I originally meant this to be a one shot. But the more I write of this, the more I'm enjoying it... so length depends on how much I enjoy writing it!
Summary: When Ichigo's flat is flooded, and he's fed up of couch surfing, he needs help sorting out the problems of his reluctant insurers and landlord. Enter: Grimmjow, the man Ichigo comes to rely on.
Disclaimer: KT OWNS EVERYTHING, INCLUDING MY SOUL! However, all original ideas are my own.
Ichigo shifted uncomfortably as his neck ached. He'd been sleeping on the couch at Renji's for a week now.
Sitting up and stretching the painful muscles, he shivered in the cold winter air that permeated the flat. He knew how stingy Renji could be, and the heating wouldn't be on for at least another hour yet.
Grabbing his jumper he shrugged it on as he walked into the kitchen to make some coffee. God he needed it.
Ichigo was getting sick of couch hopping. His flat was ruined from a burst water pipe above, and the insurance company was jerking him around. He couldn't afford a temporary flat, and had to resort to the kindness of his friends.
As he stared out of the small window above the kitchen sink, watching the snow fall lightly on the glass, he resolutely made up his mind. Renji was like his brother, but Ichigo knew that it was hard having him in the flat. Especially with Renji's unusual habits.
Ichigo shuddered, thinking back to university, where they had shared a room. Not again. At least Renji was considerate enough for the time being that his guest was there, but for someone like Renji, it was hard.
Renji, after all, had stayed at the same bar since those uni days, and was usually very loud upon his return. VERY loud. The bar team would stay behind and drink themselves into a stupor most nights. At the beginning of the stay, Ichigo had found himself fending off Renji's attacks when the crimson haired buffoon had attacked him in the darkness. Why would a burglar fall asleep on the couch in the flat he was robbing? What a moron.
Ichigo set his cup in the sink, washed and dressed in the bathroom, and sat down with the telephone directory.
Flicking through, he picked out a few names and addresses, jotted them down and left a note to Renji. Checking the clock, it read just before 9. Renji would be down and out for the count for several hours yet.
Slipping on a thick jacket and a highly unattractive hat, Ichigo ran down out of the apartment complex into the cold December day.
Wishing he'd had enough for a taxi, Ichigo stepped into the foyer of an impressive looking office building. It was perishingly cold outside, and his cheeks were red from the wind. Stamping his feet on the carpet by the revolving door helped return some feeling to his toes. He'd been all across the district talking to a manner of stuffy men about his flat. This was the last place on his list for the day.
He approached the desk, pulling off his hat as he walked.
"Hi, I'm here to see," Ichigo pulled out his piece of paper, "Jaeger-jacks-san?" He'd written it clearly but the name still baffled him as he stumbled over the pronunciation.
"May I take your name please?" The cheery secretary asked.
"Kurosaki."
"Do you have an appointment, Kurosaki-san?" she peered up at him.
"Err, no, I was hoping to catch him when he was free."
"Hmm. Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you that from here, you'll have to go up to his secretary and find out yourself. You need floor..." She paused, running a finger down the computer screen. "Floor 6. Take the elevator." She gestured to the left side of the building.
"Thanks very much." Ichigo made his way over to the lift, waiting behind a few others who stood watching the light above the doors.
Eventually they piled into the metal lift and Ichigo reached around the other passengers and pressed the button for the sixth floor. The usual awkwardly silent journey upwards began.
Ichigo was the first to leave the lift, on his own into a long narrow corridor, painted white, that had only one door at the end of it.
He strode towards it and opened it into a light and airy waiting room. A few chairs were grouped in a corner of the room. A woman with light blue hair sat behind a high desk typing. As he approached, she lifted her face and gave a wide smile.
"Hello, good afternoon! Can I help you?"
"Err, yeah, I got sent up here to see if Jaggerjacks-san has a free space in his appointments?"
"Certainly! Jagerjaques-san's on his lunch now, but he's due back in a little bit. He has free time after lunch, I'm sure he can see you. You can wait for him in his office if you like, Mr...?"
"Kurosaki Ichigo. Err, I can wait out here, it'll be fine."
"OK!" she smiled again. "I'm Nel. Let me know if you need anything. Tea? Coffee?"
Nel sat beaming at him, and Ichigo felt pressured to ask for a coffee.
"Back in a second!" She hurried through a door, and Ichigo was left on his own, sat, watching the second hand of the wall clock slowly tick by. He quietly practised the name of the man he'd be meeting until Nel returned with his drink. He quietly thanked her again, and she returned to her typing. Ichigo sat sipping the coffee, feeling a little nervous as Nel typed, looking up frequently to watch Ichigo before returning to her work.
Ichigo watched the clock tick five minutes buy, and then heard the distant bell of the lift in the corridor. He glanced to the busty secretary and she was watching the door, biting her lip slightly.
The door suddenly flung open and in strode a tall, well built SHOCKINGLY BLUE haired man.
"Nel!" he barked.
"Good afternoon Jagerjaques-san!" she smiled in greeting. Did she ever stop that?
"Che." The blue haired giant turned his gaze to Ichigo who had stood from his seat.
"This is Kurosaki Ichigo. He was hoping to see you."
Jagerjaques eyed Ichigo up and down, whilst Ichigo frowned. The taller man turned away and walked into his office, not saying a word. Nel ushered Ichigo in after the bluenet, and shut the door behind them.
Ichigo followed the man to a desk, eyeing the office. It was neat, and ordered, but interesting. There was a lot of art work on the walls, none of which Ichigo recognised, but he could appreciate the aesthetic touch.
Sitting down in the comfortable chair behind the desk, Jagerjaques offered Ichigo to sit.
He sat in the soft cream arm chair stiffly.
"You're Kurosaki Ichigo, right?"
Ichigo nodded.
"Grimmjow Jagerjaques. Now, how can I help you, Berry?" He introduced himself, smirking.
Ichigo frowned. "Don't call me that." He almost snapped.
Grimmjow's grin spread wider.
Ichigo outlined the situation with his apartment, whilst the blue haired man listened intently leaning forward on his elbows, cerulean eyes intent on Ichigo's face. Grimmjow interjected with questions a few times, but mostly let Ichigo talk.
After the explanation, Grimmjow summarised Ichigo's problem. "So, essentially the landlord won't undertake any work until your insurance goes through, but your insurance won't go through until landlord accepts liability."
"That's what I understand of it. I'm not really sure what's going on, to be honest. I just want somewhere to live again. Can you do anything about it?"
"Depends really. I'll have to talk to your landlord and the insurance company. Leave your number with my secretary and I'll get in touch."
The pair shook hands, and Grimmjow followed him to the door.
"See ya, Berry." Grimmjow closed the door on Ichigo's outraged face, laughing.
He spoke to Nel again, leaving his contact details with Nel, and left to the elevator. He rode down to the reception on his own, thinking about the man he had spoken with. Ichigo couldn't believe that hair. It wasn't exactly fitting with the formal business image. Then again, everything about the man shocked the red head. Grimmjow was thoroughly well built, obvious even through the charcoal suit and shirt, and his eyes... they were a bright sky blue, and every time the man had spoken to Ichigo, he found he could look nowhere else, even when taunting him. That damn bastard was *charming*, and Ichigo hated people like that.
Wrapping up warm again, Ichigo hesitantly left the complex, and caught the bus back to Renji's, frowning the whole way. He was left to himself.
Running up the stairs the apartment, he let himself in with the spare key. Renji was slumped on the sofa, coffee on the table and a greasy looking bacon sandwich being stuffed into his mouth.
"'sup." He greeted, muffled around the bread.
Ichigo rolled his eyes in distaste. "Hey. There any bread left? I'm starving."
Renji nodded in affirmation. Ichigo told Renji about his outing as he made simple toast and another cup of coffee. He really needed to cut down. Ichigo came and slumped into the sofa beside his best friend, and they absently watched the TV through their lunch. Ichigo spoke in annoyance about his meeting with Grimmjow. Renji laughed at the nickname.
"Guess you can't escape it, eh Strawberry?"
"Shut your face." Ichigo punched Renji in the arm, who whined. "Suck it up, loser."
Renji sighed and leant back into the cushions with his coffee. "So, did this Jagerjaques say when he's be ringing you?"
"Nah. Shouldn't take him long though."
"So, is he a lawyer, or what?"
"No idea. Doubt it. He only had a small ad in the paper, but he's got a pretty big office." Ichigo took the plates to the kitchen.
"So, what time are you working tonight?" He called to Renji.
"I'm not. I thought you might wanna do something?"
Ichigo groaned."Doing something" with Renji usually involved going out, getting smashed, and then spending the next day on the porcelain telephone.
"I dunno Ren..."
Renji turned to him over the back of the sofa. "Pleeeeease? It'll be just like old times." Cue: puppy eyes.
Ichigo ran a hand down his face. "Fine. But only a few drinks!"
Renji whooped and spun back round in the sofa, grabbing up his mobile to arrange it with other friends. Ichigo side. What had he let himself in for?
Yep, this has turned into a multi chaptered beast in my head. Let me feel your love!