Chapter Text
Bright blue eyes framed by teal markings, against blinding white.
That was the last thing Ichigo saw before darkness took over, and he woke to the ceiling of his father’s clinic.
Ichigo stared and blinked at the grey wall before he sat up promptly, hissing when a sharp pain shot through his head and left him dizzy and slightly nauseous. Spotting a glass of water on the side table by the bed, Ichigo took a minute before he reached out for it.
“You’re awake? Good!” Isshin said, sounding relieved as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. “Just dizziness and fatigue? Good, good. Nothing serious then, you just need to eat. Yuzu will come by soon with breakfast. You had a good night’s sleep on the street for a while, Ichigo.”
Ichigo set down the glass after emptying within a few gulps and looked to his father in confusion. “What even happened? I don’t really remember…” Ichigo asked, voice trailing off when he remembered those eyes again. And before that, he was just walking home from visiting the convenience store.
“Well, we were hoping you could tell us. Your friend Sado called me to say he’d found you unconscious not far from here. He’s the one who carried you back. You’ve no visible injuries, but it’s more likely you were low on sugar. Did you skip your meals, son?” Isshin asked as he sat down, concern on his usually smiling features. “I know your final exam is coming up, so the stress has been up, but still, I thought Yuzu had nagged you enough on eating what she’s cooked.”
Ichigo blinked at his father, not sure what to say. He was sure that even if he were to tell him what he saw, it’d be shrugged off as stress. And maybe it was stress. It was the the exam before graduation and Ichigo really wanted to do well. He hadn’t skipped any meals but he did cut back on the sleep so perhaps, he was seeing things. He shook his head and shrugged. “Yeah… I guess I just need to eat and sleep more. Thanks, Dad. I’ll call up Sado too.”
And Ichigo did just that. He felt well enough after lunch; Yuzu’s chicken soup had done wonders for him and a kick of love to his shin from Karin left him in a better mood. Ichigo called up Sado and thanked him, and without much effort it was easy to forget what he saw when he wasn’t sure whether it was real or not.
Days went by and soon enough a week passed. Ichigo completed his exams with some ease, unconsciously pushing himself to not think of what happened and focused all his energy on studying and taking care of himself. He wanted to follow his dad’s footsteps and become a doctor or at least a paramedic or something, so aiming for a good college was a good start.
Ichigo had all but forgotten about a set of eyes of a particular shade until he was walking home from yet another night trip to the convenience store, and it was at the same spot, the road by the park connected to a small forest and a lake.
He knew obviously there were wild animals in there, but mainly small animals, like squirrels and rabbits. But the sound that made him stop in his tracks did not sound like any small creature. He’d remembered the eyes again, the image of them once again sharp in his mind, taking his breath away. Those eyes wouldn’t belong to any small animal either. They were too sharp, dangerous to belong anything smaller than a large predator.
There was only darkness in the trees, and Ichigo took a step back when he heard the sound again. He wasn’t even sure what the hell the sound was, like a mix of rustling and dragging through grass and also what sounded like a low growl. Ichigo felt a mix of fear and exhilaration as the sound got louder, indicating whatever was coming was getting closer. Ichigo counted on the road barrier and the distance of the road between it and the sidewalk to buy him time to run from whatever was coming.
Suddenly the sounds stopped.
Ichigo realized he’d been holding his breath and exhaled loudly. He felt his heart hammering in his chest, but he didn’t look away from the darkness in the trees across the road. He took a few side steps to the direction of his home, slowly.
A sudden flash of white appeared and what sounded like a guttural roar shook Ichigo to his very bones, and with a yelp and a jump Ichigo ran off like a bat out of hell. It took him numerous steps before he realized he’d let go of his bag of night snacks and chanced a glance behind him. What he saw crouched over his abandoned bag made him run faster.
It was a fucking panther.
A panther!
Why the fuck was a panther in the middle of Karakura town?! And it wasn’t even a normal panther, its fur all white with black tipped ears, tail and feet. What Ichigo really saw was the set of very sharp teeth, dripping with saliva and Ichigo would rather not have those dripping blood, his blood in particular so Ichigo turned back to face the front and run with all his might, no matter what he’d learn about running away from predators taking that action as baiting.
Ichigo’s mind was blank until he reached home, almost stumbling with his house key and slammed the door shut the moment he got in, breathing loud and heavily and coughing as he tried to catch his breath.
His adrenaline was wearing off and he felt dizzy again.
Karin was the only one up and saw him pale faced and sweating and just spooked, and she asked him worriedly what was wrong. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said, but there was no humour or mocking in her voice.
“Noth.. nothing,” Ichigo panted, trying not to look out of his mind and terrified and in turn, not scare his younger sister. “I was just.. I just got spooked by some kids making weird sounds.. I think it was a prank,” he added, trying to laugh but it came out weak.
Karin, bless her soul, totally saw through him but didn’t push. “Alright.. just, maybe eat some chocolate and take a quick shower? I think that’ll make you feel better,” Karin suggested, concern still in her face, staying with him for a moment before she decided to go back to her room.
Ichigo took her advice and the chocolate did help, and so did the shower. Ichigo’s thoughts were muddled as he changed and trudged back into bed, slumping over it. His mind was reeling from earlier and again he found himself wondering if he was hallucinating.
It couldn’t be, could it? He’d eaten well, he’d slept well, and his exams were over, and it was the holidays, and he was stress free. Did he bump his head some time ago and not realize it? Or could it be there really was a panther? Some sort of albino one at that? Could it even be some sort of spirit guardian of a nearby shrine? When he was little, old ladies liked to scare the children with these stories, but they'd stuck with him even till now.
Ichigo’s head was flooding with all sorts of possibilities and soon he found himself falling asleep. The last thought he remembered was the same set of eyes he’d first seen on the panther, and accompanying that was his honest thought of how beautiful they were.
Ichigo continued the next day in a bit of a daze, still thinking about the night before. It had Yuzu almost in tears, worried for her brother and Karin had to slap his senses back into him literally before Ichigo got out of his funk. Isshin just gave him a hard knock on the head and a strange tonic drink he was sure he got from that weird shopkeeper friend down the street.
Grateful for his strange yet endearing family’s support, Ichigo had pushed away thoughts of a wild animal run loose in the night. Ichigo even decided to go out for a bit, calling up Renji and Sado for dinner at their usual yakisoba shop.
“You feeling well, Ichigo?” Sado asked while they were enjoying their meal.
“Oh yeah, I heard from Sado you fainted on the street the week before exams. Were you that stressed out?” Renji asked, almost forgetting to swallow his food before speaking.
“Ah.. that, ah I was just stressed, yeah,” Ichigo mumbled, always the terrible liar. Sado gave him a frown that told him he didn’t buy Ichigo’s bullshit, but Renji was more than happy to just leave it be, wolfing down his yakisoba.
Neither of them pursued the topic, other than Sado giving him a look once in a while. They chatted about what they were gonna do for the holidays, other than worrying about their results. Renji was excitedly talking about planning a beach trip with Shuuhei and Izuru, and intended to invite the girls along. Ichigo considered joining them too, while Sado mentioned being busy with a part time job.
They walked out of the shop still engrossed in their discussion. Ichigo was facing Renji who was behind him, bumping right into someone as he exited out of the shop. He let out a sound of surprise, more surprised by how the other person felt more like a brick wall than a human.
Ichigo didn’t know what noise he made when he turned to look who he’d bumped into. He figured it was either a whimper of fear or a whimper of arousal. Ichigo wasn’t so sure of himself the moment he’d laid his eyes on the other person.
Who is a man.
An almost impossibly attractive man, with unruly bright blue hair and equally bright blue eyes that Ichigo couldn’t look away from. Even the unfriendly scowl wasn’t enough to deter Ichigo, and in fact it suited his sharp features magnificently. He was tall, taller than Ichigo by half a head or so, with what seemed like a built physique under a fitted t-shirt and a furred hood jacket. The glint of the silver necklace around his neck added an edge of danger to the man, whose features already screamed that.
Ichigo only realized he was frozen and gawking when Renji nudged him from the back.
“Uh, sorry. ‘scuse me,” Ichigo muttered, remembering his manners as he got out of the way of the entrance and finally stepping out of the shop. The man stopped Ichigo though, grabbing Ichigo by the collar and jerking him back.
That was rude. And Ichigo may consider himself an idiot and socially awkward and overall a goofball at times, but he wasn’t a pushover. He pulled away from the grip and smacked the man’s arm away.
“What the hell - “ Ichigo began, about to yell at the man but was interrupted by a plastic bag shoved right in his face.
Ichigo stared at it in confusion before he recognized the bag and its contents. It was his bag of night snacks from last night. He gaped at it before the man smacked the bag into his gut, leaving Ichigo no choice but to hold on to it, only to gape at the man, unable to ask the questions stuck in his throat.
The blue haired man just scoffed at him before promptly disappearing into the shop.
“Hey, Ichigo? You alright, man?” Renji asked, shaking Ichigo lightly by the shoulder. “Did you know that guy?”
“Ichigo?” Sado called, when Ichigo didn’t answer.
“His eyes,” was all Ichigo could say. They looked exactly like the panther’s.
The next couple of days, Ichigo was once again lost in thought, and even his family couldn’t really get him out of it. Yuzu was already crying and Karin had slapped him hard enough to leave a near permanent bruise on his face but Ichigo didn’t budge and even the foul tasting tonic Isshin gave him no longer affected him.
Sado and Renji were worried for their friend too, but neither knew what to do. They tried asking the girls for help.
Rukia and Orihime visited Ichigo’s home soon enough, and by default they’d dragged and unwilling Uryuu along as well. Yuzu tearfully explained the situation once she’d served the guests homemade snacks and drinks, while Ichigo just sat at the couch, still seemingly dazed or so deep in thought he wasn’t aware of his surroundings.
Karin added to Yuzu’s story, reluctantly retelling what had happened a couple days before, when Ichigo first came home looking spooked and had gone into the same daze the following day. No one knew what happened, and Ichigo didn’t tell anyone what he saw.
Rukia had heard enough, and when Ichigo didn’t make any indication that he was aware of her either, she delivered her infamous flying kick to his head that would have made Isshin proud.
“Ow! What the hell was that for?!” Ichigo yelled, rubbing his sore head.
“Big brother!” Yuzu cried in relief, the same time Karin let out an exhale.
“Welcome back to the living, idiot!” Rukia scolded, hands on her hips, while Orihime tried to calm the situation down and Uryuu trying not to be noticed. Ichigo did notice though, out of his daze and his eyes clearer than it had been in a few days.
“What are you guys doing here? Inoue… even Ishida’s here? Did something happen?” Ichigo asked, confused and a little concerned. Rukia gave him another roundhouse kick to the face.
“You idiot!! Do you know how worried everyone’s been for you?! You’ve been in some kind of stupor for a couple of days and all you can say is that!” Rukia was yelling again. Inoue tugged on Rukia’s hand, diffusing the tension momentarily.
“Sado told us you fainted a few days before the exams, and then Karin told us you saw something that scared you not so long ago. Did something happen, Ichigo?” Orihime asked in her usual shy and gentle manner.
“I… nothing, I told you it was some pranks,” Ichigo replied weakly, frowning at Karin who just shrugged at him.
“Abarai told me the day you went out with him and Sado, you bumped into someone you seemed to know,” Ishida cut in, pushing his glasses up his nose. “It appeared to him that the man was the cause of this.. whatever it is that you’re suffering. Love sickness?” Ishida asked dryly, though he looked like he had a tough time covering up his amused smirk.
“It’s not!” Ichigo said defensively, and then he remembered the same intense eyes again and quietened. Everyone noticed that. “It was.. I just thought I knew him. From somewhere.”
Everyone’s focus was suddenly on him, with impatience and others with worry. Ichigo sighed at the attention he was getting and stood up.
“Look, I’m sorry for worrying everyone, but I’ll figure it out, alright? I’ll.. I’ll go take a walk. Cool off and think it out Don’t worry about me, don’t follow me. If I take too long, then you guys can look for me at the park. I should be hanging around there or something,” Ichigo said quickly, grabbing his keys before anyone could say anything. “Just. Leave me to myself for a bit.”
Ichigo tried not to slam the door shut after him. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets and walked to the roadside where he’d seen the… panther. It was still daylight, and not till a number of hours before nightfall, so Ichigo felt safe to do so.
He was still trying to wrap his head around what he’d seen. And then there was that man. Blue eyes and blue hair. And a gait and aura that was equal parts majestic and dangerous. His rude demeanour had put him off, but there was also the fact that the man had given him the bag of snacks he’d left to the panther as he ran away that night.
Who was he anyway? Did he find Ichigo’s snacks in the middle of the street? But how would he know they belonged to him? Did he see what happened as Ichigo ran off? Did he see the panther? And an even crazier thought - was the man the panther itself?
Ichigo laughed at himself and noticed he was at his destination. He stared at the same spot where the panther had jumped out, standing there as people walked by and vehicles driving past. In the day, the place seemed harmless. Just lots of trees, and if he were to squint, he’d be able to catch a glimpse of the lake at the end.
He’d almost jumped out of his skin when someone’s hand landed on his shoulder suddenly. Ichigo turned around and came face to face with the same person who’s been plaguing his thoughts. The grip on Ichigo’s shoulder tightened, not enough to be painful, but enough to keep Ichigo from bolting, though Ichigo had no such thought to do so. He was going to face this head on, no more running away. He wanted answers, and the man before him wasn’t a dangerous animal.
Or at least, he didn’t think so.
“What do you want,” Ichigo asked flatly, putting on his own scowl. The other man regarded him, looking quite impressed with what he saw. His blue eyes never left Ichigo’s brown. He wondered if they were getting stares from passer bys, but nobody seemed to care.
“Did you see?” the blue haired man said, the first words Ichigo ever heard him speak. His voice matched his looks, not too deep but a touch raspy at its edge. Ichigo could imagine his growl.
“See?” Ichigo replied, trying to keep his voice neutral to get gauge on the other man.
The guy raised a brow. “That night,” he said simply.
Ichigo’s eyes widened. “So you’re…?”
“I saw the panther, yeah,” the man said, after a minute pause. Ichigo tried to figure out if he was lying, but was unsuccessful. Instead, Ichigo felt his face fall, as if expecting him to admit something else, but quickly recovered, though not fast enough for the other to not notice. His smirk became a grin that appeared predatory and Ichigo thought it cemented his suspicions about the other man’s real identity, no matter how crazy it was.
“Why, you thought I’m the panther?” the man asked. He laughed, and it sound wicked, almost deranged, and basically everything the man did made Ichigo think of a goddamn panther. But Ichigo kept mum and just scowled, not appreciating the way the man was making fun of him.
“Lighten up, red. I saw the panther and you running off. It probably escaped from the zoo or some mountains some where. You looked really spooked though, didn’t think you’d come walking this way again,” the other man continued talking. Ichigo realized he’d finally let go of his shoulder.
“Whatever. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t run away seeing a panther coming at you,” Ichigo grumbled, playing along. The man shrugged.
“Nobody ever told you not to run from predators?”
Ichigo huffed, “Seems like I was fortunate enough that it didn’t give chase.”
Their strange conversation stopped there, and the two of them just gazed at each other, still sizing the other up. Eventually the other man broke the silence, turning to walk away.
“Just stay away from this area,” he said as he walked off. “Wouldn’t want your family to worry finding you unconscious again.”
“Wait, how’d you... “ Ichigo’s eyes widened. Was this guy even trying to confuse him or convince him? Ichigo’s wild thought of the man being some shapeshifter into a white panther was still too far fetched to be believable but with the things he said it was hard to dismiss it too.
Ichigo walked back home feeling even more confused and frustrated.
Ichigo pretty much sulked and pouted and locked himself in his room for the rest of the night and the next day. He apologized to Yuzu profusely as she brought him his lunch and told his family he was trying to sort things out.
In a way, he was. Ichigo was trying to figure out what to do with the knowledge of the blue haired man’s possible identity. It was still crazy, and maybe he was kinda hopeful for something wacky in his life to focus on. There were two simple options that he’d thought of. Obviously, he could ignore it and move on with his life, never leaving his house at night to buy snacks. Or, he could be an idiot and possibly get himself killed by a wild animal just to sate his curiosity.
And boy, the latter option was really tempting.
What about the man though? Pfft, obviously there were no such things as shapeshifters, even if the idea is completely rad and would be cool. Ichigo could just theorize and hope, alright? Or he could have been some very knowledgeable guy who just happened to see him running from a panther. And him knowing about Ichigo fainting? Maybe he was actually a neighbour, and frequented the same area to probably but night snacks too. Or it was both - a mix of unbelievable and plausible, and that he was actually the master of the panther?
Ichigo snorted and shoved his face in his pillows, trying not to break down in tears or laughter. He felt hysterical, almost wild in the way his thoughts were rushing in his head. He was obsessed with the panther now, and all the while he thought he was hallucinating and then some blue-haired guy showed up and cemented the existence of it, and hinting things that Ichigo didn’t know what to think.
After some deliberation Ichigo dragged himself out of his room to join his family for dinner and planned his actions for that night.
He thanked his family for the food once he was done with dinner and waited for midnight, when the rest of them went to sleep.
Ichigo slipped on his hoodie, wrote a quick note with important points about a panther and the route he was going, and shot a text to Sado about where he would be for the night, just in case. Sado wouldn’t ask questions because he was a bro like that, but this time since Ichigo had been acting weird, he’d texted back a short ‘why’ and Ichigo replied that he’ll explain later.
Okay, he was gonna do this. With the notes and the text and his most comfortable hoodie and sneakers on, Ichigo felt secure. Sort of. He didn’t have any weapons or tools on him other than his cell phone, and he wouldn’t bring a knife because that would be stupid and dangerous, wild animal or no. Besides, Japan doesn’t look too kindly on possession of weapons either.
He took a deep breath and walked his way to the same spot. No, maybe he’ll try his luck at the park there and wait. Maybe the panther would like some company and join him at the bench, he thought humorlessly.
Once Ichigo reached the spot where he’d been nearly jumped by the panther, he stood there and stared into the darkness in the trees, trying to catch sight of a familiar shade of blue and startling white. After waiting for ten minutes and no sign of anything, Ichigo continued his way to the park, not far from there.
Maybe he was too late, and the panther wasn’t around anymore at this time of night. Or it just wasn’t around anymore in general. Perhaps moved on to another forest, or went back to wherever it came from. Ichigo was secretly hoping he’d see the blue haired man, and then perhaps he’ll get proper answers.
Ichigo waited there for another ten minutes before getting restless, pacing about as he listened for any noise, any growls or any more colour in the shadows of the moonlight. But there was nothing.
Patience was virtue, right? So Ichigo endured another fifteen minutes, mostly out of nothing else to do, and still hoping for just… something. Anything.
Eventually, thirty minutes went by and Ichigo gave up. Dusting himself off, Ichigo was just about to head home when a figure appeared by the trees, and lo and behold, it was the blue haired man.
“Y-you…!” was the only thing Ichigo could say, still flabbergasted. The other man didn’t look as pristine as he was before though. He looked rather tired instead, his clothes rumpled and his blue hair messier. But his eyes remained as bright and as intense. Ichigo still couldn’t look away.
“You’re either really curious or really stupid,” the guy said with an expression Ichigo wasn’t sure what to make of. He always looked too pissed off or smug to reveal any other emotion, but Ichigo guessed he was grudgingly amused.
“What… I mean, who are you?” Ichigo asked, finally managing to arrange his thoughts.
“I’m a werepanther,” the blue haired man stated with a shrug, as if it was the most normal thing to say. Ichigo gaped like a fish out of water.
“You.. so you really are- You..” Ichigo’s temper was rising. He closed the distance between them and the next thing he knew, he’d punch the freaking werepanther in the face. The other looked just as surprised, clearly not expecting it either.
“What the hell, man?! The first time, you.. knocked me out?! And the next time you freakin’ jumped me, and then the next day you return me my snacks, and then when I came back in the day you talked to me with - I don’t even know whether you were threatening me or what!” Ichigo yelled, though he quickly quietened into an angry whisper when he remembered what time it was.
The werepanther or whatever he was, rubbed the spot on his face where he’d been punched, but didn’t look that affected. There wasn’t even a mark on him, while Ichigo’s knuckles were burning. He tried not to look like it was hurting him instead.
“You were about to scream, I had to keep you quiet,” was the reply. “And the other time, you just ran. You didn’t make a sound, so I let you off. And I wanted to see how’d you react if I returned your stuff. You were easy to track, you have a distinct smell.” Ichigo scowled, taking that comment more of an insult coming from the man.
“Fine, whatever,” Ichigo said, rubbing his face and just feeling exhausted. He lowered his hands and their gazes met again. “So, you’re a werepanther and… I guess this is your territory.” A nod. “Have you always been here or…?” A shrug, and at that, Ichigo frowned. The man didn’t seem to want to answer. His brows had furrowed more and Ichigo could tell it was a topic he wouldn’t want to push.
“Are you.. hunting for food or something? Have you been hunting people..?!” though if there were news of missing people or animal attacks, Ichigo would know by now. The other man’s expressive brows seemed to convey the same thing to Ichigo. Ichigo rolled his eyes at the man’s sass. “Has no one else seen you?”
A pause, and then a short reply. “You’re the only stubborn one who keeps walking around here in the middle of the night even after all the hints.”
“You mean the growling and the rustling?” Ichigo had been hearing those strange sounds for a while now, but always thought it was just the sounds of nature. Okay, maybe he is kinda dense. “Right. Fine, I guess normal people would be too freaked out to come back here listening to the weird sounds you make.”
“And you’re not normal?”
“Depends on your definition, and this is such a cheesey thing to say,” Ichigo sighed. He was still trying to process what was happening. “Can you.. show me your transformation?”
At that, though, the werepanther’s expression turned angry, almost vicious as he put on an animalistic visage with his lips curled back, baring his teeth in a snarl. Ichigo felt the ice cold fear shooting down the back of his spine. He’d only just realized he really shouldn’t be fucking around like this. Humans are already dangerous, and he was part animal to boot, that should really have rung alarm bells.
Ichigo took a step back, and that seemed to bring the blue haired man back to his senses. He schooled his features, though a look of regret seemed to linger there. The man shook his head and turned away to disappear into the trees without a word, leaving Ichigo by himself.
“W-wait!” Ichigo called before he could stop himself. Unsurprisingly, the man didn’t answer.
Ichigo kept up his nightly visits to the park. He didn’t have anything else to do, really, other than his part time job in the day. Unfortunately the panther seemed to be avoiding him, and though that discouraged Ichigo, he still found himself looking forward to leaving the house in the middle of the night, sitting at his usual spot at the park and make a game of ‘spot the elusive werepanther’.
If the shapeshifter really didn’t want him around, he’d have chased Ichigo off, threaten him with bodily harm or something, anything. Instead the creature left him be, and Ichigo wondered what he was doing out here in the trees. Sometimes Ichigo could hear the faint sounds of splashing, and imagined that the panther took a dip in the lake. Wild cats seem to love water more than the average house cat, so it was possible. Ichigo just wished he could see it.
A few days of the routine became a week, and then two, and despite no contact with the shapeshifter in either beast or human form, Ichigo continued to visit. Sometimes he brought a book with him (some of the park lamps were left on, the lights slightly dimmed but still bright enough to read in), most of the time his radio set at a low volume, and occasionally a snack or two, usually rice balls, Yuzu made. When he could, he’d leave one behind, and Ichigo would find it missing the next day.
By the third week, Ichigo had finished reading two books and was starting a new one.
“Don’t you have a life?” the werepanther asked as he appeared from behind Ichigo. Ichigo was strangely proud that he didn’t startle this time.
“Shut up,” Ichigo grumbled, though he spoke without heat. The man looked better now. Not as messy and tired as Ichigo had last saw him. He stood by Ichigo, seemingly debating on whether to join him on the bench before he relented and sat down.
“Did you make the snacks?”
“My younger sister did. They’re delicious, yeah?” Ichigo said with a proud grin.
“Makes me wonder why you’d go out for night snacks.”
Ichigo shrugged. “I’m allowed to enjoy potato chips once in a while.” The man huffed, the sound close to a laugh.
Silence followed but it wasn’t awkward. “I’m Ichigo, by the way. We’re really late on the introductions.”
“Never really bothered with names,” came the reply. Rude, Ichigo thought when the man didn’t respond with his own name but said nothing. “I knew your name. The guy who carried you home kept calling you Ichigo.”
“Oh.” He was referring to Sado then. Ichigo wondered if his friend saw anything that night. He'd forgotten to ask.
“I didn’t mean to knock you out,” he continued, sounding quieter. “It was a… reflex. No one was supposed to see, to know.” Ichigo considered the explanation. He didn’t appreciate being knocked out, but considering that this was a pretty big secret and it seemed like Ichigo was the first to be in on it, he figured the man had panicked, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
“It’s fine,” Ichigo sighed. “At least I wasn’t hurt. Just knocked unconscious. The most I felt was a little dizzy and sick, but nothing permanent. Other than thinking I was going mad.” Ichigo chuckled despite himself. It felt so long ago now, when it really wasn’t.
“Of course. No such things as werewolves and all those storybook fantasy stuff,” the man added with a snort.
“I know, it’s crazy. When you appeared, for whatever reason I thought you were the panther. You gave off the vibe,” Ichigo said, unable to hold back a shy smile. “It was too far fetched, but life’s boring and all, so I’d hoped that the crazy theory was true. And it turned out, yeah. You really are some.. werecreature thing. And it’s been… interesting. An emotional rollercoaster at first because hey, I saw something but there was no evidence of it, and it kinda attacked me. And then infuriating, because you came up to me and messed with my head. And then now, frankly, kinda boring, since all I do is try to even find you in the shadows and all.”
Ichigo took a moment to catch his breath, not noticing he’d spoken so many words. He exhaled and let slip a smile on his features, trying to appear friendly. “But… it’s still interesting.”
Ichigo watched the man as he huffed with a shake of his head, “Humans.”
“That’s me. One in a few millions. Is that how the saying goes?” Ichigo replied, suddenly feeling like he was rambling compared to the werepanther’s short answer. They lapsed into another silence.
“The name’s Grimmjow,” the man said, meeting Ichigo’s eyes for the first time that night. He still had his usual scowl, but that was the man’s default expression, so Ichigo didn’t take it to heart. For all he knew, it could be the man’s happy face.
“Grimm… jow,” Ichigo repeated. “Wow, very apt.”
Ichigo didn’t expect the genuine smile that came after his comment. “Could say the same for you.”
“Oh god, I thought you were above that,” Ichigo groaned, facepalming.
“Couldn’t help it,” Grimmjow said with a laugh. It sounded less threatening now, almost soft, even.
“Ugh, for that, I’m leaving you for the night. Go reflect on your bad sense of humor,” Ichigo grumbled though he was smirking. He’d already stood up, walking out of the park to head home.
“Hey Ichigo,” he’d heard Grimmjow call, but Ichigo wanted to wave him off. “Don’t come back.” That made Ichigo promptly stop in his tracks and turn back, opening his mouth to demand answers, but Grimmjow was already gone.