Hello there! I'm sorry about the delay. This chapter had two ways to play out and I literally wrote them both out. But I like this scenario better so this is the one I'm going with. Thank you all for your support, and I hope to get more wonderful reviews with this and future chapters.

To be completely honest with you, neither Ichigo nor Grimmjow could explain how they ended up in this situation as they sat side by side in a dimly lit restaurant. The large corner table had to be fitted together with three tables to fit the whole group. Renji sat to Ichigo's immediate left while Grimmjow was on his right. After Renji was Rukia, Shinji on the end, Orihime, Chad, and lastly Ishida. They were now all casually dressed for public dinning.

On Grimmjow's side sat the tall male that Ichigo remembered was always hanging around the blue haired bastard when they were kids, then came the blonde woman, a male with pink hair that sat a cross from her, a brunette that was currently laying on the table apparently asleep, and lastly Neliel, who sat across from Grimmjow. This group was wearing what seemed to be rather expensive outfits.

" Seriously Nel? You're gonna make us pay for all of this?" Nnoitora complained as he was looking over the menu. They had placed a bet that the losing team would pay for dinner. And thanks to Shinji, Rukia, and Neliel, Grimmjow's team lost horribly.

"Of course!" Nel chimed happily with the sweetest smile she could muster. "You wanted to bet on the game! You just didn't have the skill to back it up," Nel explained as she recalled the last shot that won the game. Ichigo had tried to go for the ball, but getting his foot stuck in the sand; he'd tripped and fell to his hands and knees. He couldn't believe it. They lost because of him! Then a weight came onto his back and almost pushed him to lay on the sand.

With a bang, the ball flew to the other team's court and smashed into the sand in front of Nnoitora. Nel had landed next to where Ichigo knelt and held out a hand for him with a smile. "Nice team work Itsygo," she said as she pulled him back up to his feet. He later found out that she jumped off his back and spiked the ball, just barely missing Grimmjow's face.

Ichigo sat as quietly as possible. When he'd sat down, he wasn't exactly expecting his childhood tormentor to sit at his side. He didn't know what to make of it, and he wasn't in the least bit comfortable with it. He'd tried to trade seats with Renji, but was quickly rejected before he could even get the words out of his mouth.

Looking over to his friends, all of whom were looking through the menu as though there wasn't a problem, he fidgeted with his fingers in his lap before he looked up to see a smiling Nel looking right at him.

"So Itsygo, tell me do you have a girlfriend?" She asked with the cutest voice she could manage.

Raising a brow an irritated smile was attempting to form. "No, I don't have a girlfriend," he said before sighing. "And no, I'm not going to want one any time soon."

Nel looked like she was stuck in the heart, only playfully batting her eyes. "Why Itsygo, it sounds like you don't want to go out with me on a date," she said with a giggle and a wink in the orange haired boy's direction.

He didn't however; catch the shorthanded glances shot his way from piercingly shocking cerulean eyes. And truth be told, he didn't want to even look at the man. To him, it was bad enough that his friends had forced him to sit next to the man, but he'd be damned if he was going to acknowledge him even then.

"So Neliel, please you have to tell me," Shinji broke into their conversation, "what is it like being second to the top?"

The green haired girl looked over to him sweetly, "it's fantastic! I get so many people coming up and asking for pictures or autographs. I've even had a few marriage proposals!"

The shocked expression on Shinji's face was genuine as he wasn't expecting the last part, but he showed a piano-toothed grin nonetheless. "I hope you said no, I mean, you've already got some fine guys around you. They're much hotter than anyone you could find on the street!"

Nel shot a glance over to Grimmjow, whose eyes were on her own, "yeah but the only one that I'd like to get my hands on, has eyes for someone else." Her eyes darted from the head of blue hair to the head of orange, then back over to Shinji.

Despite only mildly listening to the conversation, the Strawberry noticed her look toward him and his mind came rushing back to reality—having gone off to his own world ranting about his stupid friends and a stupid Grimmjow— he looked around as though someone had called his name before raising a brow to her.

"What?" Ichigo questioned before looking to Shinji who raised a brow and smirked knowingly.

Before he could question farther, their food came out with three waiters. Each tray set on a stand, two of them left before the last even had a chance to grab the first plate.

As the food was being called off and handed out to their respected consumers, hands moved around the table to pass plates down to those farther down.

Finally when everyone had received their intended plates, the server asked if they needed anything else in which only a few of the models mentioned something that Ichigo himself couldn't hear. Not that he cared as he had a nice 9oz sirloin sitting in front of him with steamed broccoli. He wasn't going to pass up his chance to dig if he could.

Near ten minutes later, and Ichigo still not paying attention, he was bumped from Renji's shoulder. Looking to his friend, he raised a brow in question as he noticed that Renji was looking toward Grimmjow before nodding in his direction.

Turning to see the blue haired male he raised a brow in question, forgetting momentarily that he was supposed to still be frustrated with the other. "You got any plans tomorrow?" Grimmjow questioned.

Before he even registered who asked that, he shook his head no. After thinking about it, he growled to himself. "I'm not going to be spending the day with you either," he said before scowling at the bluenette who just smirked at him.

Grimmjow chuckled before taking a sip of his draft, "are you sure you don't want to? Tomorrow we have a shoot down at the beach. It'd be cool if you came along and hung out with us."

Raising a brow, Ichigo looked over to Renji for help. He wasn't sure what to say, but he really didn't need to as Shinji had cut in, "is it alright if we come with?"

Before anyone could respond to the blonde, Nnoitora cut in, "no fairies please," he said with a disgusted look on his face.

Everyone looked at the man as though he'd just said the worst thing in the world. And to be honest, he pretty much did. "Is there a problem with gays Nnoitora?" Ichigo questioned before he stood up, his hands clenched in fists

The man snorted, "yeah, they're disgusting and I don't like them being near me. What's it to ya?"

It was obvious that the man was pissing the Strawberry off. And he obviously knew it. Though no one said anything, the blonde woman who sat next to Nnoitora raised a brow before snickering, "I think the little Strawberry is a fairy too," she said with a glance toward Ichigo.

"So what if I am?" He demanded, his features resting on her in a scowl. If looks could kill, Ichigo would have murdered the blonde in seconds.

"Okay that's enough of this," Grimmjow said as he stood and and shot a glare to his friends before looking to the orange headed male. "All of you."

Scowling, Ichigo turned and started toward the door, "tch whatever. I'm not going to deal with this crap."

He made it outside and almost to his Jeep before a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.

When he spun around he was about to throw a fist at the person, but when he saw Grimmjow he stopped. To be honest with himself, he didn't know why he stopped. It could have something to do with the fact that his chest heaved each time he'd so much as bumped the other so far.

"Wait Ichigo."

Those chocolate eyes were still glaring at him, but they weren't as cold as they were inside. "Why are you asking me to wait? What's there to wait for? I'm not going to sit by and listen to them be assholes to me. I'm not that little kid who took shit from people anymore," he explained with a fire set ablaze in his throat.

"I wasn't going to ask you to come back and listen to that crap. I just wanted to apologize," Grimmjow explained.

"Apologize? For what? For your friend acting like a dick or for you tormenting me throughout half of my life? Which one did you want to apologize for? Because I don't think I'll forgive you for the later," Ichigo growled before yanking his hand away and climbing into his Jeep.

"Seriously can't you just drop that now? It's been what, fifteen years since we were kids?" Grimmjow scowled slightly, "let me make it up to you, please?"

"And how on Earth do you plan to do that Grimmjow?" Ichigo questioned as he pushed his key into the ignition roughly and turned the car on. Before he could get an answer, he threw the car into reverse and started to pull out. He wasn't expecting however for Grimmjow to jump into the passenger's side. 'I knew I should have put the doors back on before I left for break!' Ichigo screamed in his head.

"Let me do something to make it up to you!" Grimmjow said as he sat down and looked to the orange haired teen.

Ichigo stopped the car and glared at him, the vehicle parked in the middle of the parking lot and this blue haired bastard just had to be persistent with his 'making it up to Ichigo' ordeal. He couldn't believe this guy! "What do you want to do to make it up to me? What can you do?" Ichigo questioned with irritation in his tone.

"Let me take you out sometime. You, me, and anyone else you want to take with. We can do whatever you want," Grimmjow explained with a grin. It was slightly unnerving for the Strawberry to see such a smile on his face. He didn't trust it.

"Fine if you want to make it up to me then do it. Just leave me alone right now okay?" Ichigo asked. In his head he was thinking that he'd just blow the guy off and not talk to him again. But when Grimmjow's hand came out in front of him, palm up, he raised a brow.

"You can't call me if you don't have my number," Grimmjow said with a cocky smile.

Things were never as easy as one would think. Taking his phone out with a grumbling sigh, he handed it over to the blue haired male. "Fine whatever."

Tapping away on the keyboard, Grimmjow handed the phone back to Ichigo with a smile before stepping out of the car. "I am sorry, about what they said," he said before Ichigo just shook his head and drove out of the parking lot, leaving Grimmjow to stare off in his wake.

As he turned to walk inside, he stopped when he noticed the rest of Ichigo's friends coming out of the double doors. Raising a brow, he walked over to the red haired one, the guy he really couldn't remember the name of despite him being Ichigo's best friend when they were young. "Hey, are you guys leaving?" Grimmjow asked as he looked around to everyone.

"Yeah, that string bean mother fucker back there just pissed us off even more. We can't stick around without wanting to kill him," the red head explained with an irritated tone.

Grimmjow nodded in understanding before he raised a hand before the other could leave. "Hey wait, what hotel are you guys staying in?"

xxxxx

"I can't believe that ass. What, he thinks that if he can just take me out on a date everything will be fine? Well you know what fuck him, and his damn sexy ass," Ichigo ranted to himself as he was pulling into the parking spot of the Soul Society Hotel. "I can't believe I liked him back then. He was such an ass!"

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Ichigo muttered to himself incoherently about not believing the nerve of that guy. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't heard the manager of the hotel calling out to him before the elevator doors closed and he was on his way up to the fourth floor where his room was.

Upon arriving, he stepped out of the lift and moved around the corner to where he saw his room door ajar with employees going in and out with his things.

Stopping midstride, he scrunched his nose in confusion to what they were doing before he broke off into a sprint. "Hey! What are you guys doing?" He demanded as he made his way over to them.

One of the employees put his hands up almost as a barrier or defense between the room and Ichigo, "please sir. We're just doing our job." Ichigo looked over his shoulder while his temper was rising.

"Your job is to move my stuff out of the room? What are you guys kicking me out of the hotel or something?" He questioned with obvious anger flaring up.

"Please sir!" Someone called from behind Ichigo. He turned to see the manager was walking his way. The man was of average height for someone in their late thirties. His dark brown hair was a little flipped as the guy himself seemed to be scattered brained. "Sorry sir, my name is Shuske, I'm the manager of the Soul Society Hotel," he said as he seemed to be trying to catch his breath. "We got a call a little while ago from a Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez to move the things in here to the pent house on the top floor. He said he'd pay for the whole stay and we were to refund your money as he also paid for the time you spent in these rooms."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. For a start, Grimmjow had called his hotel and paid for his stay in the pent house? That in of itself was unbelievable. But then it dawned on him, "Grimmjow has no right to say you can move our things to another room without asking one of us first."

The manager scratched his cheek as though he were embarrassed about something. "Actually I spoke to a gentleman named Renji Abarai whose name was on the room and he told me that it'd be alright for us to move everything as nothing had been unpacked just yet."

Now he was sure he heard his jaw hit the floor. Renji was taking part in this too? Now he'd have to kill the Pineapple! "Fine, then can I get the key to the room so I can finally go lay down?" Ichigo questioned as his irritation was reaching his last nerve.

"Oh yes, it's right here!" Shuske said as he reached into his front breast pocket and pulled out the keycard.

Taking it with a rough thanks, Ichigo grumbled to himself about a 'stupid blue haired male that didn't know when he wasn't wanted.' The manager just smiled politely seeing that the boy was worked up over something. He personally thought it was kind of the man on the phone to move someone into a nicer room and pay for the whole time they stayed.

Walking passed the employees, he noticed the stuffed lion that was resting on the top of one of the suitcases. Snatching it up, he wrapped his arms around it before leaving so that the people could finish their jobs with getting the things up to the pent house.

By the time Ichigo made it to the pent house, his temper calmed just a bit. He still wasn't happy with Grimmjow, but there was something about what the man did that made him want to try to give him a chance.

Ichigo finally made it to his new room. Opening the door, his jaw was sure to unhinge. The white marble flooring spread from the door across the way, down the two steps that lead to the main room, and over to the floor-to-cieling windows that showed the rest of the city to him. The walls held an off white paper that looked like it hadn't been touched by time yet. As he moved into the main room, he took notice of the L shaped couch that sat in the middle, made from what he quested as faux leather due to its white color. The black coffee table that's at in the middle was about 3x3' and held a glass center. There was a black marble statue in the shape of a woman, despite having arms on it, to the left of the room. To the right, and behind half of the couch, sat a bar that he guessed anyone could use to make drinks if they so wished.

Turning on his heels, Ichigo moved to the kitchen that was to the right of the front door, and that was attached to the main room. Coming in from the main room, he noticed the kitchen in the shape of what people would say is a diamond shape. The flat of the top being the wall to his right, and the bottom point making itself to his left. The room held the same marble flooring as the entrance way and the larger room, but the counters held a stone that was black with silver slivers littering it. The island that stood in the center of the room was rather large compared to most, but there was still a large amount of room between the surfaces of the island and the counters. A silver plated deep sink sat to the corner of the island. Aside from the sink nothing else was atop the surface. Four black leather stools sat on the two sides opposite of the sink. On the wall by the entrance to the room stood a large silver metal fridge. The glass top stove sat opposite the sink by the wall.

Sitting on the couch, Ichigo rested his head against the back of the furniture with a sigh.

It wasn't long before Ichigo heard a mumbling noise coming from the other side of the front door. Sitting up, he looked toward the threshold to see them when they came in. But the door never opened as the voices faded.

His brow furrowed as he stood and moved to the door to poke his head out. To listen to where the voices went. A few voices came from the door across the hall, behind the door that lead to the only other pent house in the hotel.

Closing the door, Ichigo moved toward the windows. As he stopped in front of them, he bit his lip lightly while looking out toward the city lights. He could barely see his reflection on the glass.

Bringing his thumb up to his lips, he bit at the nail and shifted his weight to the opposite side. Shaking his head he growled to himself, "seriously? Why am I even thinking about him right now?" He questioned as he bumped his head against the glass with a light sigh. His mind was still reeling over the last few hours that he'd spent with his friends, and that blue haired bastard.

He jumped as he heard a knock on the door behind him, his arms quickly shot around his middle, holding him as though he were about to fall apart.

With a scoff, he shook his head and wiped his hands on his swimshorts. Moving toward the door, he opened it without even looking through the peephole.

His breath hitched, and his heart jumped.

xxxxx

When the knock came on the door, Ichigo's mom walked happily to the door as she opened it. Of course, her orange haired child was running as quickly as he could to the door as he was more excited for the visitors than she was. It was his eighth birthday, and his mom was letting him have as many friends as he wanted to come over and stay the night.

Upon seeing his friends who were now coming in past his mother, they all smiled greatly at him with a chuckle.

Despite his protests, when he handed out his invitations to the sleep over, his mom had instructed him to hand them out to all the students in his class. Reluctantly, he did as his mother said. Though so far he was quite happy with all of his classmates that had shown up.

About twenty minutes into the beginning of the party, kids were running around back and forth around the living room. Their screaming, laughing, and yelling didn't seem to faze the kind smile on Masaki's features. She was setting a long table with paper plates and plastic cups. She set the table for as many kids R.S.V.P'd and not one less.

As she was done setting the table, she waklked out into the main room where all the kids were playing. Counting the number of children, she frowned lightly as she seemed to be one short.

"Ichigo baby," she called softly to her child. Despite the yelling and screaming of the children, that head of orange hair shot up and looked at her with the biggest smile. "Where is G-" She stopped when she'd heard a knock on the door.

Raising a hand to her son, she walked down the hall. Ichigo watched her for a moment before shrugging and continuing on with his friends. But before a minute could pass, he once again heard his name being called from the front door.

Jumping from his spot on the couch, Ichigo ran to the front door where his mother stood. Smiling up at her, he seemed to be the happiest person in the world. That is until he looked passed his mother and saw a head of blue hair. Grimmjow smiled ever so slightly, almost like he was shy. He was wearing a simple black tee, and a pair of dark blue gym shorts. His backpack was on his back that showed he was ready to stay the night.

Feeling both butterflies and boiling in the pit of his stomach, Ichigo whined inwardly as to not give away that he was now a little scared.

"Show him in so that he can join everyone else," Masaki said to her son as she smiled to him before looking to the blue haired woman who seemed a little too pale to be Grimmjow's mother.

Ichigo nodded despite his want to scream and say no, and to yell at his mom to send them away. Despite all of that, he noticed the slight purple-ish yellow coloring on the boy's collar bone, and worry instantly washed over him. He may have hated having the kid around, but Ichigo was also the type of kid that wanted to make sure everyone was smiling. He was the type of kid that wanted to protect everyone.

Just as he and Grimmjow had entered the room with the other children, the laughing and screaming ceased. All of the kids were looking at the two boys. With one arm crossed over his chest, holding onto his bicep, he waved with his right hand with a soft, almost unaudiable, 'hi.'

Grimmjow followed Ichigo as the boy showed the way to his room so that the blue haired boy could set his bag down. As he set his things down on one side of the room, Ichigo turned to walk out. But before he could, Grimmjow reached out and touched the boy's arm. "Wait..." He said softly before holding out a bag that had blue tissue paper sticking out of the top.

Raising a brow he took the bag almost hesitantly, "I'm sorry..." Grimmjow said softly. He didn't specify why he apologized, but after he said it he almost ran out of the room. Raising a brow, he pulled the blue paper from the bag before reaching in to pull out the gift.

Looking at the stuffed lion, he smiled slightly. He didn't know if Grimmjow had known it or not, but lions were his favorite animals.

XXXXX

"Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked with a raised brow as he looked between the blue haired male, and the green haired female that seemed to be bouncing behind him.

A grin lifted the sides of the man's face teasingly, and with a raised brow, those cerulean eyes roamed over the orangette. "I'm a little surpised with you Strawberry," Grimmjow said in that deep voice that made a chill run down Ichigo's spine.

"Why?" He shot back with a piqued interest. He crossed his arms over his chest, crushing the stuffed lion's stomach between his arms.

Grimmjow poked the forehead of the animal with his fearal grin growing, "I didn't think you'd actually keep Kon."

Biting his lip, Ichigo shifted his weight to his left, "what's it matter that I kept him?" He questioned softly with a light pink tone touching his cheeks. He wasn't used to being the object of someone's attention. And now, not only did he hold the attention of someone, but he held the attention of a hot model that was once his tormentor.

Hearing a groan from behind Grimmjow, Ichigo raised a brow. But before he could question, Nel pushed passed her blue haired friend, and right passed Ichigo into the pent house. He was about to ask what she was doing, but she soon disappeared into one of the bedrooms, the one to the left of the front door.

Grimmjow just shook his head before walking passed Ichigo as well. "Sorry didn't mean to disturb you, but the manager said that you'd grabbed the keycard already." He said with a shrug.

It was only then that Ichigo had noticed the dufflebag that was resting on Grimmjow's shoulder. "Wait, no no no..." Ichigo said as he shook his head.

"What?" Grimmjow didn't even turn back to look him in the eye as he walked on into the room.

Ichigo followed almost remotly, "you aren't staying here too."

Now Grimmjow turned to face him, "is that a problem?" He asked almost daringly.

He wanted to scream 'hell yeah' but he bit his lip to hold himself back. He didn't exactly know why, but didn't want to reject the man so outright.

"I...um...I don't..." Shaking his head, he turned and made his way to the bedroom that was to the right of the kitchen. Jumping over the bed, he landed face first into the pillow. Groaning, he didn't actually think about the situation thoroughly. If he had, he probably would have ran into the other room with Neliel, seeing how there was only two bedrooms.

Thanks for reading!