I don't really know how happy I am with this chapter anymore. I was happy with it after I finished it, so I moved on and wrote the third chapter, but after rereading through it again... I don't know. But I think it's about as good as it's going to get, so I'm leaving it.
Enjoy?
The morning was a quiet one, early before everything opened up and the day officially began. The small cafe had yet to actually open it's doors to that day's customers, but the owner had made a deal with a particular young man earlier that year and Ichigo sat in his favorite seat, outside on the large platform that over hung the space beside the tall building. From the small, round table that sat beside the plush and comfortable chair he sat in, he pulled a cup of tea, freshly brewed just for him. He put the book and papers he'd been scanning through down, laying them across his lap as he sipped the tea and gave the worker a small but grateful smile.
This was his favorite part of the day. It was early enough that most of the massive city around him was still asleep and everything was bathed in the soft but brilliant light of the rising sun. The silence was comforting, like a calm melody all of it's own. There was no one to bother him, no one to expect things of him, no one to impress or keep up appearances with. He could sit, drink his tea, and look over his sisters' homework for them in peace.
He realized it was mostly his status that allowed him this privilege; the privilege of arriving at his favorite cafe an hour before it officially opened. But the manager and a few employees had to be in even before the early hour to begin readying everything for the day, so after he'd offered to pay the fee that would normally accompany reserving a table, they'd agreed to let him in and he'd been making an appearance nearly every morning since. The same employee waited on him nearly every morning and the young woman didn't even bother to ask what he'd like to order anymore. He walked in, showed himself through the empty cafe, unlocked the sliding glass door that led out to the outdoor section, and took his balcony seat. A few minutes later, the young lady would arrive with his favorite tea in a blue cup because he liked the blue more than the white cups they used. She would greet him with a smile and ask how his morning was and he would smile in return and tell her it'd just gotten much better before turning to the assignments his younger sisters had worked on the night prior.
Then she'd go back about her other duties until she saw that he needed a refill or had decided upon breakfast. Ichigo didn't know her name and he really didn't care to learn it. He tipped her well for putting up with him so early in the morning and he was certain that was the reason she was always so friendly and cheery with him, never mind that she surely knew of who he was. Or at least who his father was. Everyone knew who is father was.
Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father, was the city's most renowned physician. The man not only owned his own hospital, but he owned the entire skyscraper the hospital was located in. The entire building, save for the very top floor and obviously the bottom few that were left empty, was dedicated to medicine and medical technology. Every type of medical related services could be found there; emergency rooms, physicians, family practice, ob/gyn, facilities that specialized in surgery, in military wounds, sports doctors, in plastic surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, even limb replacement and artificial organs.
And Dr. Kurosaki oversaw the entirety of it. He hand selected who was good enough to work in his medic-scraper and he even participated in some of the surgeries and consultations. Isshin and his three children were among the only citizens granted a Class A status, the ranking usually reserved for government personnel. So whatever Ichigo wanted, Ichigo could get.
Yet all he wanted was to sit and enjoy himself in the peaceful quiet that came with solitude. He had a doting family and countless friends, but he preferred to leave them behind while he sat and enjoyed his mornings, the schoolwork he helped with, and his tea. It wasn't that he didn't like his friends or his family, or even his life. It was simply that always having everyone's attention on you, looking up at you, knowing who you were and knowing what was expected of you, was all very exhausting at times. And Ichigo wasn't so sure he wanted what everyone else wanted for him, what his father expected of him. Sure, he loved medicine and medical practice: it was fascinating stuff, but that didn't mean it was necessarily his first choice in how to spend the rest of his life. He wasn't sure he really wanted to inherit his father's empire.
The young man, bright orange hair catching the brilliant light as the sun's rays stretched through the sky, sighed and looked out over the city. The cafe he frequented was high up in the city, meant for only the most wealthy of the tall districts, and so he was afforded quite the view. Below, should he lean over the glass and metal railing of the outdoor section, he would see nothing but blackness and the few lights that remained on through out the night, still much too early for the sun to begin illuminating the middle districts, let alone the short. Looking up revealed the lightening sky, a few harmless clouds drifting on the lazy breeze and still a few of the very brightest stars visible toward the darker horizon. But looking out, between the towering skyscrapers, between the metal and concrete and glass, he watched as the sun rose along the skyline. The city stretched on for countless miles, a never ending vista of manmade columns that covered the Earth, but from the little cafe Ichigo loved so much, the sunrise could still be watched. The cafe sat at just the right angle, on just the right building, on the right side, that he could still enjoy such a pleasure and his view was mostly unhindered by the ever present buildings around him and the shadows they created.
He ignored as his phone buzzed for the fourth time where it sat on the glass-topped table beside him. He sighed, knowing who it surely was, and took another sip of his tea. A few minutes later, the quietly shrill ring of the cafe's main line rang, muffled through the sliding glass doors that shut the outdoor section away from the indoor seating. Orange brows furrowed, a light but characteristic and common scowl settling upon handsome, boyish features.
Not a moment later, his waitress poked her head out of the main cafe to look at him. "It's your father, sir." She said, her tone polite and quiet in the even quieter early morning air.
Ichigo sighed yet again, "Of course it is."
"He says he's been trying to reach you all morning, and that he requires your assistance. It sounded urgent..." Everyone knew who Dr. Kurosaki was, and so the girl surely knew what the call was about, and knew that the younger Mr. Kurosaki was due at the OR, where a patient must have awaited his care.
Ichigo hadn't actually operated on anyone just yet, still learning and growing into the role he had been groomed for since he was a just a boy, but he often accompanied his father into the OR, playing the part of knowledgeable assistant and obedient son. The young man stood, settling his tea back down on the table with the soft clank of porcelain on glass, and headed toward the doors the young woman stood at. He walked right passed her, through the sliding doors, and up to the counter, where the manager hurried over to ring him up and cash him out. The tattoo on his wrist was scanned and processed, money transferred over and a hefty tip that would go directly to the waitress's account added to the transaction.
"Tell him I'm on my way." He said, declining the phone being offered to him and knowing his father was on the other end. Ichigo politely thanked the manager and his waitress and left the cafe. The manager pulled the phone back to his ear to relay the message as Ichigo disappeared from their shop and into the skyscraper.
••••
At very nearly the same time, hundreds of feet lower and in a building that neighbored the one Ichigo's favored cafe was located in, Grimmjow crossed his arms over his muscled chest. A grin played at his features and he put the slightest bit of effort into subduing it, but even still, the swirl to his crystalline blue eyes was unmistakable. Leaning back against a support beam in the middle of one of the many abandoned corridors of the short districts, he watched Nelliel and Nnoitra try their damnedest to be mad at him.
"You can't do that sort of thing!" Nel's chastising was a low tone in the early morning quiet, but the emphasis and force in her words was still there. She really did look worried, and Grimmjow didn't blame her.
He'd come home awfully late the night prior, after having to unexpectedly dump them and make them leave the party without him. It hadn't entirely been his fault, but he should have known better than to approach someone with such a high standing so openly and brashly. His friends had been berating him for it pretty much since they'd woken up to find him sound asleep with a smirk on his face, comfortable on Nel's couch.
But his pretty little birdie, that Kurosaki kid, hadn't exactly seemed all that malicious about his attack. Sure, he'd called the guards on Grimmjow...but there had been a playful ring to it, an amusement in those expressive brown eyes. He'd even given warning before he'd done it.
"Sneaking up into a tall district party is dangerous enough, Grimmjow... What do you think they would have done if that kid had pressed harassment charges, or told them you'd been stealing, rather than simply telling them you hadn't been invited?"
A bit of a sneer finally interrupted Grimmjow's amusement. "I wasn't harassing him."
"You're trash ta him. He's so far above us-" Nnoitra interjected, earning a glare from his big friend as well as from Nel. He threw his hands up in surrender and went quiet again.
"I wasn't harassing him." Grimmjow insisted, dragging his glare away from Nnoitra and back towards Nel. "And so what? What would they have done if by some chance they had caught me?" He spread his arms out, motioned around them, "Not like I got much for them to take."
The woman sighed and something pulled at her features. He friend was reckless beyond necessity. He didn't even seem to realize it most of the time. "They could lock you up."
Grimmjow snorted a derisive sound, curling his lip. Then, in a mumble, "They'd have to catch me first."
Nel shook her head, knowing it wasn't a point worth arguing. "Nnoi's right, Grimmjow." She insisted, despite not liking how Nnoitra had phrased his point. "You weren't exactly leaving him alone, and you know how some people are... You got lucky. This could have been a lot worse than just you getting back late."
"Whatever." Grimmjow curled his lip and pushed away from where he'd been leaning, his mood far worse than it had been the night before or even when he'd been woken up that morning. He pushed passed Nelliel and Nnoitra, and crossed the shadowed corridor to disappear through a worn, doorless portal.
Nnoitra sighed and watched him head deeper into the building, heading towards ground level, no doubt. "This ain't the last of this."
"No, not at all." Nel agreed. They both knew the big man too well. When Grimmjow set his sights on something - or in this case, someone - nothing would keep him from it. He was stubborn to the point of reckless and one of these days, it would get him in trouble.
"To be fair," Nnoitra mumbled as he and Nel turned back in the direction that would lead them back to her home, "the kid was pretty cute. Definitely Grimmjow's type."
Nel rolled her eyes, "That's not the point."
Swiftly making his way through the building's underbelly, taking the same path he'd taken countless times before, Grimmjow fumed as he stormed from the scraper. He burst from the confines of walls and a ceiling like he'd been suffocating, and only paused when he'd gone several meters away from the building and stood on open, flat ground. The dirt was gritty and dry below his boots, tangles of long, wild grass dotting the areas were sun shown down strong enough to nourish it. He took a deep breath, head tilted back and eyes closed, and blew it out as a weary sigh.
He knew Nelliel and Nnoi were only trying to help him, protect him even, but contrary to what they seemed to think, he knew what the hell he was doing. He also knew he wouldn't be leaving the orange haired young man alone for long. There was something about him that had drawn Grimmjow to him the moment his incredibly blue eyes had landed on the boy.
They were so incredibly different, he and the boy from the party. At least at first glance. The Kurosaki kid was a high standing citizen, he soared above the crowd, even higher than most in the tall districts. While Grimmjow was quite literally a street rat. He didn't have a family, no home of his own. He lived in the short districts and usually crashed at a friend's place, if he bothered to even come indoors for the night.
The orange haired kid was like a bird. He was free, could have anything he wanted and go anywhere he wanted, but he was surrounded by wireframe structures and constrained to what everyone around him saw. He was caged by the illusion of freedom. Grimmjow was the opposite. He was a rat, and certainly didn't have wings. No one knew Grimmjow, no one saw him. He had no money, could barely get by most days, but he didn't have to worry about what those around him thought of him. There was nothing to hold him back and no cage could keep him in.
After a moment of simply breathing in the fresh air, Grimmjow stuffed his hands in the pockets of his worn, faded jeans and cast a quick glance around before he walked from the shadows of the building he'd emerged from. Looking up, he couldn't hope to catch sight of the object of his thoughts, but the rising sun glinted off the glass windows in the buildings high above, a vibrant orange that nearly matched.
No, he decided, no matter what Nnoitra and Nel warned against, he had not seen the last of his pretty little birdie.
••••
In order to leave the scraper he was currently in, he would have to go down a flight of stairs to where the nearest and most conveniently located bridge was at. The covered walkway would lead him from the building the cafe was located in, to the one next to it, where he would board a shuttle that would stop near his father's hospital.
It was a practiced route, one he navigated nearly everyday. Sometimes multiple times a day. So he hardly paid any attention as he tucked his sister's textbook under his arm, the paper she'd written folded neatly inside, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He made his way down the staircase with smooth, easy strides. Because of the early hour, he only passed a few other people and his walk was mostly a quiet one.
He kept his head down as he traversed the memorized path, following corridors and walkways he'd long grown accustomed to. It wasn't until he was standing upon the conveyer-belt like walkway that he realized he wasn't quite as alone as he'd thought. He frowned as his surname was called out. There was no honorific added to it, though, no show of respect or title.
Ignoring it, Ichigo arched an orange brow just slightly and looked straight ahead. The few people around him, also riding the bridge to the next building over, murmured as they gave him sidelong, disapproving glances.
Not a moment later, the big, blue haired man from the party came up beside him. The man paused, falling quiet as he looked around a bit, then back to Ichigo with an infuriating grin.
"I see you're not in jail." Ichigo muttered, not quite petulantly, but lowly. He refused to look at the man, refused to even greet him or make a show of acknowledging his presence.
Grimmjow didn't seem deterred though, nor offended. "Nah," He replied, crossing his arms smugly over his muscled chest.
In the early morning sun, tan skin shown nearly golden. The threadbare shirt he donned, worn and old but not dirty, did little to hid what laid below. As if its sad state wasn't bad enough, it stretched tight across his shoulders and back and the neckline was stretched, hanging low enough to show off the big man's strong neck and prominent collarbones.
Brown eyes flickered his way oh so briefly, following the easy motion, and Grimmjow's grin grew even more smug. "Told you at the party, tall district guards are useless." He continued.
"Apparently." Ichigo scoffed, dragging his gaze away.
They stood in silence for a moment, and Ichigo couldn't help but notice how a few of the people around him put a bit more distance between themselves and him and the short district citizen. Yet again, the blue haired man seemed not to notice. His impossibly blue gaze never wavered from Ichigo's form, like he saw nothing else. It was nearly maddening. There was so much weight in that glance, so much compelling strength. Ichigo wondered if those eyes could see straight through his skin, down to his bones, the cage of his ribs, if they could see what everyone around him could not.
But of course, that was silly.
He sighed a quietly irritated sound, shifting his stance but still not moving to face the bigger man, "Is there some reason you're seeking me out yet again?"
Grimmjow gave a one shouldered shrug, "You're a good lookin' guy."
Handsome, scowling features flushed as Ichigo sputtered a bit, trying to decide what to say. He settled for something that was supposed to come off as neutral and unaffected, but rather sounded embarrassed and scathing. "So you stalk any guy you happen to find attractive?"
"Nah," Grimmjow's grin didn't waver, seeing through the act. He uncrossed one arm, raising his hand to gently pinch the tips of bright orange hair between his thumb and forefinger, "Only the prettiest little ones that try to hide behind scowls and bedroom eyes."
Ichigo's flush deepened as he smacked the man's hand away. "O-oh, that's great. Just lovely." Ichigo scoffed, once more reigning in his composure and redirecting his attention away from the stranger, "You really are a stalker. Leave me alone."
By this point, they were nearing the end of the walkway, where they would have to enter the next scraper over and Ichigo would be boarding his shuttle to meet up with his father. Blue eyes glanced over toward the gaping entrance, quickly scanning for any potential trouble in the form of guards.
"No..." He drawled slowly, smirking again as he turned his attention back to the smaller male at his side, "I'm trying to get to know you. You're just not makin' it easy on me."
"Why would I?" Ichigo questioned, his tone returning to a quiet, dignified volume, low enough that those around him wouldn't hear.
"Because you like me."
And if Ichigo thought he'd finally begun to regain his normal pallor, he was wrong. His face heated up again as he pursed his lips into a thin line. "I don't even know you-"
"Ah! Now you're catchin' on!" Grimmjow interrupted, brows raising as his grin widened further again, "So, we should change that."
Ichigo snorted, rolling brown eyes. His features were still hot, he could feel the blush that stained his cheekbones, but he did his best at ignoring it. "You wish." He stated as they stepped from the moving walkway and into the building. The shuttle was already there, ready to board.
"Yes, very much so." Grimmjow agreed, following the smaller young man all the way up to the doors of the shuttle. "So, what do you say?" He called through the parted doors.
There was no reply forthcoming as he watched Kurosaki board and take a seat.
A bit of disappointment bubbled up in his stomach as the doors closed and the electric engine started up. Not a moment later, the shuttle pulled away. Grimmjow watched it as it went by. He missed the little smile that tugged at pink lips as Ichigo, seated within, turned in his seat a bit to watch out one window as the bigger man turned and headed back toward the walkway, in the direction they'd come from originally.
Just as he'd thought; the man from the short distracts had come only to find him and with no other purpose in mind. He wasn't really sure how to feel about that, amused, perhaps. He knew what he should have thought about it. He should have been offended, disgusted even. He should be calling the police. Ichigo was a high standing citizen, a class A. He was considered important, even at his youthful age. If he called the police like he should have, he'd end up with an escort without question. The blue haired man, Grimmjow as he'd called himself, wouldn't be able to get anywhere near him without being arrested.
But that wasn't what Ichigo did. Instead, he tried not to let a small smile worm its way across his features as he went about his day. He met with his father, where he donned a lab coat, rubber gloves and a medical mask as they went to work.
The older Kurosaki was of course upset in his son's tardiness, but his lecture didn't last long in the face of Ichigo's apparent good mood. Isshin had expected the young man to drag himself into the clinic with his usual scowl and bored dullness to brown eyes. Imagine his surprise when his son actually almost looked happy and the smile he flashed their patient before administering anesthesia was far closer to genuine than usual.
That afternoon, after the surgery he'd aided, Ichigo left his father's skyscraper watching for blue hair out of the corner of his eyes. He should have been relieved when he found no sign of the stranger, but part of him was a little disappointed. Though, what had he honestly expected? He'd been cooped up in the OR for hours and the bigger male surely had a life of his own, things to do.
So Ichigo boarded the shuttle that would take him to the main exit of the medic-scraper and pulled out his phone. The device powered up immediately, having one of the very best solar-powered batteries money could buy. He hardly ever actually set it out to let it charge, it practically charged in his hand on a sunny day.
Pulling up the contacts list, Ichigo highlighted a few names and sent a message out, inviting a few friends out for a late lunch at one of his favorite restaurants. It just so happened that the restaurant he chose was in the same building that his favored cafe was in as well. The very building he'd run into his stalker a few times now.
The restaurant was housed in a large, almost warehouse looking section of the building. The lighting was dim, but not dark and candles added a bit of class to the tables. A fancy bar rounded the back wall and the front that faced people walking by was made of large, metal framed, glass windows. The floors were wooden and styled like an old theater, with a few different levels that were accessible by short staircases. The walls were a deep gray color, the ceiling painted black.
Less than an hour later, the orange haired young man sat at a round table on the lowest level, in a corner where there was a bit of privacy but still near the front windows. Surrounded by half a dozen other people his age, Ichigo sat with his back facing the window, relaxed back in his chair with one leg crossed over the other. He sipped his beer as they all gathered round, eating expensive food, laughing and conversing around him. Occasionally, even Ichigo cracked a smile, throwing something into the conversation.
Maybe an hour later, one of Ichigo's friends leaned across the table and tapped Ichigo's shoulder to gain his attention. The orange haired lad set his beer down, nodding to a different friend as he leaned closer to the one seeking his attention, before finally turning to face the other male with slightly raised brows.
"Ichigo, isn't that the cretin that assaulted you at the fete the other night?"
Ichigo's brows rose higher before he could gather his wits enough to hide his reaction. He didn't turn right away though, waiting a few moments before carefully looking over his shoulder. True to what his friend said, a familiar head of blue hair stood out amongst the evening crowd of people traversing the building. It was pretty obvious the man didn't belong amongst them, but the ease in his step and his stance didn't show that he actually realized he wasn't like those around him.
"No," Ichigo said, turning back to his table of friends, "Kind of resembles him, but I don't think it's the same man. Besides, I was assured the guards caught him, so that creep's surely in jail by now."
Ignoring the feel of impossibly blue eyes crawling across his skin, Ichigo went back to his previously interrupted conversation like nothing had happened and there wasn't a stranger staring at him. He spent the rest of his evening only half aware of his friends, his attention split away from them in favor of the man he knew was waiting for him out side of the restaurant.
Under the excuse of picking up the group's tab, his treat for the impromptu gathering, Ichigo was the last of his friends to leave. He purposely took his time in sauntering up to the bar to pay, waited in line despite that his class A status would have easily allowed him to cut to the front, and even refrained from rolling his eyes as the woman scanning his ID fumbled and apologized when she had to start over in order to complete the transaction. By the time he was finished paying, the rest of his crew had filtered out and were nowhere in sight.
But when he made it through the restaurant doors, a strange, blue haired man was.
Ichigo pretended not to even notice the man as he swept passed where the big man sat on a bench nearby. He walked with the dignity demanded of his high status, his back straight and his posture perfect. As he passed by the bench, the stranger stood and fell in line behind him, his posture much looser, more relaxed. Ichigo ignored his very existence. Or at least tried to.
"I see how ya are, birdie," Grimmjow didn't miss the slight crinkle to orange brows as he spoke the little pet name. He smiled, "ignoring the lowly peasant that I am. You rich types are all the same, after all."
That got a reaction, albeit a small one. Ichigo snorted the quietest of sounds, but still didn't look at the bigger male.
Grimmjow's smile grew wider. "So," he drawled, kicking his feet up lazily into longer strides. He brought himself in front of the smaller, higher standing male and spun so that he walked backwards, facing the young Kurosaki, his hands tucked into his pockets and that heart-breaking smile plastered on his lips. "you never did give me a real answer, ya know."
Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, and Grimmjow thought he would actually get an answer for a moment. Until, that is, a single orange brow arched and Ichigo closed his mouth again to hum a small sound. Only then did the higher class boy speak, "How do you even keep finding me?"
Grimmjow laughed a short sound, "Well, you're not exactly hiding from me, now are you?" His only forthcoming response was a small snort but it was enough to confirm what Grimmjow had guessed: the Kurosaki kid didn't actually want him to stay away. "Sooo?" He prompted.
"Hmm..." Ichigo pursed his lips and shook his head a bit, putting on an act despite that deep, brown eyes were starting to thaw a bit, maybe even show a bit of mirth. He rolled up the sleeves of his tailored button-up, careful to turn his wrists to face outward and make it look as natural as possible. The tiniest of smiles twitched onto his lips for the briefest of moments when he watched blue eyes flash towards the dark ink of his ID tattoo. Of course, he didn't let Grimmjow see his small show of approval.
He altered his course a bit as they walked, never really looking directly at the still backward facing man in front of him, as he pretended to hesitate and think about Grimmjow's request. His cocoa colored eyes shone just a little brighter as he glanced at the small, walkway-side vender's cart he'd angled them towards.
Still walking backwards and facing the boy that had caught his fancy, Grimmjow didn't see the seller until he was already upon it and because he was far too enthralled by the man he was seeking the attention of, he didn't hear the seller's calls either. He backed right into a man very nearly his own size, tripping up and nearly crashing to the floor, knocking the vender with him.
Ichigo watched crystallin eyes grow wide with surprise and startlement as it happened, before Grimmjow made a clumsy spin to catch his balance. The bigger male reached out, not only bracing himself, but the vender he'd ran into as well, apologizing and juggling the bright bouquet of flowers the knocked from the other's arms by accident, their vase glass and well beyond anything Grimmjow could ever hope to pay damages for should it fall and shatter.
Ichigo sucked in a breath as he watched, wincing as he waited for the inevitable crash. To his surprise, as the vender screamed unhappy curses at the street rat of a young man, Grimmjow managed to get a firm grip on the vase before it could hit the ground. He'd even managed to keep most of the flowers within in their original arrangement.
Before he could catch himself, Ichigo grinned and let out a small laugh. Then he faltered, as if remembering that he wasn't supposed to like this boy, and wiped the smile from his features. Returning to something neutral and a little bored, he quickly continued walking, leaving Grimmjow behind to apologize and look like a fool on his own.
He was unsurprised when only a few moments went by before his shadow was back. Grimmjow sidled up next to him, almost hovering at his side for a minute, a handsome smirk on his equally good looking features and his hands behind his back, before he repeated what he'd done only minutes ago, and moved to walk in front of Ichigo, backwards.
Ichigo shook his head a bit, wondering if the bigger man was just asking for another dose of the same humiliation. To his surprise, however, Grimmjow stopped dead and the smaller, not expecting the sudden halt, ran right into him with a small "Oof." His features tinted red as his hands automatically came up to brace his impact, spreading across firm pectorals, the warmth of the big man's skin noticeable even through his thin shirt.
Grimmjow just grinned that devil's grin down at him.
Ichigo jerked his hands away and cleared his throat, trying desperately to regain his composure and lose the blush threatening to heat his features. Then he backed up and couldn't help but mentally take note that this was the second time he'd ran into the man and damn was his body very solid. Before he could actually look up though, something bright and purple was in his face.
Bringing his hands from behind his back, Grimmjow presented the single, violet flower he'd lifted from the vender as he'd handed back the vase he nearly broke. He chuckled as the smaller went a little cross-eyed trying to look at the flower suddenly in his face. Cute... The flush to handsome, boyish features was back in full and Grimmjow's smile widened all the further. He didn't have to say a word.
Refusing to admit to himself that he was giving in, Ichigo took the flower. Under the guise of studying it for a moment more, he took a steadying breath, before finally directing his gaze up and taking in full brunt of blue. He stood speechless for a second, before quickly sidestepping around the man to continue on his way.
"Very well." He said, back to being a dignified, rich citizen of the tall districts and not a flustered young lad. He kept the flower though, holding it almost carefully as he twirled the long, green stem. "I have tea every morning at the cafe two stories higher, on the western corner of this same tower. Six-thirty. If you're late, I wont wait for you."
He left Grimmjow standing alone in the middle of the crowded shopping area, grinning like he'd lost his mind. The bigger man watched him go for a few moments, until he disappeared in the crowd, then he spun on his heel and, overjoyed smile never wavering, took off in the opposite direction and toward nearest set of stairs that would lead down.
Bright and early the next morning, before his favored cafe officially opened its doors, Ichigo stood just before the entrance. The furrow to his brow was deeper than usual as he glanced at the clock on his phone for what was at least the twelfth time. It was ten till seven in the morning and the blue haired asshole was late.
With a displeased sigh, Ichigo turned and, shaking his head slightly, walked through the doors that had been opened for him twenty minutes ago. It would have been a lie had he said he wasn't disappointed, but he told himself he shouldn't be surprised. The bigger man was from the short districts, he didn't belong this far in the sky. He didn't belong anywhere near Ichigo and the things Ichigo had. Ichigo told himself that he shouldn't have let a few pushy, charming tricks get to him.
It was easier said than done, however, and he sulked through the cafe's interior and let himself out onto the balcony area. The fresh air was warm with the rising sun, but not stifling. The leaves of the genetically modified trees that grew in the center of each round table rustled quietly with the slight breeze that wrapped around the buildings.
Only a few moments later, he still stood near the railing, looking out over the city, when the doors that led out to where he was slid open. The waitress that always took care of him greeted him and placed his tea on the table he'd left his sisters' homework on before taking her leave.
Ichigo snorted a low sound and, scowl still etched across his brow, turned back to the table. He took his usual seat, picked up his tea, and opened the book to begin looking over the childish handwriting scribbled on the sheets of paper he'd placed between the pages.
He wasn't even half way through his tea when the doors slid open again. He first glanced at his cup, expecting it to be his waitress, but when he realized the cup was still half full, he couldn't help the slight smile that tried to twitch to life on his lips. He quickly quashed it.
"You're late." Ichigo pointed out, keeping his tone controlled and maybe just a little icy. He didn't look away from the papers in front of him as he took a sip of his tea.
For the first time in their few encounters, Grimmjow actually seemed a little out of place. "Uh, yeah..." He hesitated. The inflection in his deep voice made it obvious he felt bad for not keeping his unspoken word. "My friend was supposed to wake me up, but she over slept too..."
"Not a very good first impression, you know." Ichigo pressed, still sipping his tea and not turning brown eyes towards the bigger man.
The doors slid open again and he finally looked up as his waitress shyly neared his table. "Umm, could I get you something as well, sir?" She asked, glancing almost unsurely between Ichigo and Grimmjow.
"No, thank y-"
"Yes." Ichigo interrupted, finally looking at the bigger man. "He'll have what I'm having." He eyed Grimmjow a moment longer, like he was studying the man, "Iced, please. Not hot."
"Yes, sir." The woman bowed and turned about to go make the requested drink.
Grimmjow turned to the orange haired lad, blue brows furrowing a bit, "Uh... I really- I can't-"
"The cafe will be open to the public soon and since you were late, we'll still be here when it does. You'll stand out even more than you already do if you're the only one without a purchase." Ichigo explained, again turning his gaze away. But the coolness in his tone didn't quite match his next words, as he finally let a small smile tilt his lips. "Consider it my thanks for the flower."
The small show of gratitude and the reassurance that he hadn't entirely screwed up brought Grimmjow's usual confidence back to the forefront of his personality. He grinned, tipped his head a bit, and pulled out a chair to take a seat across the small table from the young man he was in the company of.
The waitress returned a moment later, settling a tall glass before the larger of the two. "Will you and your guest be having breakfast this morning, Mr. Kurosaki?"
"Yes," Ichigo answered without looking towards the bigger male.
"Your usual, sir?"
He gave the young lady a charming smile and nodded. "Two of them, please."
She bowed slightly and scurried off to the fill the order and Ichigo finally closed the book he'd been looking over and turned towards Grimmjow, sipping his tea again. "I'm surprised they let you in." He said conversationally, "Only I have authorization to dine before opening."
"They tried telling me I'd have to wait, but," Grimmjow chuckled, "they didn't seem to keen on makin' their esteemed guest, the young Mr. Kurosaki, wait to meet his boyfriend."
Ichigo started to snort a laugh at the big man's imitation of politeness and political correctness, only to trip up with the last word to leave the man's mouth. He very nearly choked on his tea as his features went red. Of course, that only made Grimmjow's grin grow all the wider. By the time the waitress returned with two steaming plates of food, they truly looked like a young couple; Grimmjow laughing and Ichigo more flustered than the woman had ever seen.
A few people filtered into the cafe as it opened its doors, officially beginning the day, but it was the middle of the week and the crowd remained small. The few to venture out onto the sectioned off, open-air balcony sent glances that ranged from curious to disapproving and even reproach.
They were ignored by both young men and no one seemed willing to actually say anything to them, not when Dr. Kurosaki's son was involved. So the two enjoyed a peaceful enough breakfast, seated in Ichigo's most favored spot in all of the city, the sun rising, warm and bright, out behind them.
Hope it turned out better than i feel like it did. Let me know?