Grimmjow woke up to the smell of smoke. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times, making out his surroundings. Last time he knew he was reheating pizza in the microwave. He must have fallen asleep.
He jolted out of the couch to where he was currently sprawled, turning his head all around him, the place was clouded with smoke. Grimmjow began coughing, covering his mouth and nose with his hand he turned to the kitchen—or what is left of it, the fire had engulfed their kitchen and is spreading fast on their ceiling.
Grimmjow swallowed. "Ichi," having registered what is currently happening on their apartment floor he sprinted toward their room only to stop, widening his eyes as he saw how lost of a cause their room had become.
"Ichi!" he called louder. No one answered. He's sure Ichigo was sleeping on their bedroom. Said bedroom was now being swallowed by fire.
"Ichigo!" evading all the falling debris from their ceiling, he made his way slowly toward to where Ichigo was. By this time the fire had already spread through the couch he had been just minutes ago.
He almost reached their room where he felt someone tugged him by his arm. For a second the fluttering of his heart had stopped and hoped that it was his lover only to feel betrayed when he saw the helmeted head of a fire fighter.
"Sir, we have to go now!" said fire fighter yelled to his ear. Grimmjow turned his attention to their couch which is being devoured by the flame.
Grimmjow shook his head "My partner is still in there!" he yelled back.
"Sir, it's too dangerous!"
"I don't fucking care!" yanking his arm from the firefighter he made his way to the room yelling his partner's name.
"Sir!" now he's being forcefully yanked away to his burning apartment.
Grimmjow started protesting, yelling curses at the good hearted firefighter whose duty is to help.
He needed to get to Ichigo. He needed to save him.
The loud thud stopped Grimmjow from further harassing his helper. The door to their room had just crumbled down, and the ceiling collapsed blocking the whole way. He then felt tears rain down his eyes, his heart thudding, begging to come out of his chest.
"Ichigo," he can't help but whisper.
"Fuck!" he screamed as hard as he can but all he can do was step back and let the firefighter lead him out.
Walking downstairs was probably one of the hardest things Grimmjow had to do. All his strength, muscle and wit were of no use. He was just plain helpless.
It's a form of blessing that their apartment was on the second floor making the firefighter's job a little bit easier.
Now outside the building he can't help but watch as the fire licked its way outside his window; the window to their bedroom where Ichigo was asleep.
One of the paramedics draped a shock blanket over his shoulders. It was 8 in the evening and he's cold and only wearing boxers and shirt for comfort.
Grimmjow breathed heavily, the thought of Ichigo being incinerated as he sleep, probably fighting to struggle the clutches of the fire, didn't contribute to his already cluttered mind and aching heart.
Not a few feet away from him he can hear voices muttering and shouting. At this moment, Grimmjow didn't care about anyone.
Ichigo was gone.
Ichigo was gone and he hadn't managed to save him.
He dropped to his knees and sobbed his heart out. Just when their relationship was getting better, just right after Ichigo moved in with him, just after they adopted an annoying orange cat, just when he decided to change, this happened to him.
He can't help but ask why.
He coughed in between his heavy sobbing. He felt a heavy presence of a hand on his shoulder. He looked up.
"You okay?"
Grimmjow couldn't breathe.
"Motherfucker!" It took a moment for Grimmjow stood up, taking the blanket off of him. He wiped his smoke tainted cheeks and sniffed.
"Where the flying fuck have you gone to?" he can't help but voice his frustrations, pointing a finger, flailing his arms wildly "You stupid fuck!"
"Grimm," a very alive Ichigo took a step back, a plastic bag dangling on his left hand.
Grimmjow sniffed again, wiping his tear stained eyes. His chest were rising and falling hard, taking deep breaths of the cold air. "Don't you Grimm me! Where the fuck have you been?"
Before Ichigo could utter an explanation he was being suffocated by a bone crushing hug by Grimmjow.
Grimmjow buried his face on Ichigo's neck; feeling the warm skin of his partner, his best friend, his lover. He cradled Ichigo's head with one of his arm while the other was wrapped protectively on his back.
Ichigo was alive.
Ichigo was fucking alive!
He started sniffing again and began laughing softly, tears strained down his eyes.
"You little shit," he muttered.
"Uh, Grimm . . . I didn't know you cared that much about our apartment,"
Grimmjow pulled back and looked hysterically at Ichigo "What?"
"Well, you've been crying so hard,"
"You fucking dimwit! I thought you were trapped in our room, that's why!"
Ichigo stifled a chuckle and Grimmjow looked hurt.
"I told you I'll go over to the convenient store and buy some stuffs,"
"What?"
What.
"I guess you we're too exhausted to mind me," Ichigo mock pouted but he hugged Grimmjow back. "I'm glad to see how much you care, Grimm."
Grimmjow scoffed but smiled, kissing Ichigo's head. He started peppering kisses on Ichigo's face, from his temple to his eyebrows, to his eyes which he came to love very much, to those cheeks which blushed furiously when teased, and to those lips which he became accustomed to.
"So . . . what exactly happened?"
"Uh,"
"Don't tell me you fell asleep while reheating that pizza,"
"Uh,"
Ichigo sighed. "It's okay," Grimmjow remembered all those times where Ichigo would tell him to keep an eye whenever he uses the appliances in the kitchen.
The paramedics came to check up on Grimmjow, insuring the protocol and such. The firefighter's also questioned him on what happened. There would be an investigation starting tomorrow to determine the cause of the fire. He's pretty sure microwaves don't blow up by reheating pizzas.
"You didn't scream my name and cried now, did you?"
Grimmjow looked down from where he was sitting on the ambulance and blushed "Shut up."
Ichigo chuckled and bumped shoulders with him.
Grimmjow was just happy Ichigo was alive.
Note: For those of you who were wondering where the cat is, well, their cat likes to go out through the window to their neighbors place that's why Grimmjow annoyed him so much. Ichigo always makes him get the cat from next door. It was napping next door when the fire happened. No worries.
