XxxxxxX

Ichigo has been pacing his room for the past half hour. He was sexually frustrated and his new neighbor wasn't making things easier for him. Granted he had only ever had one partner, he sure as hell missed the one off chances they rarely got to grab a quickie between classes or on weekends when he had the house to himself, and as he painfully reminded himself, it was rarely.

After Ichigo saw the man move in a few weeks ago, he's all the red head could think about. It was strange to him how the said man could have invaded his mind and set up shop as though he belonged there. Sighing heavily one more time, Ichigo walked to his closet to set about preparing for what was to come. After weeks of staring and pussy-footing around each other, Ichigo decided he would simply go introduce himself. It's not like it would be weird, they were neighbors after all, and using the pretense of "friendly neighbor" would surely get him a better look at the object of his admiration.

He peeked through his window and...

There. He. Was.

Ichigo's jaw dropped and he could've sworn he drooled a bit. What he was looking at was magnificent. His neighbor had been clad in nothing but some stone washed jeans. No shoes. No shirt. But Ichigo would sure as hell still give this man some service. Seeing the man scantily clad had absolutely done it for Ichigo. Mr. Hot Neighbor seemed to be in the middle of washing his car on the wide expanse of land that was his front yard, seemingly oblivious to the stares he was receiving. Beads of sweat were slowly making their way down his muscle ridden back and Ichigo wasted no time following their trail until he was distracted by an oddly placed, but sexy as fuck, tattoo. It seemed to be a Gothic styled number six and truth be told, Ichigo simply wanted to trace the darkened figure with his tongue. Unable to turn away, and lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the man turning around before it was too late. Bright cerulean eyes turned toward him. The man looked like hell today. His eyes were sunken and rimmed a darker blue, as though he hadn't slept in a thousand years. Said eyes seemed to drill holes into his own doe brown ones and so, in his panic, he backed away from the window, shutting his drapes and sighing for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. Fuck.

Blushing furiously, he stood in his mirror, giving himself a once over and smiling slightly at his reflection. He had made a conscious decision to let his hair grow out a few months ago and was quite pleased with it so far. His hair was now brushing his neck and his bangs had been dangerously close to blinding him, hanging precariously over his left eye. He loved the new look. In his opinion, it made him look sexy. His best friend however, being the raging homosexual he was, had said it made Ichigo look gayer than a Unicorn riding a rainbow, but he cared not. Shinji was just fucking with him anyway. Not that he was one to be worried about his appearance but a little self appreciation never killed anyone. He wore a close fitting, white long sleeved v-neck, long black Adidas pants hugged his slim hips, complete with it's signature stripes and Adidas slippers were on his feet. He then made his way down the steps heading for the front door before he changed his mind about going to greet his neighbor. He was determined to meet this man and by doing so, hopefully quell the thoughts now swimming through his mind. Stepping into the evening sun without a backward glance, he made his way across the street, heart pounding loudly. This man may very well be the death of him.

XxxxxxX

Grimmjow had found himself staring off into space. AGAIN. It was the third time that day and it irked him to no end. He didn't think that moving would've affected him this much, but what do you know, it had. He was missing his old life but every time he began to reminisce he remembered exactly why he had to leave in the first place. Sighing, he turned his attention back to his car, his baby as he so often mused, and wiped her down gently. He had Pantera for almost a year now but still treated her as though he had just brought home from the dealership. His midnight blue Audi R8 meant the world to him and that was not about to change any time soon.

After drying her off, he looked back up at the direction he was staring in. It seemed to have been the bedroom of one of his neighbors. All the houses on the street basically had the same layout, so it wasn't too hard to guess. Grimmjow had seen the kid around a few times, grinning widely when he had. The redhead always wore a scowl and never seemed to return his smiles and this in itself confused him. His grins were contagious. Call him conceited but he knew this for a fact. People usually smiled back, but this kid was stubborn. If ignoring him was a sport then this kid would definitely have been an Olympic gold medalist. Was he upset that someone new moved into the neighborhood? He wasn't sure why but on more than one occasion Grimmjow had found himself wanting to speak to him.

Turning away from the window in question, he sauntered into his house. He didn't know how long he had spaced out, but it didn't matter. He had bigger issues to deal with. His "ex" was flying in today from America and he didn't think he was ready for the conversation that was sure to ensue. He'd never even told the man he was leaving, just hopped on a plane and fled the country, never to be seen or heard from again. Until last night that is. He received the call at around twelve and answered without bothering to check who it was.

"Hello?" he grumbled into the cell phone. His voice thick with sleep.

"Hello Grimm-kun. Missin' me yet?"

The voice on the other line was enough to make Grimmjow sit right up in bed and forget all about sleeping. For the second time in his life he felt genuine fear. He covered his tracks. Never made a mistake. Disposed of who and what he had to. So how did this fucktard get his personal cell phone number? Feigning calmness he replied steadily, trying to keep his breathing even.

"Have ya ever known me ta miss anyone?"

"Indeed, I never heard ya utter those words, don't mean ya don't feel that way, ne?"

Hearing the playfulness in the person's voice only served to increase Grimmjow's ire. He didn't understand why this was happening. Stretching and pushing down his rising panic, he replied,

"Fuck ya want at this hour? I already refused ya previous job offers"

"Geez Grimm-kun, all tha' hostility is unnecessary ya know. Can't I just check in on a dear old friend? I really wanted ta ask a huge favor of ya also, If ya don't mind that is."

Grimmjow didn't like the sound of this but paused long enough to consider hearing the man out. If it meant never hearing from him again then he would do whatever he asked.

He sighed, "Tell me then. What is it that ya want from me?"

"Ooohhh Grimm Kitty. I knew ya'd come through for me."

Grimmjow sneered upon hearing the name. He hated it. Always have. Always will.

"I never agreed ta anything fox-face. Just tell me what ya had in mind."

"Mah-mah Grimm-kun. You know what our arrangements were always like."

"If I agree ta this last thing, would ya just finally leave me the fuck alone?"

"Oooohhh Kitty, i can't promise but I'll try my best to not lust after that sweet little ass ya got there."

At this time Grimmjow was having a hard time controlling his breathing. Both his panic and ire were rising at an alarming rate and it took everything within himself to not tell the Fox faced bastard to go fuck himself. However, he knew how to play the game, and this time he'd make sure he had the last move. He'd win his freedom at all costs.

Hardening his resolve, he simply replied, "Yes Ichimaru-sama"

The line was silent for a while before a moan could be heard from the other man.

"Aaaaahhhh I have my Grimm Kitty back, even if it is for one last time ne? I'll be there at two o' clock. Please prepare yourself. Oh and Kitty, if ya even try backin out of this one, I'll have tha' pretty little strawberry tha's been eyein' ya shot dead okay. Toodles."

With that the phone line went dead and Grimmjow screamed. A loud blood curdling scream that would have woke the neighbors had his bedroom not been sound proof. Tears filled his beautiful blue orbs and streamed down his face in tiny rivulets. Never had he once thought he'd be caught. He'd become complacent, too comfortable, and now he was going to pay. He couldn't even believe that the man had so much information on him and his neighbors to boot. As far as threats go Ichimaru was not one to take lightly. Sleep was no longer on his mind. He lay there, afraid to close his eyes, knowing the nightmares would return. He decided to face this head on and so, forcing down the bile that was slowly rising, he waited for the other man to arrive.

XxxxxxX

Ichigo was quaking in his boots. He'd made it as far as the other side of the street and now he seemed to be having cold feet. He was so close. Just a little further. He was feeling an internal monologue coming on about how much of a pussy he was being when he caught movement at the front window. It was the smallest of actions but still noticeable. Now that his guy had already seen him, he had no choice but to grow a pair and approach the front door. His strides were strong and determined and he'd be damned if anyone said he didn't ring the shit out of that doorbell. The chiming went on for a while before the door swung open revealing Mr. Hot Neighbor himself. Haunted blue eyes locked with coffee colored ones and Ichigo couldn't help but think that the guy looked like hell. Deep blue bags were sitting heavily under his eyes, his hair was disheveled and worst of all, he seemed to emit an aura that screamed "Don't Fuck With Me". Mr. Hot Neighbor's eyes seemed to pierce through his and Ichigo legitimately felt like a chick. A deep blush was slowly making it's way up his neck and staining his cheeks. He knew he must have looked stupid because he had yet to utter a word. How could he be speechless simply from eye contact?

Trying to control the pitch of his voice, he said, "Hey, you moved here recently right?" He cursed himself immediately. Well obviously shit face. Real smooth Ichigo, but he didn't receive an answer. Nothing. The man said nothing. Not a word was uttered. Ichigo instantly felt as though he should not have gone over there. He was so embarrassed that tears may have very well fell from his eyes, instead he ducked his head and turned to walk away. However, Ichigo was stopped in his tracks by a hand on his shoulder. He wasn't sure whether he should turn around and attack or not. The hand didn't seem threatening but one could never be too careful. He slowly turned around, the hand fell away, and he came face to face to face with the object of his lust once again. Those eyes, usually so bright and beautiful were filled with a deep sadness that even Ichigo could not understand. He tried one more time at verbal communication. "Are you okay man? Do you want me to leave or something? Cuz I can if you're busy." Ichigo thought it wise to stop there. The more he spoke, the more defeated the bluenette looked.

After a few more seconds he heard a small, "No, it's fine. Come on in."

Stumped once again, Ichigo just gaped. He didn't expect to be invited inside. He had prepared himself for idle small talk on the porch and would have been on his way but now he felt a bit pressured. He couldn't very well leave the guy like this. He looked as though he was just told that Hell had frozen over and his enemies would not be punished accordingly. Which in retrospect would have been a very legitimate reason to be upset. The door wasn't opened too widely, so Ichigo had to pass really close to his host, who by the way, didn't even seem to notice or care about their proximity. Stepping into his house was like entering "Bachelor Pad of the Year". Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes.

The house had the same basic layout of his own but as far as everything else went it seemed like he'd stepped into another world. There was a wide array of electronics set up in the living room. Samsung smart TV, Play Stations 2, 3 and 4. Even a Wii could be seen a little off to the side near boxes upon boxes of what looked like video games. His white furniture wasn't too flashy but still blended well with the navy blue carpet and light blue walls. A wet bar could be seen closer to the kitchen area where Ichigo noticed he had counter tops made out of grey marble. Matching stainless steel appliances stood out against the lime color of the kitchen while white tiles adorned the floor. Ichigo barely had time to notice anything else as he imagined what it would be like to knock back a few beers while playing video games all day.

XxxxxxX

Grimmjow couldn't believe he had invited the strawberry in. He'd seen him at the window and had indeed prepared himself for idle chatter on the front porch. However, when he opened the door and saw his berry head up close he froze on the spot. With all the thoughts swimming around in his head he didn't even hear the teen greet him and what made things worse was that the beautiful specimen turned his back and seemed to be leaving. This jolted him out of his musings and he soon found himself reaching out the younger man, simply needing an anchor to prevent him from spiraling into madness. When those chestnut eyes were upon him once more he was startled to see just how much concern was buried within them, and so, like an idiot, he let the orangette in.

He had really put himself in quite the predicament. His "ex" was flying in from America today and was scheduled to arrive in the two hours. Grimmjow was a fool to believe that the impending interaction was about to head anywhere but south but he still had hope that he would not have to actually do what was being asked of him by the man. FUCK. He was stuck and to add insult to injury the object of his desire was currently checking out his immaculate bachelor pad.

Grimmjow prided himself on having a beautiful home and the only reason it was able to remain in any sort of acceptable state was because he worked from home. Being a beta tester for many different game designers did have its ups and downs, but one thing he was glad for was the flexibility, the money wasn't have bad either. It helped him afford his home and all the nice things he filled it with and let's not forget his baby (Pantera). While the teen's back was turned to him, Grimmjow took his time to observe his guest. That mess of orange hair atop his head reminded him of a warm sunset and soon enough he was wondering if it was his natural hair color. Maybe he'd have to do some exploring to see if all the hair on his body was the same color. Grimmjow's gaze moved lower, drinking in the sight of his neighbor's slim form and not for the first time wondering just how toned he was underneath his clothes. Finally Grimmjow's eyes rested upon his prize. That Ass.

At this point he really didn't know what to do. He was torn between wanting to coerce the younger man to stay all afternoon and flat out kicking him to the curb using the excuse of work. Quickly shoving the idea of his ex out of his mind, Grimmjow decided he wanted to see just where his evening could go and if that meant upsetting his ex and setting their meeting back by a day then he'd take the risk.

The strawberry was just too enticing.

AN:

OK everyone. First Fan Fic so please be kind. ALL suggestions are welcomed and if you see any errors feel free to point them out. This was originally supposed to be a oneshot but now I don't know. This story has taken on a mind of it's own. I will try to churn out the other chapters ASAP, still not sure exactly where to go with this but I do hope its' an enjoyable read for all of you.

Love Black Jewel