when it came to the color red. But he just finished off his third mug and put it down. Two more to go. Five wouldn't even make him tipsy. He needed a hell of a lot of that shit to do any kind of damage. The last time he'd been knocked out by alcohol had been a couple days ago with Renji. But Renji had passed out first. It didn't matter if Grimmjow couldn't really remember anything; he just knew that the fucking redhead hadn't beaten him.
"Tell me somethin'," Grimmjow said after a grin toward her red comment. "It might help me understand Ulquiorra a little better. Why the fuck do women cling so fucking much? Do they enjoy playing fucking helpless victims?"
So Ulquiorra was considered the woman of the relationship. Understandable, she guessed. He seemed much more gentle than Grimmjow when she spoke with him. Then again, she hadn't forgotten that he told her they were trying to kill the same target when they met. "I'm not too sure about Ulquiorra," Kairi started, raising an eyebrow a little at him, "and each woman has their own reasons why. For myself, it's like a test. If the guy can handle being clung to and doesn't push me away, then that's how I know I can rely on him and be with him."
She smiled, though; a completely sincere smile. "But Ulquiorra's case might be a little or a lot different. You two are a pretty complicated pair, you know." She leaned forward a little, still smiling. "My advice is to try talking to him. Ask him what's going on his head." Kairi laughed softly then. "I know it sounds like you have to get all cozy and sensitive and caring to do that, but I'm sure you can handle pulling that off for a few minutes. You can handle anything, after all."
Grimmjow made a face by wrinkling his nose and leaning far away from Kairi as she moved in. Talk? Fuck no. They'd already talked once and after that Ulquiorra had found a different way to behave like a woman. Grimmjow didn't want some fucking pussy clinging to his arm. He wanted the tough asshole he couldn't kill. And all he was getting was a woman that was becoming less and less attractive to him. Ulquiorra knew exactly what he wanted and he still failed at behaving the way he should have been.
"Tell you what," Grimmjow said, disgust still on his face. "If he doesn't clean up his act soon, I'm kickin' his ass to the curb. Then I'll go and get me a real woman. One with tits and the whole fucking package. Think that might be nice. I'd get one who wouldn't sit there like a fucking puppy. Need a woman with some attitude. I don't need someone I have to fuckin' babysit all the time."
Kairi shook her head as she leaned back and closed her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "It's your loss. He seems like a nice guy to me. Polite, kind..." She opened her eyes again, giving him a meaningful look. "Concerned."
She sighed again, leaning an elbow against the counter. "That's probably not what he was like when you two met, and I'm sure he knows it. Maybe all he needs is a push in the right direction. Or maybe no push at all." She carefully went over what she was about to say next, just to make sure that it didn't sound like she'd actually talked to Ulquiorra about the subject. "He probably already thinks that you're close to leaving him anyway. And if he does think that, then he's probably just waiting for it."
Kairi paused to fiddle with some of her bracelets before looking back up at Grimmjow. "That's why you need to try talking to him. Maybe he wants to know exactly what you want from him right now. The only way to do that would probably be for you to tell him what you expect." She smiled again. "Some women are willing to change for their partners, and some aren't. Maybe you'll get lucky with Ulquiorra and he'll want to."
Grimmjow couldn't help it--he laughed so hard into his drink that he ended up inhaling it. It sure as hell didn't feel any kind of good and he nearly spilled the entire mug over as he tried to quickly set it down and cover his mouth. It hurt like hell and he knew he'd be feeling it in his nose for a couple hours. He was coughing hard and his eyes were watering so much that it was like he was about to fucking cry. And even through that he was still laughing. Which only increased how much he was coughing. Fuck, he was going to have an aching throat later.
Finally the bartender offered Grimmjow a towel and he covered his coughing with that, but it did little to muffle his laughter. "You think I want nice?" Grimmjow's chest was hurting and he turned away to cough again. "Polite? Concerned?" The more he spoke, the funnier it got. Coughing so hard had irritated his fucking throat and it made him want to cough even more. "Losing that would be a God damned blessin', is what it'd be."
When Grimmjow finally managed to get it under control, he set the towel down and sniffed. "How 'bout you date 'im? I'd approve. Just let me be the one to fucking kill him and we've got a deal."
Kairi looked at Grimmjow like he had five extra eyes. He was laughing about that? Granted, when he started choking on his drink, she wanted to point and laugh in his face and tell him that karma was a bitch, but still. He was laughing?
But what he finally said (minus the part about her dating him--she probably wouldn't mind that, but that wasn't the point and she ignored it for now) explained everything for the most part. "So you want to kill him. That's it? That's the only reason you're even with him, just so you can be the one to kill him?" Kairi scoffed at that, making a mental note to ask Ulquiorra exactly what his reason was for even trying. "I hate to break it to you, but you have some really screwed up ideals."
"Yeah." Grimmjow finally managed to finish laughing and he coughed again just to clear his throat. Christ, that had been funny. The last time he'd had such a good, hard laugh had probably been sometime when he'd been drunk so he couldn't remember it. "Might've had a different reason in the beginning. Thought the way the fucker wouldn't back down was sexy. I liked how strong he was. Real stubborn, too. But the second I showed any interest he turned into a fucking quivering girl. I can't deal with that shit. Right now I'm only interested in killing him again. And if he don't fucking know it then he's a piece of shit retard."
Grimmjow didn't give a damn what people thought of his ideals. You didn't take his fucking prey away from him. Eventually he and Ulquiorra would finally fight to the death and Grimmjow would be the one to win. He couldn't be interested in someone like Ulquiorra if he was secretly a cowardly bastard beneath that emotionless exterior. When Grimmjow had told Ulquiorra to show more emotion, he hadn't meant for him to turn into the biggest fucking waterfall in the world.
Listening to Grimmjow and what he thought made it make a little more sense to her, Kairi supposed. In his point of view, it probably made perfect sense and there was nothing wrong with it. For herself, though, it was just a waste of both male's time. Then again, Grimmjow was a generally violent guy. Ulquiorra, she wasn't so sure about--maybe she'd just gotten the wrong impression of him when they spoke.
Sighing, Kairi closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. Usually when she gave advice, it was for normal relationships. She had to actually dig pretty deep to get something decent for these two. "Do you want me to talk to him?" she asked, looking back at him. It didn't matter to her whether or not he said yes, since she was going to, anyway. The only difference was that if Grimmjow didn't want her to, she'd tell Ulquiorra not to mention anything about what she said to him.
That made Grimmjow snort into his beer, but fortunately this time, there wasn't any inhaling, choking, or coughing involved. Jesus, the girl was funny. Maybe Grimmjow had somehow known it all along and that's why there'd been something about her that he liked. A truly funny girl was as rare as finding a pearl in the ocean. And if she actually thought she was helping it just made it all the funnier.
"No, I don't want you to fuckin' talk to him, you dumbshit," Grimmjow laughed and swallowed down his beer for the next refill. "I've already tried that more than once. Doesn't do much good. And I don't have the patience to try an' guide him through every fucking thing in life. He ain't that special. Only girl who's special enough for me to try hard with is Rukia. Because she's actually worth a fucking thing or two."
"Like I said earlier," she started, rolling her eyes. "Maybe he just needs a little push. And no one said you had to give him that push, either." Honestly, what would it take for him to acknowledge that she was trying her damnedest to make him realize he needed to open his eyes a little?
"Are you sure, though? I wouldn't mind at least attempting to help you two." Kairi almost wanted to do her little pouting trick, but she had a good feeling that it wouldn't work on someone like Grimmjow. "And even if the things I'm saying aren't getting through to you, they might get through to him and he'll get back to his old self. I can't guarantee anything, but I can sure as hell try." ... She was still going to talk to Ulquiorra. She didn't care if it was something that could end horribly for her. She'd be self-sacrificing for them if she really had to. Her reason? Pfft, she didn't need a reason.
"Not fuckin' interested enough to wait for him to come around and be the way he's fucking supposed to be," Grimmjow said plainly with a shrug. "Don't have the patience. He wants a nice guy who's gonna be too damn affection for my tastes. I ain't a nice guy and I won't fucking pretend to be one for some sensitive asshole with all kinds of fucking issues. He needs to go and find himself a pretty girl to fuck if he wants to be treated real gentle. I'm not into that shit."
Grimmjow had been interested in Ulquiorra. He'd been completely fucking taken with him. But then everything had changed and Grimmjow couldn't be bothered to continue to chase someone he had little interest in. Now the only thing he wanted to do to Ulquiorra was gut him like a fucking fish and leave him on Gin's doorstep.
Kairi was quiet for a long moment, thinking of how exactly to say what she wanted to without risking getting her throat ripped out. Now she really did need to talk to Ulquiorra to get a better view of his side of the situation. But when it came to what she wanted to say to Grimmjow, only one word came to mind. "Heartless." It was muttered and she half-hoped he heard it and half-hoped he didn't--then again, he'd probably take it as a compliment.
"You just don't care. Being with someone just so you can guarantee the first chance to kill them... What the hell is wrong with you?" Kairi honestly was about to give up on him, but she kept going, looking at him with a look she probably couldn't even identify if she could see it. It was probably disgust and hurt and maybe even a little hatred. And it wasn't even her Grimmjow was having the problem with. "No, really. Tell me. Did something happen that made you like this or were you just born a sadist? I want to know what the hell happened to that brain of yours, if anything."
It was a compliment, being called heartless. It sure as hell kept him safe and happy. Though the truth was that he wasn't completely heartless. He really wasn't. Somehow, Rukia had come to mean just about everything to him as a little sister would. And anyone who ever dared to lay a finger on her would meet Grimmjow's wrath--not because he wanted to be the one to kill her, but because he truly cared. Il Forte was just beneath her as the best friend he'd known since he had been a young teenager.
Grimmjow gave a slow shrug. "Not everyone can love every tree branch, flower petal, and dust bunny the way you do, Kairi," he replied, his grin still there. But this time he was at least attempting to be sincere. "You seem like a nice person, so you probably aren't gonna understand anythin' about me. And I don't fucking expect ya to. I live my life the way I wanna live it. I make my own fucking rules. I don't take orders from anyone like a fucking dog. I do what I do because it's what keeps me happy and healthy. And if it isn't the same shit that works for you, it don't mean there's much wrong with me. You wanna find someone who's got real problems, go out there and try talkin' to a rapist or a child molester. See what they do to ya and then come ask me the same shit again."
Kairi vaguely picked up on his sincerity, making a note to be shocked and surprised later. Right now, she was still a bit pissed at his attitude about everything. But it was the last thing he said that caught her off guard. "I'm sure in about two weeks, you can expect it," she said bitterly. That was the downside to that dreaded third job. But hey, maybe if she had a boyfriend, she wouldn't be going that far--she could just get away with that exotic dancing instead. But finding someone now that she'd taken the job would probably be hard.
Then again, she hadn't even been doing that much--she still hadn't even had the first client yet. Kairi thought about that for a moment, and she was reminded about when Grimmjow mentioned her dating Ulquiorra. She actually laughed about it now, looking up at him. Time to change the subject a little. "What you said about me dating him, you weren't serious, were you?"
Why the hell was she bringing that up? Whatever. Grimmjow didn't give a shit. "Yeah, I was. I'd sure as hell feel sorry for you, havin' to deal with that dependent, clingy asshole," he remarked. "But it'd get him offa my back and that's the real thing that counts here. But I can't say you ever struck me as a lesbian."
Fourth beer now. One more after this and Kairi wouldn't owe him any more. The idea of Ulquiorra and Kairi dating was probably enough to give him nightmares if it ever happened. Nightmares that he'd wake up laughing from. Jesus fucking Christ that'd be a circus act if he ever saw one.
Kairi laughed and shook her head. "He's got the right parts for a man, right?" She grinned. "As long as those are present and he's got a good personality, I'm all for it." She was teasing, of course. At least, she hoped she was. Yes, it was bad enough that she couldn't tell whether she was joking or not when it came to other guys. That wasn't her fault, though.
"Besides, I can deal with clingy. Clingy isn't that bad when you get used to it, you know," she continued to tease.
Grimmjow practically gagged. "I might have to let you buy me just four beers," he said with a wince. "Don't think I can stomach anything if you keep talkin' like that."
There wasn't anything joking in his demeanor, either. Grimmjow liked things to be rough and mean. Anything fucking mushy was saved for the few times Rukia caught him off-guard. And then he'd stuff her in a closet. Anyone else who tried being completely disgusting needed to get the fuck away from him before he tore them apart.
Kairi held up her hands and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm shutting up now." She turned back towards the counter and put her fist to her cheek to try to hide her grin from him. That actually was a first for her, making someone sick from talking about mushy stuff. She couldn't help but want to laugh, but she had some self control at least.
And she sure fucking better shut the fuck up unless she wanted that fifth beer poured over her head when he got it. Fuck. Grimmjow gulped down the fourth mug of beer and set it heavily down. One more to go. When he got back to his place he'd have some more and watch some cartoons with his dumb cat. That sounded nice.
"Why the hell don't you have a fucking boyfriend? Pretty girl like you should have dozens of guys falling at your feet."
Kairi's face fell when Grimmjow asked her that. Why didn't she have a boyfriend? He was right, after all; she couldn't go anywhere without having at least two guys staring after her. "I don't know. Maybe I'm waiting for someone who doesn't stare at me like I'm a piece of meat. Or at least someone who isn't a womanizing moron." She laughed dryly at that. "I guess I'll be waiting a while, won't I?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Might be waiting forever," Grimmjow said with a grin. "Never heard of a guy that doesn't fit into one of those descriptions. Except for me. But I'm not about to throw myself at your fucking feet, as much as I'm sure you'd love it."
Grimmjow didn't throw himself at anyone's feet. That was for dogs, and he was as proud as a cat. They had no masters; anything and everything they did was because they wanted to do it. Not because they'd been ordered to or because they wanted to please someone.
Kairi couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm not into the submissive types, anyway." Pfft, like she'd actually know that or not. But had a feeling she was one of those girls that would enjoy being treated like royalty every once in a while, but not all the time. It'd probably get old, she figured, and if it got old, then it wasn't any fun.
"I guess I'll have to start hitting for the other team and see if I have any luck there," she said, heaving a dramatic, but obviously fake, sigh afterwards, then grinning.
Grimmjow smirked. "You never fuckin' know. Don't completely close the door on the other team 'til you try it."
He had never closed that door, after all. And it sure as hell made his life a lot more interesting. Being interested in only women or only men was fucking ridiculous. You couldn't do much if you only liked one thing. It was like ordering the same meal for dinner every damn night for the rest of your life. Didn't people ever get bored with fucking practically the same thing all the time?
"I guess you have a point there," Kairi replied, still grinning. "I don't even know if the door's ever actually opened or closed, though."
She probably should do some experimenting. There was a problem with that idea, though: the only other girl she actually knew was the same girl that was practically her sister. Sure, she talked to Rukia once and... she just realized that the ratio of men to women she knew was probably about 4:1. That was pretty sad on her part.
Picking up the fifth and final beer, Grimmjow grinned over at Kairi. "Then go and see if it's open. Bet you'd like a girl more'n a guy anyway."
She seemed too damn sweet to handle a guy. Now Rukia, she could easily handle a man. But Kairi hadn't even been able to get rid of the asshole previously sitting in Grimmjow's seat. How the hell did she think she could take care of a boyfriend? Grimmjow took a drink. The little idiot was going to get herself hurt.
Well damn, she hadn't actually been expecting to be swayed by Grimmjow of all people. Especially on a subject like this. "We'll see," Kairi responded, her grin fading to a small smile.
He was probably right, anyway. A lot of the guys she'd met (excluding Sora, Zack, and Aloy--maybe a few others, like Ukitake, though he was her boss) were pretty much egotistical jerks. Girls, on the other hand, weren't like that, unless they had a tomboy-ish attitude. At least, that's what she knew from her own experiences around other girls. Most of which seemed to have that tomboy attitude.
And if she really would like girls more, she'd definitely love Ulquiorra. Hiding a snicker, Grimmjow buried himself in his last beer, drinking half of it in one go. Whatever Kairi did was up to her. Grimmjow wouldn't ever fucking give himself out like she did, but that was her damn decision, too. No matter how bad it was.
The beer was putting him in a better mood even if he wasn't anywhere near drunk. So he looked at her with a grin. "You ain't so bad for a girl. You're a hell of a lot better company than that dumb bitch Cirucci."
Taking note that Grimmjow was done with his five, Kairi got up from the stool and dug into the back pocket of her skirt and pulled out the money she'd brought with her. She glanced up at him and shook her head with a grin. "That's not really saying much to me, considering I don't know her."
Calling over the bartender, she asked for the amount she owed for both of their drinks, and paid him, slipping the rest of the money into her pocket again. "Either way, I'm not turning down a compliment."
Grimmjow set down his finally empty mug and watched Kairi pay the bartender. He'd feel bad about making her pay if he actually gave a shit. It had been her offer so she'd need to take the blow of the price of their drinks. He stood finally, stretching out his legs and masking a wince at his sore one. Those fucking heels. Grimmjow tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans, smirking down at her.
"Hope you're not gonna stay here alone after I leave. That asshole might come back and try to put some fuckin' moves on ya again," he pointed out a bit smugly. "I won't be here to save the day."
Kairi scoffed as she moved away from the counter. "Are you crazy? I have to get back to my movie night with Rikku anyway."
She grinned to herself a bit before looking back at him. She was going to do this and take off, without even stopping. "Well, it was nice actually meeting you, minus the pain. I'm still sorry about your leg, but it'll be fine, I'm sure." Stepping up on her toes as much as she could, she quickly gave Grimmjow a kiss on the cheek before turning and walking away. Okay, she lied--she only paused for a moment, and that was to look back, wink, flick her hand in a wave and call out, "I'll talk to you later" before leaving him.
Grimmjow blinked. What the hell had possessed her to do that? Was she doing it to be a shit? Probably. She was a girl, after all. They liked trying to push buttons and seeing how much they could get away with. Wasn't enough to piss him off, anyway. Rukia would have probably slapped him over the head as her way of departing and that was just fine, too.
After waiting for Kairi to be gone, he left the bar, too. Despite her being a dumbshit regarding Ulquiorra, it hadn't been a waste of an evening. Grimmjow hated most people but it wasn't too much of a pain in the ass to meet new ones. Especially when they bought him beer. One of the fastest ways to his heart was some good fucking beer.