#Kyoraku x Grimm

[wulvercazz]

🐆Zookeeper AU🐆

Reposting this AU in full, writing and all💕 This one was first posted back in January of 2021 😵‍💫✨ Hope u enjoy~!

❗️CW- slight Terato, Grimm has a ✨uterus✨, Monsters treated like animals

Inspo for this- Olmec Mythology (Were-Jaguar myth), Lionesses that grow manes, and lots of feral-themed songs~💕

Ichigo is a keeper at a cryptozoo (basically a zoo for mythical creatures or beasts from legends) Their most recent addition is Grimmjow, a male were-jaguar gifted to their reserve by México; very aggressive, and wary of people. And Ichigo is his designated main caretaker.

Were-jaguars were described in stories as impossible creatures, with jaguar features and human bodies; the species as it’s known today is very similar in temperament to a common jaguar, but far more intelligent and aggressive to humans. Males and females are pretty similar in build, but the males have manes that make them easier to identify.

Ichigo really likes the were-jaguar; he can’t get too close when feeding him, but while Grimm is eating, he gets to watch from outside his enclosure. Then he can truly admire its beauty. It’s a shame that creatures like him become myths for their fear of humans, lose their habitats and source of food because of them.

They have an arrangement with another cryptozoo a few states away. they’ll get their were-jaguars together to hopefully start breeding. All in hopes to increase their species numbers from their dangerously low count, captive bred were-jaguars aren’t very common either.

So Ichigo is tasked with socializing Grimmjow; he is extra careful, extra patient. Grimm is shy, Ichigo finds; always running away the second he sets foot inside the enclosure. But the  aggression doesn’t stop, were he to come too close; specially when food is involved.

Slowly, every day, and being careful to use exactly the same vest every time he comes into the enclosure (lest he lose the familiar scent), Ichigo stays a little longer. Calm, unthreatening. Eventually, Grimmjow comes out of his shell; gets a little closer, glares a little less and is comfortable enough to even close his eyes a bit and enjoy the sun in his presence. Ichigo is delighted about his progress.

Until one day Grimmjow jumps him.

For a few seconds, Ichigo thinks that’s it; he read it all wrong and now this creature was going to rip him apart. Except Grimm instead starts grooming him. Opening his lethal jaws and, with menacing fangs closer to his eyes than Ichigo is comfortable with, gently biting his face, then rubbing his cheek all over it. Ichigo is freaking out, okay? So maybe Grimmjow likes him now, great, but those teeth are still on his face.

The other keepers find it hilarious though; their faces going red and purple from holding their laughter for too long. 

“... help ...” Ichigo mouths at them as Grimmjow continues to purr and croon away. 

Eventually, they do help him out, all while giggling like idiots— right until their laughter annoys Grimmjow enough for him to hiss and scare them off. After that, it becomes their new normal. Ichigo has to stay a couple minutes every time he comes in, while the were-jaguar rubs his face on him and tangles his hair with his sand-paper tongue.

They even test it out once, someone else tries getting near the enclosure: it’s back to aggressive, scary jaguar; and Ichigo is very proud to be the one to have befriended the creature.  They schedule the meeting with the other zoo’s were-jaguar.

When the day comes, and Grimmjow meets the other creature, Ichigo fights the need to bite his nails. He really hopes Grimm will be nice to her. They sniff at each other, they seem a bit wary, but otherwise not aggressive. It takes them a while to settle down, and Grimmjow even appears to be interested. It seems to be going well, even! The female lays, submissive, as Grimmjow gets up from his spot and on top of her, even bites her neck a little in a show off dominance—  but then nothing.

Grimmjow walks far away, apparently done with whatever he wanted to do, and lays in a corner. Any more attempts after that to make them interact are met with more disinterest from both parts. It’s a pity. They’ll find another female, maybe.

Ichigo continues his work as usual, and Grimmjow still meets him with the same animosity, the same kitten-like playfulness. It’s all fun and games until Grimm starts grunting one day, as soon as he comes in; rolling around like a house-cat and eventually presenting his ass, tail up and huffing and grunting like he was desperate for Ichigo to get the hint. OH, DID HE SUDDENLY GET IT.

Grimmjow was... not a male. Somehow had a mane and all— but not. a. MALE. And he’d somehow decided that Ichigo was an appropriate mate. How did no one realize? How did the vets not realize? Ichigo practically runs out of there, and into the offices to get (more like demand) some answers.

Apparently, their veterinary team had tried to do a full check up, like they always do. But Grimmjow was so stressed that the adrenalin completely burned through the anesthetic, scared the vets and even almost hurt one of them. So in the end they decided to leave the little details like his sex as ‘obvious on sight’. With Ichigo’s help now, though, they are finally able to do a proper check up.

Ichigo administers the anesthetic, and stays in the room so Grimm can smell him. Turns out, he really isn’t male. Just as Ichigo theorized; but a female with a high amount of testosterone. Enough to give Grimmjow the mane and temperament of a male. 

They do eventually find another were-jaguar for breeding. Now that they know they should look for a male instead, does make it easier. Ichigo even gets the privilege to help with any future cubs. That doesn’t stop Grimmjow from trying to woo Ichigo again, though ~🌿

Ichigo is a little jealous, but only because it’s ridiculous how these jaguar-creatures have a far more exciting sex life than him.

Grimmjow for his part just enjoys the ride, even if he plays really hard to get. Can’t have them believing they can one up him just like that. He’ll get rid of them as soon as the deed is done. 

And surely enough, soon the zoo learns Grimm is pregnant; and all the staff is incredibly excited. Ichigo is sure this means he’ll have to distance himself, he’s aware of Were-jaguar’s lonely natures, and how protective they are of their young. It was already a miracle how close he could get to Grimmjow as is; would that mean he’d be allowed to stay now that he was carrying? Probably not. Much less knowing Grimmjow saw him as a male rather than a mere human.

To his surprise, however, that didn’t happen at all. He’d been instructed to be more cautious now, leave his food and get back out instead of hanging around like he used to. He tried to do that. He really did. But he took one step outside and Grimmjow yowled like he’d killed someone dear to him. The sight of it was much worse. He was staring at him with big sad eyes, wondering why Ichigo was abandoning him. Orders be damned, he was getting back in there.

Surely enough, the moment he stepped inside this time Grimmjow immediately jumped on him, holding his face close and chuffing contentedly as he rubbed his whole face on his hair. Ichigo couldn’t help but laugh when from outside Rukia (a coworker) tried to remind him he was not supposed to do that anymore. It was all words anyways, she was quickly squealing at the adorable scene and taking pictures for the zoo’s office wall.

And it stayed like that for the following months too. Especially when Grimmjow was closer to delivery and wobbled more than walked; demanding every day after his check-ups for Ichigo to stay longer and rub his belly to ease the ache.

Two adorable cubs; rambunctious from the second they could open their eyes and explore around. And once more, Ichigo was personally invited by Grimmjow himself to be present the whole time. And most check ups were done by him or in his presence, if only to keep Grimm calm; he still didn’t trust other humans too much.

When the public could finally meet the cubs, it took barely a couple days for them to become a fan favorite even before being properly named. Ayumi and Kaito💕

Extra; a couple extra designs I did for monsters on this AU💕