Stranger blues (Chapter 2)

"For moral support, that's why!" Ichigo fired back at the lanky blonde, seriously considering just manning up and going alone. His longtime friend, Shinji, was the most flamboyant, obnoxious, over the top guy he knew, and he needed that with him to face Mr. SexIn6E.

Plus, Shinji was gay, and this other guy was gay too, so it was only natural to bring someone with the inside scoop on the situation; or at least that was what Ichigo's thought process was. You've got a problem with a girl? Bring another girl along to help you deal with it. You've got a problem with a guy that has temper issues? You ask a guy that has temper issues for advice. Got a problem with a cashier at a grocery store? You better damn well find yourself another grocery store employee to help you out with it, right? Right?

Never-mind; the point was that Shinji was the key to the success or failure of this mission. He was the key, and the key just wouldn't cooperate because it was 11:30am, and the orange-haired man had called like it was an emergency, 'forcing' the blonde to come over in nothing but black basketball shorts, a leopard print t-shirt sporting the words "Sexy And I Know It," scrawled over the chest in huge purple lettering, and a tattered pair of white, slide on vans (no socks). Which was apparently 'practically a crime,' and 'unacceptable on every level.' Blah, blah. Ichigo knew that the only way he was going to get Shinji over at this time was a frantic call, even though it was near the middle of the day.

It felt like Kurotsuchi was even more of a slave driver today than any other day too (even though he didn't really do much), and Ichigo couldn't fall asleep until 5am, which means he got one solid hour of sleep before the dreaded exam took place. That's right, it took place at 8 sharp, and the orangette got there in the nick of time- which was lucky. It was lucky, because the biochemistry professor seemed to get off on berating anyone and anyone who was late, fell asleep, or otherwise interrupted him in a class of 85 students. Great. Since he got there on time though, he wasn't paid any attention by the manic professor, so when he fell asleep in class (yet again) he didn't get the usual treatment because he wasn't snoring like a chainsaw for once, and blended in. Say what you will about Kurotsuchi, but at least when you fell asleep during a lecture, he woke you up and you didn't miss a thing. If he noticed you, that is.

On the bright side, Ichigo had woken up rested and content- that was until he'd looked up at the horrified face of his friend Renji, tattooed eyebrows drawn together, jaw dropped, and burgundy eyes wide and haunted, almost like he'd seen a ghost. He might have seen the ghost of Ichigo's dreams concerning a passing grade, what with the test that'd been imperative to said passing grade stuck to the orange haired man's face and covered in a combination of dried and fresh drool. It was okay though, because Kurotsuchi had given Ichigo an out.

-Flashback-

"Dr. Kurotsuchi? I'm very sorry about this, and I hate to ask, but my neighbor's been keeping me up all night for the past few weeks, and I fell asleep in class today. Is there any possible way that I could take this test? A different time?" Ichigo knew it was probably futile, but he had to ask. Worrying his lip, he stood behind the professor as he wordlessly put away his belongings to grab lunch (and grab his sexy lab assistant, Nemu, along the way [if there's any truth to the rumors]).

"Well..." Ichigo stiffened, already hating the playful lilt to the man's voice. He'd hoped for an out, but Kurotsuchi wasn't exactly known for his understanding nature. Meaning, whatever he was about to offer wasn't going to be pretty.

"There is something you could do to free up my schedule, yes...If you would be so kind as to clean up my lab while I grade your test- the one that you will take during a future lecture- I'd be happy to do it for you, Mr. Kurosaki." The man turned around, revealing an impossibly wide manic grin, and excited golden eyes peering at him behind navy blue hair.

-Flashback-

Ichigo'd seen that lab before, and it was understandable that his professor had given him an offer that he couldn't refuse without failing the class in order to get the stressed student to clean it up. Hell, Ichigo would've done the same thing, because the lab was uninhabitable. It was disgusting. He didn't feel easy walking in without a hazmat suit, no matter how many times Kurotsuchi guaranteed his safety and security. So needless to say, it was a pretty shit day so far, and it wasn't even noon; all the fault of one man. Ichigo felt that it was only fair to:

A. Drag Shinji down with him.

B. Drag SexIn6E down as well.

Doing so proved to be a challenge though, considering the asshole blonde just wouldn't help out and play his part.

"We aren't all linked by a special rainbow colored string, Ichi! I don' know 'im any better than ya do! Jus' grow a set an' talk to 'im fer once!" Shinji threw his hands up in defeat with a huff, making the redhead groan. Usually he'd storm over after the first few days of a noise problem, but this was different. It was a sex noise problem. He didn't know how to tell his neighbor to keep the people he fucked quiet, and it was like Shinji had not a modicum of shame. That's why he was needed (aside from the gay thing and the dragging people into his misfortune thing); he wouldn't let Ichigo, for lack of a better word, pussy out.

"Well, I still need you there! It's not like you aren't already here anyhow! Just walk over with me!" The orange haired man growled, willing the other man to just give in. Shinji huffed again, spinning toward the door on his heel and letting his cropped blond swish around his angular face. Just as Ichigo was about to protest his leaving, he was cut off by a defeated sigh.

"Aren't cha' comin' with? I wanna see what 'e looks like to hav' all those guys screamin'." Inwardly victory dancing, the med student walked behind his best friend with a small smile, not showing just how pleased he was with this outcome.

"Yes." he nodded, suddenly nervous for what's to come. It's like he was about to face an enemy that he's never defeated before, not once. Swiping his keys out of the little bowl on the end table that sat beside the entrance-way, he left his little place, trying to drown out the nerves.

'This man is a powerful adversary indeed.' He bit his lip as they made the dreaded walk to apartment 6E. Ichigo found himself wondering what this guy looks like, what he sounds like...he'd never really got a chance to hear his neighbor's voice properly. Getting lost in his own thoughts, Ichigo sifted through the people who he knew lived on the other side. A sleepy looking brunette with piercing grey eyes? A pink haired guy with glasses?

'Nah, the first guy looks like he needs his sleep, and the second one puts off a "uke" sort of vibe...' If there was one thing that Ichigo (and probably the entire floor) knew about 6E, was that whoever lived in there was a seme (or dom, as they'd say in the U.S.), and a pretty damn good one at that.

"Ichi! Ya can't drag me over here 'n then space out!" A forgotten Shinji snapped, as they were now standing in front of 6E. The redhead looked up and focused on the now-ominous slab of grey-painted wood, the silver apartment number glinting in the dim lighting.

"Right. Right." He nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet and praying to Kami that the guy would be somewhat normal, the 22 year old raised a fist, rapping on the cheap material as hard as he could. Stepping back, he nodded again, satisfied with the loud sound and already falling into disgruntled neighbor mode.

"Yer really somethin," Shinji said with a shake of his head, leaning against the opposite wall and heaving a sigh, hazel eyes trained on the door. With that, they waited. And waited. And waited.

And were kept waiting for 15 minutes.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Ichigo narrowed glistening bronze eyes at the ugly door, shifting his feet uncomfortably on the puke green carpet. It was a shitty apartment complex, but he'd needed something close to the school he went to, Seireitei University. The rent in Japan wasn't nearly as high as the rent here, so he had to settle while he attended college. He'd gotten a beautiful scholarship, a full ride (and he'd busted his ass for it every step of the way), so he really didn't have anything to complain about; Ichigo considered himself one of the lucky ones, never taking anything he got for granted. Even if he lived in a rundown apartment building, in which his shitty neighbor still hadn't opened up the door.

With a barely concealed growl, he hammered the poor door a second time, this time like it stole from him and hit his sister. "What the fuck?" the orangette wondered aloud once again, turning to his friend.

"Ya look like a middle age' man Ichi." Shinji giggled behind his hand at the ever present scowl on the annoyed young man's face. "Ya're gonna get 'churself some wrinkles soon!" Rasing himself up off of the other side of the wall, he poked the spot where dark orange brows were drawn together, releasing another round of giggles when he was swatted away in annoyance.

"Oi! You'd have wrinkles too if you had to suffer through this!" Ichigo shot back, annoyed. I mean, who the fuck did this man think he was? Kami? Did this man think he was a God? Some sort of deity that didn't have to deal with pissed off neighbors and their sleeping habits?

The redhead felt his blood boiling in his veins, hotter and hotter the longer he stewed in his frustration. Raising his hand once more, he pounded on the wood, making it rattle in the frame dangerously. He knew that irritating man was there, he just knew. In some deep, dark corner of his mind, he realized that he was being irrational, but if you'd ever actually seen the mess in Kurotsuchi's lab with your own eyes then had been cornered into cleaning it, you'd know that he had reason to be more than a little irrational.

"C'mon, les' go Ichi, he obviously 'sn't home." Shinji shook his head, blonde bob swishing with the movement. No...he knew. This was the only time he was going to be able to do this; the conditions were perfect. He had Shinji, the deities were on his side, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping. All he needed to do was get this man out of his apartment. With a rough shake of his head, he continued abusing the portal, this time with no breaks.

"He's here, I can tell. Just wait." Bronze orbs trained on the doorknob, he ignored the exasperated sigh of his half German friend in favor of listening for footsteps. Then, he finally made some progress, thank Kami-sama. There was a thud, a muffled curse, and finally, heavy steps that were getting closer and closer. He nearly felt tears of relief pricking at his eyes, but didn't stop his assault on the worn out door until he felt like he'd done enough.

Slinking back, he gripped at Shinji's forearm as he continued to observe the steel, round doorknob for movement. All of the nerves and doubts he had about this plan had rushed back, crashing into him like a runaway freight train.

"Stop bein' such a babe and face 'im! Yer gonna have to do it sooner or later wit'out me! Blödmann(3)!" The blonde cursed, shoving the anxious orangette forward, right as the door was suddenly flung open. An annoyed looking young man was revealed, half naked body leaning against the frame of the entranceway, his scowl rivaling Ichigo's previous one.

Ichigo isn't the least bit gay. No, he was straight as an arrow, but he's always been able to appreciate male beauty on some level, and was this guy was as beautiful as Ichigo's hair was orange. He stood at about 6'2, body lean, but definitely muscular. Tan, thickly corded biceps crossed over a sculpted chest, right above a trim waist, and casting a shadow along an eight pack that gracefully fed into twin Adonis lines- what was between them (besides the obvious) you ask? A thin line of powder blue hair, trailing to a black pair of boxers. The orange haired man realized that he was essentially looking at another guy's dick, and promptly schooled his face into the usual scowl, steeling himself before looking up. When he did, he almost regretted it, as his tea colored eyes met the bluest pair of catlike orbs he'd ever seen, set in a face that would make Cupid cry.

6E didn't just have a pretty body, he had a pretty face too. His glorious mug was complete with an angular jaw line, high cheekbones, thin blue eyebrows, and like icing on the fucking cake, he had beautiful, silky looking sky blue locks, messy and framing his features. His pinkish lips were wet and plumpish and almost...

Moving?

Oh!

Ichigo tuned back in, hoping that no one caught on to the fact that he was just blankly staring for a few minutes. With the look that Shinji gave him though, he knew that all hope was lost, and they'd have to talk about it later.

"...woke me up. Ya're pretty damn loud there, drummer boy. Almost as loud as yer bozo hair." The orange haired man couldn't control the sneer that twisted his lips as he shot back, blatantly ignoring the warning glances coming from his friend.

"You're one to talk, I've never actually met anyone that would glow under a black-light before now, so thanks for being my first. PIus, I don't think you can say anything about my noise level, asshole!" The annoyed student tilted his head up, desperately trying to cover for the three inch height difference between them. He knew for a fact that this stranger was stronger than himself, but he could take the bigger man down in a physical fight if necessary with his speed and grace (years of karate, folks).

"Whatcha' mean by that, you noisy lil' fuck?" 6E leaned down to glare into almond shaped bronze eyes, just serving to infuriate the smaller man, not intimidate like he'd obviously intended.

Suddenly, Ichigo forgot about his nerves and hesitations, even took back his earlier, superficial opinion of the blue haired man in 6E, because as far as the ginger was concerned- the guy staring into his eyes was nothing but a jarhead.

"You ever check your door, asshole?" The orangette started. "Who the fuck do you think has been leaving you notes for two weeks asking you to keep your fucking partners quiet! I don't need to hear all of your bitchy one night stands screaming their heads off at 3am! It's bad enough that I missed a test because of you, but now you have the nerve to-"

"What my friend here is trying to say," Shinji dropped the slurs and shortened words out of his speech in exchange for a smooth, calming tenor that's only broken out when he's aiming to please. "Is that he'd appreciate it if you could keep your partners quiet while he's trying to sleep. You see, Ichigo's a med student, and it's hard to do the work when you fall asleep during the lessons. I definitely understand why you get those screams though, and I'll damn sure regret it if I don't give you my number before we part ways." The blonde produced a business card for Hirako designs, the fashion company that he and his mother run, seemingly out of nowhere. He tore it in half so only his number was left with a flourish, then graced sex in 6E with a mile wide Cheshire cat grin, quickly falling into place beside his best friend.

Ichigo was left gaping like a fish at the entire display, clenching and unclenching his fists because he just couldn't decide who to hit first. Wasn't Shinji supposed to be on his side? Weren't they supposed to be disgruntled together? Yet again, his thought process was cut off by the gritty, deep voice of 6E.

"I'll call you, definitely," He gave a 1000 watt smile, sharper-than-usual canines gleaming against the rinky-dink fluorescent lighting of the hallway, pairing it with a wink that probably drops pants on the regular. "Unfortunately, that doesn't have anything to do with your friend's situation here. I'd love to get to know the both of you, and maybe if he let me take him out sometime, I'd try to keep things quieter. Do you think you could get him to accept, handsome?" Shinji gave a giggle and turned to Ichigo, hazel eyes shimmering with excitement.

The orangette was concerned. If he didn't know any better, he'd consider this an act of witchcraft, tie 6E to a boulder, and drop him underwater to see if he would sink or cast a spell to save his life.

"Ichi, you should go on a date with him!" And that's where blonde should've stopped, but he didn't. "It's been so long since Rukia! You really need to get out and have some fun." Ichigo wasn't amused. His sneer was now directed at Shinji, who sent a wink at him and smiled like he'd won the lottery.

"Shinji, didn't you come over to help me, not him-" On a roll, the redhead spun on his heel and stared down the amused blunette. "And you- don't try to pit my friends against me- and don't try to use your fucking charm on me. I hate to break it to you, but I'm straight as a rod. So if you could just- if you could just keep your lovers quiet, I'd really appreciate it." He sighed, knowing it wasn't going to be too easy from the way that 6E's grin widened and turned a little feral. He suddenly felt like prey, and it sent a shiver down his spine. The worst part was, he couldn't decide if it was a pleasant feeling or not, which was scary for a whole other set of reasons.

"Did ya just say you find me charming? While I'm flattered, I'm also disappointed that ya're not even considerin' mi offer. A little hurt. I just want cha to go on one short date with me, and I'll keep the noise level down for a couple nights, huh? It ain't such a bad deal when ya get down to the core aspects, am I right? Just let me take ya out for dinner, and everything should be quiet as a church mouse on Christmas eve for a couple days, 'less you decide to join me on one of those nights. If you do, I can't make any promises..." he trailed off, his feral, predatory expression toning down into something a little more sultry and smarmy.

'Smarmy. That's a perfect word for it. I don't even know how else to describe that look.' Ichigo thought, seething. The guy must think he's Kami, he thinks he can turn a straight guy gay.

"Look, I can't accept your offer. Like I said, I'm straight, meaning I'm not interested. We've got to figure something out, because I can't go on missing lectures because you can't keep your dick in your pants. So why don't you just..." the embarrassment was coming back in full force, but the orangette managed to force it down, looking away from mirth filled, blue kaleidoscope eyes. He had to, if he was ever going to push out those few words. "Why don't you just fuck in a different room?" He muttered, ears glowing noticeably red from where they stuck out behind shiny orange locks, and bronze orbs focusing on the ratty carpeting.

"Well ya see, my bed is the only place I can do that. I think it's kind of hot to pound a beautiful submissive into the mattress...I like it sort of rough, but it doesn't mean I can't slow it down every once in a while, ya know?" 6E teased, both him and an amused blonde watching the red start to crawl up from under the collar of a black "Ride the Lightning" Metallica t-shirt to inch up a neck, chin, and angular jaw, a set of dimpled cheeks, then finally brushing over a lightly freckled nose and cheekbones.

"Hehe, I love et when ya do that, ya look like a thermometer!" Shinji giggled, reaching up to muss orange hair.

"Fuck off! I just need some quiet!" The blushing young man stared up at the cocky one almost pleadingly, pushing the hands of his friend off of him as well.

"My offer still stands, Ichigo," 6E leaned down and let a small smirk grace his lips. "Ya won't regret going out with me, not once, not ever. Come back anytime." He turned, revealing a large, gothic six tattoo on the mid right side of his sculpted back, making Shinji squeal and Ichigo groan.

"By the way," He tossed the same smirk over his shoulder at the redhead. "The name's Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. Remember that name, because you'll need something to yell out and annoy the neighbors with when you finally accept my offer." And with that, the door was slammed in their faces.

It took a few for everything to sink in, yeah. Ichigo took a few deep breaths and smiled at Shinji, striding back to his apartment quickly and letting the rough polyester of his warm-ups swish together. The blonde trailed him, both of them walking around to the other side of the wall in silence, with only the swish-swish sounds of their pants and the hollow thuds of their footfalls between them.

The orangette didn't fully understand what just happened, as he was dealing with too many warring emotions at once. So when it finally clicked for him, they were inside the apartment Ichigo called his home, and he was dealing with a vicious eye twitch. On the bright side, Shinji managed to get away in time to avoid the fiery temper of his friend when he finally burst.

"That conceited, cocky- Kami kuso watashi no!(1) Watashi wa aitsu o koroshimasu!" Ichigo howled, sending his fist flying at the wall as soon as the door was shut, hissing at the pain soon after.

"Hey now! Ya ain't gotta kill 'im! You don't know what kinda guy he is for sure! Plus, he's hot, even you were checking him out, Mr. StraightAsAnArrow." Shinji poked his head out from behind the little, once-white loveseat in a way that Ichigo had once drunkenly admitted was adorable, the blonde just able to understand the last bit of the Japanese curse. "Watashi wa aitsu o koroshimasu," = "I'll kill that bastard."

The whirlwind of rage was suddenly directed at the unfortunate man still partially hidden behind the dingy piece of furniture. "You. You baka! How are you going to go with me to confront this guy and then give him your number?! He wasn't that good looking! He was a jar-headed baka! Then he had the nerve to refuse to shut the hell up for one night! One measly night! He flat out told me I'd be screaming his name if I came over! Kokkījāku!(2)" The redhead suddenly dropped to his knees and deflated, his mood changing on a dime.

"Why do I always get dealt a bad hand? Please Kami, tell me why..."

Shinji came up behind him, rubbing soothing circles on his back now that the threat was gone. "I'm sorry baby, he was just so good looking! The love of my life...and I've lost him to you." Ichigo snorted and shook his head.

"You say that about all of the cute boys...you even said that to me when we met..." With a shake of the head, the blonde pulled them both up to stand.

"I'm ignorin' the fact that cha just called yaself cute, even if you are adorable. Maybe you should just give Grimmjow a chance though, seriously Ichi. If ya don't have fun, you still get a couple a' fuck free days, right?" Shinji did have a point. Ichigo was the type of person to refuse to be driven out of his own home because of some baka that wants to have sex, and he'd refused any offers he got from his friends to stay over on the night of the test. That would just feel like failure to him, so he had no other options. The only thing he could do is twist Grimmjow's offer a bit, making himself feel like he was like he was choosing to do this because he wanted to (which would still be kind of humiliating). Either that, or admit defeat and let himself be pushed off of his own, rented property by some stranger (which would also be humiliating).

The only problem was that he wasn't gay, and he would never be gay. He obviously had no problem with gay people, but he'd never really felt gay. So he wasn't about to go on a gay date with a gay guy that was expecting gay sex.

Right?

Ichigo let out a gusty sigh. Decisions, decisions.

-One Week Later-

"I'm sorry Mr. Kurosaki, but this is the only available time slot I have. If you can clean my lab next Friday, I'd love to let you take the test the day before. This is the only time I will be free to do so, and I'm doing you a favor, so please take this opportunity, lest you let your grade suffer." Kurotsuchi trilled over the phone, knowing he'd won the minute he'd said the words "grade suffer."

Ichigo clenched his teeth and growled inaudibly, still clutching the small, rectangular phone in his hand. Kurotsuchi had called a week after the Grimmjow incident, telling his student that he's scheduled the lab to be cleaned (no, he wanted Ichigo to clean the lab) next Friday, a week from the call. That would've been fine and dandy too, had the redhead come to a decision concerning the irritating blunette.

That's right, every night without fail, there would still be a different man in the Jaegerjaques' apartment howling in pleasure, only this time around, there was a distinct teasing air surrounding the moments after the one night stand was kicked out. Almost like Grimmjow was telling the poor med student that he could end the torture if he wanted, he just had to follow the rules of the blue bastard's tiny minded little game. The orangette swore that he'd heard Shinji in there too once, only adding to the teasing feeling of the entire, petty situation. The sad part is, the orange head wouldn't be the least bit shocked if it was his longtime friend getting, quote: pounded into the mattress. Unquote. Sure, he'd feel a little betrayed (Shinji was on his side, damn it!), but not surprised.

So there he was, stuck between a failure and a Grimmjow. He'd made his decision as he was speaking to his professor though; a date with some Kokkījāku wasn't as bad as failing a class that he'd worked his ass off to get into in the first place. It also wasn't as bad as begging a friend to let him hole up at their place because he "couldn't handle the big, bad neighbor." He'd man up and go on the stupid fucking date, even though it might cost him a tiny bit of his pride to do so.

"Thank you for the opportunity Dr. Kurotsuchi. I really appreciate it, and I'd love to clean your lab up on Friday." Ichigo grit out, closing his eyes and exchanging goodbyes with the strange professor. He knew what he had to do. Steeling his nerves, he ended the call and stood up from the tiny loveseat, grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling on it, then shoving into his pocket and hanging his head like he was about to walk into a battlefield.

Not even stopping to look at his reflection, he stomped out of the room with keys in hand, solid black, sk8 hi vans thumping against the carpeting and very likely disturbing the poor people who lived on the floor below them (floor 12). He was wearing mesh basketball shorts and a tank top with some kanji on it that translated to: bad boy. He didn't have to impress anyone. He just had to get this over with.

The moment he got to 6E, he nearly punched the door he hit it so hard, and it took a while, but the wooden portal slid open, revealing a man with a very familiar cocky expression.

"So, have ya made ya decision yet, Ichi?" The blunette drawled lazily, catlike eyes still filled with plain humor.

Reluctantly, the orange haired man nodded, looking up into the seemingly endless sea of blue inside Grimmjow's orbs with a defeated sigh.

"Yeah. Fine. Take me on a date tomorrow, and if you aren't as quiet as a mouse until next Friday, I'll personally come over here and beat you senseless. Are we clear?" Ichigo said with a scowl, shoving the little piece of paper he'd written his number on right before he left into the waiting hands of his future date.

"Crystal. Like I said, ya won't regret it! I'll text ya with the info." Grimmjow turned (thankfully clothed this time) and gave a short wave over his shoulder, closing the door again.

'Kami-sama,' Ichigo thought. 'Tomorrow's going to be a long fucking day.'

Ahh! There we have it! I'd like to thank the people who reviewed, followed, and added my little brain gem here to their favorites! It really means a lot, and I hope you enjoyed the first two chapters of the story!

So we've got a bit of Japanese and German thrown into this one, so I'ma jot down a few translations for ya (Google translate sucks sometimes, so don't blame me if this is a little off):

(1) Kami kuso watashi no! - My fucking god!

(2) Kokkījāku! - Cocky jerk!

(3) Blödmann! - Dumbass! (German)

Kami/Kami-sama - God/Lord

Baka - Idiot, silly.

I still ain't got the money to get sued, and I ain't a thief neither. Bleach is not my baby, I don't own it, nor do I claim to. This picture is not mine. If it's yours and you don't want me using it, feel free to kick my ass, then tell me to piss off and learn to draw digitally.

This concludes chapter 2 of Stranger Blues- and yes, I'm about to shamelessly ask you to leave your opinions and fave/follow this if you enjoy it and want to see more. Shamelessly. Thanks for reading, and goodbye! Next time we fnd out how that date goes!~

Much love,

TheSextaEspada