Ugh, I seriously didn't realize how much OOCness was going to be in this story. It worries me a bit, but I'll try to fix it in the later chapters. :| Also I know Japan doesn't celebrate Christmas like Americans do, but I kind of had already written the plot and added things, so lets just pretend Japan celebrates Christmas like Americans, yes?
Chapter 02
Running his fingers through his hair, he let out a sigh, letting the hot dripping water run down his body. Grabbing the washcloth, he began to wash his body. It had been three days since he saw Ichigo at the diner. He had called the older woman so that he could meet up and spend the day together.
He felt as if he was in high school again. Those unsettling feelings were washing over him in an overwhelming way and he felt like things would just go completely wrong. He would only feel this way when he thought of her. The woman always had some kind of control over him, doing things no other woman could do. Even when he wasn't around her, just the thought of her made him act like a complete fool.
He was upset with himself for acting that way. Every woman he had been with up until then, he could pretend to be into them. He could easily brush them off as if they weren't anything to him. Grimmjow knew no other woman made him feel the way Ichigo did. She could practically get under his skin and twist his heart up in so many ways.
When it came to other women, he just didn't care. He was his normal temperamental self, always acting on his own accord and not really caring about their feelings, but Ichigo made him feel…weird. She made him feel nothing like himself. She made him feel like he was back in high school again. The way she looked at him now was nothing like before. Her eyes held confusion, excitement and something else he couldn't put his finger on.
He didn't know if she was angry with him for what had happened two years ago. He didn't know if she regretted being pregnant or even having his child. He didn't know if he would even be the right man for her now. Maybe to her, he was still a child. The same sixteen year old boy whom couldn't take care of his own responsibilities. Maybe he really was the same boy. Maybe he really didn't learn a thing. He thought that now that he saw her, everything would be fine and they could start over.
Growling to himself, he threw the washcloth against the tiled wall. "Stop over thinking things, Grimmjow," he said to himself. "Just act like you would normally."
Stepping out of the shower and getting dressed, he made sure to throw on a warm jacket as he walked out of his apartment. Locking the door behind him, he trudged down the long hallway and a few flights of stairs until he made it to the lobby floor. Grimmjow was meeting Ichigo and his daughter at the shopping avenue near where he worked so that Amami could see Santa Claus.
The blunet had felt a little awkward about going down there and acting like a happy family, but Ichigo insisted, even going as far as getting his daughter involved. The moment he heard her tiny voice over the phone he immediately caved in, melting like hot butter.
He didn't know how to feel about his daughter. The moment he saw her, he had felt something in him explode with want. He wanted to be in her life as well as Ichigo's. He wanted to be there for his daughter and spend the time he had lost with her. On the other hand, he also felt afraid. He was afraid that his wrong choices would make it hard for his daughter to accept him. His daughter knew nothing about him, only that they had the same hair color.
He sighed, staring down at his booted feet as they crunched alabaster snow beneath them. He was glad he didn't live to far away from his job. He hadn't saved enough money to buy a car yet and he would mostly walk everywhere. The bus was another option, but he only took it if he really needed to. Mostly everything was walking distance though: Restaurants, grocery stores, boutiques and even bars. The city was a little too far and Grimmjow hardly went out there unless he needed too.
He pulled his coat tighter around him to keep the cold from seeping in. The snow was slowly falling to blanket the ground with white and he could see some kids across the street playing winter games in the snow. Making snowmen, playing with snowballs, and there were even some kids making snow angels. Slipping his hands into his pockets he continued to walk to his destination. He took in his surroundings like he did every time he took a stroll. Even though he had seen the town for almost most of his life, there was always something new going on about it.
He would never say it was a extremely exciting town, but it wasn't that close to being boring. Walking past some of the shops, he caught glimpses of people inside, buying gifts and chatting away. He looked around seeing couples walking hand in hand and children with their parents. He searched for the fiery hair in the mass of dark and blonde, knowing he should be able to find her easily.
He made sure that he didn't notice anyone, preferably women from past relationships. He didn't need to deal with them clinging to him every time they saw him. He had a feeling that that was what was going to happen and he couldn't be more right.
"Grimmjow!" Kami, open up the ground and swallow me whole. Glaring at the blonde buxom running towards him, waving, he quickly turned around and walked the other way. How the hell am I going to find Ichigo with Rangiku hugging up on me? "Grimmjow, wait!" Rangiku came rushing up next to him, grabbing his arm, linking her's around it. "What are you doing here? You usually aren't seen around Christmas time." She looked up at him with her crystal blue eyes, making the blunet cringed.
He hated when women tried to look him directly into the eyes. It was as if they were trying to read what he was going to say. It even bothered him when Ichigo looked at him that way, but her eyes always made him feel bad. Grimmjow sighed as he stared down at the blonde woman. Rangiku was his last girlfriend before he broke it off with her for good.
His relationships didn't usually last that long, being that he wasn't really satisfied with whatever woman he dated. There was never a longing to be with the same woman more than once and it seemed to bore him quicker than it should. Grimmjow thought Rangiku would leave him alone after he broke it off with her, but he seemed to always end up meeting her somewhere and she would always be over him. She was the clingiest woman he had dated in the past two years, and sometimes he regretted it.
"I'm meeting someone, and I would be very happy if you got your clingy paws off of me." She squeezed tighter and moved closer to him, trying to pout in some cute fashion. "Rangiku, what do you want? I don't have time to deal with you today." Or any other day for that matter. You need to let go of me before Ichigo sees you, ya' damn bimbo.
"Well now that I'm with you, I thought we go shopping together. It would be nice and maybe we can go for lunch and then go back to my place." Grimmjow's frown turned into a snarl as he glared down at her. She was getting on his last nerve. He would never hit a girl, but right now this bitch was annoying him to no end.
"I just said I was meeting someone. Let go of me, woman."
"No!" Grimmjow arched a blue eyebrow as he gazed down at Rangiku. What the hell is her problem today? I know she's clingy, but this is beyond how she normally is. Grimmjow couldn't believe how Rangiku was acting. Was she that serious about hanging out with him today? "I don't want you meeting someone else, especially if it's another woman."
"What the fuck is wrong with you? So what if it's another woman, you don't need to worry about that. Now, let me the fuck go." Grimmjow was getting beyond pissed that he was shaking with anger.
"Grimmjow?" The blunet whipped his head around to find Ichigo and his daughter staring up at him. Ichigo frowned, looking at the arm around his before she looked back at his face. "I thought you said you were going to meet us near the giant Christmas tree, I've been looking for you." Grimmjow could see the crestfallen look on Ichigo's face. Goddammit! This is what I was trying to avoid. "If you were busy, you could have said so."
"No! It's not like that, Ichigo. I was heading there but then something-" He glared at the woman that had yet to let him go. "-got in the way."
"Grimmy, who is this woman?" Ugh, with the nickname. Grimmjow looked back at Ichigo; a frown was still adorning her beautiful face. I don't want to upset Ichigo. "Hey, Grimmjow, I'm talking to-"
"WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP, RANGIKU!" Rangiku was stunned; her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. "Let me the hell go! I'm tired of you always clinging to me. We broke up months ago. Get over it. I don't want to be with you anymore. Why can't you understand that?" Yanking his arm roughly out her grasped, he stepped away from her. He turned his attention back to Ichigo who was looking on with wide eyes and covering her daughter's ears. Frowning, he strolled closer to Ichigo. "I'm sorry you had to see and listen to that."
"Is she going to be okay?" Ichigo looked around Grimmjow to see the young woman walking the opposite direction with her shoulders slumped. "You really upset her." Ichigo looked back up at Grimmjow with wide concerned sepia eyes. Shit, Ichigo, those eyes.
"Y-yeah, she'll be fine. She'll be up and running, looking for someone new by next week." Grimmjow was beyond happy to see Ichigo. She looked so sexy in her tight blue jeans. Her hair was pulled into a braided ponytail with side swept bangs. His daughter was in light gray corduroys with a pink, plaid flannel top and a gray t-shirt with a puppy dressed up as a unicorn. Grimmjow was amused. Ichigo and her fashion sense never ceased to amaze me. "You two look good. Especially you, Amami." She just smiled up at him before saying a quiet thank you. Grimmjow smirked at that before looking towards Ichigo. "You ready?" Ichigo nodded and the made their way down the sidewalk.
Grimmjow's attention was solely on the children and their parents who were standing in the long line situated in front of Santa's chair. He didn't notice the large azure eyes looking up at him or the smile that adorned the little blue haired girl's face. Ichigo was watching Amami out the corner of her eye. From the first day Amami saw Grimmjow she had grown a little attached to him. Throughout the three days away from him, she would constantly ask different things about the man, including when they were going to see him again. When Grimmjow called to ask about spending the day together, Ichigo jumped at the invite and utilized Amami's sweetness to get Grimmjow to go see Santa with them.
Amami looked down at the blunet's gloved hand and reached out to grab it. She looked back up at his face, wondering when he was going to turn around. For a minute, Grimmjow wondered what that feeling against his hand was. He turned to see Amami looking forward. Looking down towards his hand, he saw her tiny pink-gloved hand in his. Holy Crap! He lifted his eyes to Ichigo who was smiling at him before she turned her head towards the line again.
"…Ami, why don't you take Grimmjow over to see Santa with you?" Amami's eyes sparkled and she started trying to pull Grimmjow over with her. The man chuckled at the determination and picked the little girl up, putting her over his shoulders. He headed to the line to stand with all the other parents. He had never felt like this before. He always thought having children would be a hassle, but now he regretted not being with Ichigo through the pregnancy and after. He regretted the time he missed at being a part of his daughter's life.
I just have to make up for lost time. I just hope I can make up enough for two years.
He watched the other parents, noticing how they interacted with their children. He wasn't sure of exactly what to do. He was totally new to this experience and he felt a little out of place.
Reaching the front of the line, Grimmjow started to get nervous. He felt uncomfortable about being seen around anything with 'Santa' in the title. He still had his pride as a young man; he was only nineteen years old, for Kami's sake. He didn't know what he would do, if some of his friends saw him here. He felt the squirming above him and those thoughts seemed to be shattered quickly. He thought about the little girl sitting around his shoulders, pulling at his blue hair. He was doing this for her. He was spending time with his daughter. Screw his pride at the moment.
"You excited, Ami?" He loved the way her nickname rolled off of his tongue. He loved the way his heart swelled with joy and some other kind of pride, that he had a healthy daughter with a brilliant smile and a bubbly personality.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Amami pulled at the messy locks with excitement. She was practically giggling with every step closer they got to Santa. She seemed to really want to ask for something special. Finally getting there, the green elf reached her hand out and the little girl was trying to crawl down Grimmjow to get to her. The blunet couldn't stop chuckling at how energetic his daughter was. Finally helping her down, he watched the elf lead Amami up to the fat man in red. He walked over to the exit and watched how she interacted with the jolly fat man. He listened as Amami started to speak to Santa.
"So little lady, what can Santa get you for Christmas?" the man in red asked. Amami looked up at him with her big blue eyes and said something that Grimmjow thought he would never hear.
"I want to see Mommy happy. Can you get my Daddy?" Grimmjow's eyes went wide and he could feel his heart thumping loud in his ears. His chest clinched at the fact of Ichigo not being happy. He glanced over to where the orangette was standing and when they locked eyes, she blushed and smiled. Now that he noticed, it wasn't the same smile she had in high school. It was just as radiant, but he could see the hint of pain and sadness. He could see the loneliness in her eyes. He could see the confusion. He had thought that she was far happier, but maybe she was just as sad as he was. Turning his attention back to Amami, he caught the surprised look on the usually jolly man.
"Uh, well, I'll see what I can do little lady, but you have to be good for me, okay?" She happily nodded before getting her picture taken and running off towards Grimmjow.
"…Ami," Grimmjow said. The little girl looked up with him before he continued to speak. "Is mommy not happy?" Amami frowned, shaking her head. "How do you know mommy isn't happy? She smiles a lot." Grimmjow was trying to get as much information out of his daughter as possible.
"She cries a lot at home." Grimmjow frowned, his brows creasing in dissatisfaction. He decided to continue to get information.
"Does she know that you know she cries?" Amami shook her head. "How about we don't tell mommy. It'll be our little secret and I'll try to help mommy with her happiness, okay?" Amami only nodded to him before she held up her pinky finger. He looked down at the tiny appendage with unreadable expression.
She wants me to pinky promise? …I can't believe I'm about to do this.
Grimmjow sighed and held his pinky out, interlocking it with hers. "Pinky promise," he whispered. Amami smiled up at him before rushing off towards Ichigo. Grimmjow stood there gazing at the two women in his life and sighed. I really hope I can make her happy. This is a second chance Grimmjow, don't fuckin' mess it up.
No I don't hate Rangiku. I actually like her, but well... yeah. Hope you enjoyed. Thank you for all the reviews, favs and alerts so far. Please review and see you next chapter.
