Love At First Word

Chapter 4

Hey, um, faustina_08 , merrs666 , thanks.
You too, Lionfaith.
___________________

~ Grimmjow ~

"Jesus Christ!" Nnoitra growled, the rest of us moaning and groaning in agreement.

We really did run until we all dropped. All of us were spread across the track, breathing heavy.
A few girls had gone to sleep.
Coach Zaraki, though, was grinning proudly as he ran next to a barely-sweating Ichigo.

"C'mon Kurosaki! Get moving!" I didn't see how Ichigo did it. He had to be a monster to keep up with Coach Zaraki, and a scary one to challenge Zaraki with an equally-wild grin.

And Ichigo went faster. He ripped his headphones out and flung his phone to Coach, who caught it effortlessly, and he powered on, running hard around the track.

He almost crossed the starting line for the hundred and second time..but someone moved and he tripped. Kenpachi panicked, shocking anyone still conscious, and grabbed the red-head by the back of the shirt, yanking him backwards - hard.

~ Ichigo ~

I landed on my bum with a pained grunt, Kenpachi falling beside me.

"Ya ain't hurt are ya? Kisuke'll murder me if ya are." he grumbled, to which I sneered at him.

"I ain't hurt, but why didn'tchya tell me she moved?" I asked.

"I didn't see it! And don't let Kisuke catch ya usin' that kinda grammar. He'll kill us both."

I let my eyes water and I looked at him like a small child.
"Y-you don't think hell really k-k-kill me, d-do you?" I whimpered, to which he shoved my face away with his large hand.

"Ah, shut it, ya ass." He got up, pulling me with him.

"Alright, Cupcakes! Hit the showers! Thirty minutes till the bell!" Kenpachi shouted, everyone groaning in protest.

I walked back to my new friends and held out both hands. Nnoitra and Grimmjow took one, Starrk and Ulquiorra took the other, and I pulled them up.

"How d'ya do it?" Grimmjow asked me incredulously.

"I've been Kenpachi's student since I was five. I quickly learned endurance." I laughed.

"You aren't even sweating." Ulquiorra grumbled, and Starrk's lips quirked up at that.

"C'mon. You guys should get cleaned up. Girls don't want to smell your funk." I told them playfully before I went back to stand by Kenpachi.
"So you're gonna be home tonight right?" I smiled when he told me yes.

"Go to lunch with your new friends. I'm proud a'ya for takin' your own steps. I know it's been hard for ya kid, but me and Kisuke and Yachi, we'll gettchya back up and runnin'.

"Thanks, Kenny." I smiled before I let my face drop to a deadpan expression.
"But ya seriously gotta stop that carein' shit. That's for Yachi. Not me. I ain't some preschool girl, and I ain't in need'a babyin'." I told him. He scowled at me, whacking my head slightly.

"Ya stop with that horrid grammar, ya got that? Kisuke'll have my balls for that." I cackled, waiting patiently for my friends to come back.

~~~~

Lunch was rowdy. Everyone was playful, girls giggled and boys rough-housed while Kisuke supervised lazily.

Am arm was slung over my shoulder and Grimmjow pulled me along with him to sit me beside him at his table.
Starrk, Nnoitra, and Ulquiorra sat there as well, but there were four people I didn't recognize.
One had bubblegum-pink hair, thick white-rimmed glasses, and almost golden eyes.
The next two were girls.
I blushed hard, covering my mouth at the fact that they were making out. In the middle of the cafeteria.
One was blonde with deeply tanned skin and the other, who was straddling the blonde, had sea-green hair.
The last person was a blonde male, his head down on the table.

"Don't mind the two'a them." Nnoitra whispered from my other side. He rubbed the sleeping male's back, causing him to wearily open his eyes.

"Nnoi!" He smiled and leaned up, kissing him on the cheek. I laughed quietly behind my hand before I turned to Grimmjow.

"So, uh.."

He looked up at me with a handful of fries hanging from his mouth.

"Mm! Mmhmm!" He grunted, chewing and swallowing quickly. He coughed a bit and I smiled, patting his back.
"Ahem, sorry. That's Szayel. He'll realize you're here at some point. Those two are Nel and Hal. They, on the other hand, might not ever notice you. And that's-"

"I'm Shinji Hirako! It's nice to meet you!" Shinji smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Nnoi, switch seats."

"Why-"

"Nnoi, please?"

I giggled behind my hand as Nnoitra, seemingly the big, bad wolf of the gang, gave into someone about the same height and body build as me - which is smaller than him by a lot.

"Are you two dating?" I asked, smacking my hand back over my mouth in embarrassment. I was okay with homosexuality because I had been brought up like that, as well as the fact that I was pansexual myself.

"Yeah, we are. Nnoi has a weakness for adorable blondes that like to dominate their tops." Shinji grinned suggestively at me, to which I blushed again.

"C'mon, Blondie. Leave the newbie alone." Grimmjow mumbled.
"Anyways, what d'you have next period?"

"Pre Ap Trig." I told him, spooning pudding into my mouth. "I have Chemistry last."

"Oh. Well, I can't help you there then. Chem then trig for me, but Szayel has Trig then Chem. We'll make sure to properly introduce you so that he can stick with you, huh?" I smiled gratefully at the blue-haired male.

"Thanks Grimmjow."