oOo Volume 02 oOo

White walls were becoming disgusting to his eyes. Not only that but he would consider himself a pathetic mass of Arrancar as he lay spread eagle on his bed staring at the colorless ceiling with growing contempt.

The hunger inside of him twirled and rolled through his body. Images of warm tan skin under his touch caused an ache to grow amongst all the jumble of instincts he possessed. It had been a week since he had ventured into the Human World and that week had been nothing but agony.

How the fuck could he let it get like this? At times Grimmjow wished Ichigo had died but then as his mind ghosted across the idea the Sexta was forced to erase it from his mind because he felt sick at the idea. No one was worthy enough to kill Ichigo.

Obsession could be a terrifying truth and when he neglected his obsession it only grew worse. The hunger raging war and havoc on his mind and body until the point of starvation and a fixated need. He'd slept with Ichigo once and he had hoped that it would get rid of his obsession.

But no, it only got worse. It didn't help that Ichigo had been asleep and had no knowledge or memory of what had occurred. It also didn't help that he could have those brown eyes peering up at him with lust and need and those lips moaning his name out as he moved deeper inside and brought the sweet strawberry to a screaming orgasm.

His own cock throbbed in his pants and he cursed angrily at the images. He hadn't left his room since he returned from the Human World and no one was looking for him. Aizen was in a bad way, his injuries that he sustained were monumental and Grimmjow couldn't help but enjoy seeing that fucking shinigami knocked down a few pegs.

Some fucking God he was, Grimmjow thought darkly. When Grimmjow's hunger became lethally dangerous, he decided to venture out into the world of the living. If he couldn't touch, he at least wanted to watch.

(o)

By the end of the school week, Ichigo didn't feel so bizarre about the fact that he was no longer a virgin and he could barely remember it. He had all week to let everything sink in, Grimmjow hadn't shown up again, and Ichigo couldn't decide whether he was disappointed or annoyed.

One part of him really wanted Grimmjow to return. For one, he wanted to know why it happened, from the Arrancar's own lips. Another, and this was a really excitable rare part of him that he wouldn't admit to anyone in this world. But, he was kind of hoping if Grimmjow did come back around, he could feel it.

It was a sick sort of thrill.

Perhaps he should be locked up in an asylum for such thoughts?

It was Saturday night and Ichigo was in his room at half past nine, he was in shorts and a t-shirt and had the music blaring full blast. His family weren't home, they'd gone out for pizza and Ichigo opted to stay home. He had a packet of chips and was studying the chemistry notes in front of him for the exam that would take place on Monday morning.

Kon was laying in front of him on his belly with a Manga book in front of him. His plushy legs dangling slightly in the air.

"Nnn, horror Manga has the hottest valley of Gods!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes but said nothing as he tapped the head of Kon with his pencil. "Least someone makes use of those."

"Why do you have them anyway?"

"A friend sends them to me every week after she's done with them."

"Ooh!" Kon's eyes lit up. "I bet she's a pretty one."

"She's alright," Ichigo commented making notes as he referred to the text book in front of him. The teen almost found it amusing how nice Kon had been to him all week. He must have been scandalized by Grimmjow just as much, being a voyeur and all.

Ichigo placed the pencil to the tip of his mouth as he debated over inconsistencies of his notes and the text book. He was about to check the index when there was a scrape from the roof of his house and a sliver of reiatsu that was not a shinigami's pooled across him.

"Kon," Ichigo whispered dropping the pencil and grabbing his badge.

"What?" Kon asked looking up.

"Do you feel that?"

Kon sat up and looked around and then he gasped. "I do, Ichigo."

Ichigo stiffened and a funny sensation slid through him and he couldn't exactly say it was good or bad. He was a little nervous, was it Grimmjow? It wasn't a shinigami, he knew that.

There was a soft 'plop' and the reiatsu remained.

"He's watching me…" Ichigo whispered. "Don't look out the window. Pretend you don't see," he said under his breath.

Kon groaned and glued his eyes to the Manga book. "What are you going to do Ichigo? Kick his ass?"

He should, he really really should, but he wanted to know why first without putting Grimmjow on the defense.

Ichigo tried to concentrate on his chemistry, but it was nigh impossible. He scowled and threw the pencil down and fell back on his bed with a huff.

Kon closed the book and bounced over to Ichigo and settled himself on the teen's stomach. Ichigo didn't move to knock him off, the comfort was welcomed for a change. "What do I do?" he asked quietly without moving his lips. "I can feel him, I know it's him." His badge hadn't gone bezerk and no one else had that kind of reiatsu.

"Kill him," Kon stated simply.

Ichigo snorted. "I wish it was that simple."

"Hm." Kon crossed his arms over his little chest and went into his unusual thinking pose. "What to do, what to do. I suck at these situations, why not ask that hat-clog idiot?"

Ichigo turned a little red at the idea but didn't comment. Perhaps, he should just face Grimmjow man to man. "Kon," he said finally. "Go to Yuzu's room and don't come out."

Kon's eyes widened. "Why? What are you going to do?"

"Going to find out what the hell's going on," he whispered. "Go, I don't want you caught in the middle."

"Alright, Ichigo. But if I hear you screaming, I'm going to tell your dad!"

Ichigo scowled and batted the stuffed toy off him. "Go on baka, I can take care of myself."

"No you can't," Kon retorted factually as he pried the heavy door open. "That's why you need me, you need Nee-san, and that dork with the arrows. You need us all otherwise you're doomed for failure."

Ichigo didn't rebuke that, strangely enough, Kon sounded wise.

Once the door closed back, Ichigo breathed in deeply as he sat up and pressed his back to the bed and with his foot he slid his chemistry stuff toward him. He picked up the pencil again and waited about five minutes before getting agitated enough with it. There was no way he could concentrate knowing that Grimmjow was on the other side of his window.

Could Ishida be right? Why would Grimmjow of all people be obsessed with him? Ichigo didn't understand it, not really. He'd always thought Grimmjow had it out to kill him.

Finally, he decided to say something.

"Stop looking through my window like a stalker and get in here Sexta," Ichigo growled turning his attention to the window pointedly.

He waited with a racing heart as the glass window slid open, revealing bright blue eyes and matching hair. The man that was an Arrancar slipped into the window and sat on the sill. He was stunned when he didn't see an arrogant expression on the Sexta's face. What he saw, was those eyes raking him over and drinking him in.

It was almost scary.

Almost.

"Yo! Shinigami," Grimmjow raised a lazy hand. "What the hell were you talking to a minute ago? I didn't know you had a thing for talking with stuffed toys."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at the Arrancar's head. "Bastard, that was no toy," he said dropping his book between his legs. "It was Kon, a Modified Soul that I put into a plushy because I didn't have a dead body around."

Grimmjow blinked at the answer. "I can get you one, free of charge."

"No thanks, leave the poor victims in their beds." Ichigo's stomach was now burning. He was really nervous but he didn't let on. He pretended to be oblivious. "Watchya here for anyway? I don't feel like fighting tonight."

"Tch, I didn't say I was here to fight, brat." Grimmjow looked tense and if Ichigo read his body language right, he seemed 'worried.'

Was that even possible for the predator?

"Alright then, so long as we have that clear and don't call me brat, kitty!"

Grimmjow glowered. "Who you calling a kitty, little human?"

"You obviously," Ichigo said attempting once more to pick up his book. "You're the only one here who has the claws."

"You trying to look down upon me?" Grimmjow challenged causing Ichigo to frown and look up. "Because I won't allow it, kid! You may think you have beaten me but you did nothing of the sort! I can take you on any day!" He jerked off the sill and he advanced closer. "You think you're so good because you bested me once? Just because you bested Ulquiorra?" He got right up to Ichigo who had yet to move from the bed. "If you really wanna go, child, I'll take you any-"

"Grimmjow," Ichigo snapped sharply and turned to stare up at the Arrancar. "You fuckin' idiot, stop twisting my goddamn words around. I'm not looking down on you! I never actually have, moron. It was a sarcastic witty comment to you calling me a brat. Not everything is about fighting!"

"But you're thinking it!" Grimmjow sneered viciously.

Ichigo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Jesus Christ, Grimmjow. I never said I was more powerful than you. I never said I was higher than you. I don't use that kind of talk or arrogance. If you want to know who I look down upon, it was Aizen. I looked down on him, not because he wanted to play God and not because he has notorious power that I would want. I looked down on him," Ichigo slid off the bed by this time and stood face to face with the blue-haired Espada. "Because, even after he obtained his goal by retrieving the Hougyoku, he tried to kill my friend! I look down on him because he loves to toy with people weaker than him, he loves hording it over them, and I HATE IT!"

Grimmjow reared back, shocked to the core. He hadn't expected Ichigo to catch him that night and he knew he shouldn't be picking a fight with Ichigo, but he was hungry again, and he wanted… no he needed the hunger to go away. A week and he kept his distance but it only caused him to starve until it became painful. "Ichigo…"

He shook his head and walked passed Grimmjow and began to pace. "I didn't get this strength because I wanted to be more powerful than everyone else! I didn't do it to show off or prove a point."

"Why did you then?" Grimmjow asked, truthfully curious. Someone as strong as Ichigo had to have a damn good reason for the power he sought.

"I got this strength so people would leave my family and friends alone! I wanted to protect them like I couldn't protect my mother! Do you think I enjoy this thing inside of me?!" Ichigo hissed.

"Thing?" Grimmjow queried.

Ichigo growled and looked away. "This fucking bastard inside of me that is a part of my power. Unlike you, Grimmjow who is one person and one person only, I have an annoying bastard inside of me, challenging me twenty-four-seven waiting for the day I slip up weak to take over my body and destroy everything that I have had to work for. I didn't beat you because you were weaker than me, Grimmjow, I did it because I had no goddamn choice! For me it was do or let my friends die! I wasn't about to let an innocent girl like Inoue be killed by Aizen's disgusting hands. Not when it was my fault she has power in the first place. So don't come in here and twist my words or put new ones in my mouth!"

Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked the other way, the anger simmering down now that he had gotten it off his chest.

Grimmjow observed him, he was so fiery, the flame inside of Ichigo only grew hotter and he longed to roll in it and allowing the flames to burn him, the pain would be sublime.

"A person can be the most powerful man or woman in the world," Ichigo said softly. "Yet, they are not invincible, no one is. Not you, not me, and definitely not Aizen. Sometimes, Grimmjow a person's will is stronger than the ultimate power. You have a strong will to prove yourself and I had a strong will to get them out alive but the difference was, I accepted death if it meant their lives being spared. That's why I won. That's why I killed Ulquiorra and doing so cost me a hell of a lot."

"Why are you so self-less?" Grimmjow demanded.

"I'm not exactly a shinigami, Grimmjow. I'm a human, with human feelings. It's my nature and I can't change it."

Grimmjow actually felt apologetic but he wouldn't admit it, no way. His pride wouldn't let him. "You're something weird, Ichigo."

"Likewise, Sexta," Ichigo retorted as he turned with a sigh and crawled back onto the bed. "So, why are you here?"

Grimmjow gave a careless shrug. He knew why, but he couldn't bring himself to say it aloud. "I was bored. I'm sure you noticed, Hueco Mundo is mundane."

"Yeh," Ichigo said situating his study work. "I discovered that for myself. How's Nel?"

"Who?" Grimmjow asked still standing.

"The little girl Arrancar."

"Eh, her. I dunno, she's alright, I guess."

"Sit down, you make me nervous standing over me like that," Ichigo muttered not looking up.

"Is Ichigo scared?" Grimmjow taunted plopping down on the familiar bed. It squeaked with the Arrancar's weight.

"No, but I'm in my Gigai. Not much I can do in this shape," he said flipping through the book. Ichigo had been trying to think of a way to bring the events of last week up to Grimmjow but he didn't know how. His stomach continued to swim until it became unsettled.

Being this close and unable to touch was driving Grimmjow insane, he'd had one taste and he could have sworn it would have been enough but now, Ichigo was awake, alive, and so delicious looking sitting there half dressed and with a goddamn pencil in his mouth! Fuck, Grimmjow took the time to gaze around the room, trying to reign in his flooding need.

Getting an idea, when he saw Ichigo glaring at his book, he shifted and leaned closer so that he could see what the teen was looking at.

"What the hell is that?"

"Chemistry," Ichigo answered fully aware of the Espada's close contact. "I have a test Monday and I've missed enough school to last me a lifetime since I've been a shinigami." Grimmjow was so close he could smell him, it was a strange musk scent. It certainly wasn't cologne, he was sure Arrancars didn't know anything about that, but it was lingering and he wondered briefly how he obtained the smell.

"Looks complicated." Grimmjow deadpanned.

"Uh huh, especially when the notes don't coincide with the book."

"Isn't that easy? Go with the book."

"I would but the sensei had us do it this way," he explained. "So if I do it this way and it's still wrong, I'm a be fucked and if I do it the sensei's way she could be leading us into a trap and I'm fucked again. Ah forget it, I'll ask Ishida later." He slammed it closed and stacked his notes. His nerves were rattling fiercely.

When Ichigo leaned to the side to put everything on the floor, Grimmjow was left staring at the flesh that was exposed from the slightly snug shirt riding up his torso. Shit! Grimmjow thought in agony.

There was a ton of noise outside causing Ichigo to raise up and sigh. "They're home," he said quietly. "Hopefully goat-face didn't eat all the pizza," he said jumping off the bed. "Uh, you can stay here, if anyone comes in find a closet."

"They can't see me," Grimmjow reminded.

Ichigo snorted. "Yeah, they can. My dad was a former Captain of the Gotei 13. Yuzu can sense your presence but Karin can see all of you."

"What kind of family do you have, Ichigo? You said you're human! But if you're father is a shinigami, what the hell gives?"

"My father lost his shinigami powers and regained them shortly after I gained mine. My mother was human, she couldn't see ghosts or anything and Yuzu takes after her in that regard, but Karin, she is a lot like me. I didn't know my dad was a shinigami though, it was one hell of a surprise to me. I'll be back."

When he disappeared, Grimmjow let out a sigh and sat up, he buried his hands into his hair as he placed his elbows on his knees. Ichigo was driving him nuts, just his presence was intoxicating.

"Onii-chan! I saved you some pizza, a whole large one!"

"Ah, thank you Yuzu!"

"Goat-face tried to take it but I kicked him between the legs for it," another little girl said, this one sounding smug.

"But I was hungry!" A man whined.

"You're always hungry fatso!"

"I'm not fat!"

"Onii-chan needs to eat too, dad! I finished your laundry earlier, need me to put them away for you?"

"No thanks Yuzu. I can do it myself. I'm going back to my room."

"Awww, you're always in your room," the little girl named Yuzu pouted.

"I have to study, got a test Monday and like hell do I understand it."

"Tch, good luck then Ichi-nii."

"Thanks Karin."

Grimmjow hopped off the bed and slipped into the corner when the door opened. Ichigo came through with a large box and a can of something to drink.

"Yo," Ichigo said observing the hiding Grimmjow.

"Your father was a shinigami, yet he whines like a two-year-old."

Ichigo smirked and placed the food on the bed. "Yah, it's because Karin and Yuzu don't know. Karin knows about me, but ever since mom died, dad was always trying to keep the house light. He's annoying as hell, jumping out at me from nowhere just to get a reaction. But he's cool, want some pizza?"

No, I want you. Grimmjow wanted to say. "It's not what I want, but sure."

Ichigo tried not to think too much on that statement as he handed the Arrancar a slice and halved his can of cola with him.

"Why are you treating me nice?" Grimmjow asked suspiciously.

Ichigo paused briefly and licked some cheese from his finger causing Grimmjow to flinch discreetly. "Why not?"

"I thought you hated me."

"Hate's a strong word, Grimmjow," he said taking a bite of the pizza. When he swallowed, he observed Grimmjow. "I reserve hate for people who deserve it. I hate plenty of things but you're not one of them. Perhaps it's because you sought me out for the fight and no one else? I don't know why, so don't ask. Just accept it and eat your pizza."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "You really are weird, shinigami." He was also making it worse. If he thought he was obsessed with Ichigo before that was nothing compared to how he was feeling right now. The obsession was fueled even hotter by the fact that Ichigo didn't hate him.

But, Grimmjow knew that if Ichigo found out what he did last week, he would surely hate him.

As Ichigo took his second slice of pizza there was a knock on the door. "Onii-chan! Can I come in?"

Grimmjow froze before Ichigo pointed to the closet, the blue-haired man nodded and was up instantly, he took a slice of pizza with him and crawled into the cramped little closet and shut the door, he kept it cracked just enough so he could see.

"Come in Yuzu," Ichigo called hiding the spare glass under his bed.

The door clicked and in stepped a small ginger haired little girl with doleful brown eyes that matched Ichigo's.

"Onii-chan! I brought your basket of clothes." She placed them down by the TV before hopping over to Ichigo and looking at him imploringly.

Ichigo sighed and turned. "What?" he asked getting close to her doll like face.

"Please?"

What was she on about? Grimmjow wondered.

Ichigo poked her in the nose, making her giggle as she brushed it. "Sure, why not. Give me a half hour to finish eating."

"Yay!" she slung her arms around his neck in a hug. "You're the best Onii-chan! Karin-chan! Karin-chan! I told you Onii-chan would bathe with me, haha!"

"You and your brother complex."

Ichigo closed his door back. "It's clear."

Grimmjow stepped out of the closet, not really sure how to take the fact that Ichigo was going to shower with his little sister. He thought it was kind of, endearing dare he think it? But it was strange, Ichigo was so… different. He had expected a bloodthirsty teenage boy but he didn't expect someone to have so much hidden empathy.

"That was Yuzu," Ichigo answered going for another slice and handing Grimmjow's cup back. "She's got a big brother complex."

"I noticed. You are close to them, are you not?"

"They're my life," Ichigo confessed shamelessly. He rummaged through his drawers for some clothes and all Grimmjow could do was watch him. "They're the reason I became a shinigami in the first place." He turned to face the Arrancar and arched an eyebrow at the strange expression on his face. "I'll be back, you can stay or go."

He didn't know exactly why he was saying that nor did he know why he wasn't angry with Grimmjow. Sure, at first it had been a thrill to figure the man out, to find out why he had done what he did last week, but to be spilling so much information about himself like it were natural.

Ichigo never did that, not even for his friends. Perhaps it was the those strange unreadable expressions that made it different? Or it could have been the fact that if Grimmjow had wanted too, he could have really damaged him that night. He could have taken him viciously, made him bleed, and enjoyed it.

But he hadn't. When Yuzu shouted for his name, he quickly moved and left the room.

Grimmjow groaned and fell to the bed, once again he gripped his hair, and moved into the distressed position. What the fuck was Kurosaki Ichigo? Did he happen to be some sort of goddamn empathic or something? It had to be, he was affecting him. There were at least a thousand or more instincts barreling down around him and it was consuming.

He was engulfed by the scent of the room, it was all Ichigo, even if it was hidden behind the scent of pizza which still lay on the bed. He grabbed one of the teen's pillows and brought it to his nose, he closed his eyes and let himself drown.

He was pathetic and he knew it.