oOo Volume 03 oOo

For some reason, Ichigo wasn't all that surprised that Grimmjow was stretched out on his bed when he returned. The teen locked the door to his room so his father didn't come barreling in with some new surprise attack and he turned to see Grimmjow simply staring at him.

Ichigo hadn't been able to think much with Yuzu in the bath with him. He didn't want anything lewd to happen by accident and so he had clipped it from his mind and concentrated on rubbing the shampoo into his little sisters hair as she giggled furiously with delight.

Now that he was in the room, observing Grimmjow from afar, he couldn't help but let his mind wander at the notion of a relationship with the Espada. He wasn't sure how it would work, but he knew that with their dispositions being similar in many ways that nothing could be boring.

The reason, Ichigo had never bothered with a relationship before was because, he felt that one might be to restraining. For instance, he knew very well of Inoue's affections for him, he was not as dense as he let on. But he couldn't see himself with her. He wasn't gay exactly, but he didn't think a relationship with her would have something he wanted.

He didn't really think of himself as gay or straight. He was somewhere in between, having been asexual for so long. He made it a point to remain asexual and now, here was this blue-haired Arrancar that wasn't exactly a troll to look at. It was confusing and a little bothersome when he thought about it. How easy it was for him to let his hormones dictate him, teenager or not.

Grimmjow wanted to growl when he saw Ichigo looking deviously delicious. He was in black silk bottoms that hung on his hip bone and it was so fucking evil. The teen had a sleeveless black shirt that barely covered his flat stomach and rode up often every time Ichigo bent over flashing that delicious ass. That strawberry was definitely put on the earth to torture him for his sins.

Nothing was said between the two as Ichigo placed the box of pizza aside to take out tomorrow and adjusted his covers and pillows. He slid under them, aware of Grimmjow's on top of them a few inches away.

"What's going on shinigami?"

"Pretending to go bed," Ichigo answered. "If I don't, my dad will hound me." He tugged the covers from under Grimmjow. "Budge up and get under, I'm cold."

Grimmjow blinked at him repeatedly, was he hearing Ichigo right?

"What? Get under!" Ichigo tugged at the cover under the Arrancar's ass "And take your shoes off, I don't want mud on my sheets."

Grimmjow glared briefly before kicking the sandals off and sliding under, the body heat was sensational and it was terrorizing him thoroughly.

Ichigo flipped the light off and they were bathed in darkness as the teen slid under the covers.

"You do this with all your guests?" Grimmjow asked trying not to sneer, but he was sure it came out contemptuous.

"What's that supposed to mean, bastard?"

"I'm your enemy, Ichigo, yet you tell me to get under the covers with you."

"I don't consider you much of an enemy, Grimmjow."

That made Grimmjow a little angry, he hissed darkly and glared in the dark at the outline. "I'm not good enough to be an enemy of yours, huh? Is that what you're thinking?"

"Oh Jesus, here we go again," Ichigo groaned. "You should have taken that as a fucking compliment, you hot-headed jack ass!" What the hell was with him?

"I don't need your compliments, shinigami!" Grimmjow spat.

"Obviously," the teen retorted. "You have some severe anger issues, Grimmjow."

"And you don't?" Grimmjow snapped, knowing that he should calm down. But too many memories of the desert when he was an Adjucas came back at certain times and it turned him near insane to remember them.

"I have anger issues as well, but I don't take them out on the nearest person unless it's deserved and I didn't deserve your asshole nature just now!"

"Guess you didn't," Grimmjow acquiesced, truly feeling guilty now. Here he was lying in Ichigo's bed and he should be delighted that the teen seemed to be giving him a chance, a friendly one anyway without scorn or distaste and he was completely ruining it with his nasty memories. "I apologize."

"Yeh, it's alright."

"I have a lot of anger built up still from my time as an Adjucas," Grimmjow said staring down at his hands.

"I can see that. But just so we're clear in the long run, Grimmjow. I have respect for you. At the time you were an enemy but I had respect. I respected your power and your mind. You are not a fucking sycophant like Ulquiorra was. You make the best of a bad situation. Aizen is powerful as fuck and stealing the Hougyoku only enhanced that. He's simply your means to an end, I know that Grimmjow."

Grimmjow's eyes widened and he looked quickly at Ichigo. "How do you figure?"

Ichigo smirked in the dark. "You're like me, Grimmjow. If I were in your position, I'd have done the same thing. You enjoy a good fight, one that is worthwhile, so do I. I crave a good fight too, but I have had people around me to settle those urges down. You have not, that is the difference between you and I and it's not a bad thing before you go on another rampage of anger. You are independent, you rely on yourself. I wish I could do that."

"Why can't you?" Grimmjow asked.

"For me, to really hurt someone, I need a reason. To really destroy them and become powerful. I'm weak when I have no reason, no resolve, and no point." He turned over onto his side and brought his hand out in front of him. "When Rukia was captured by Soul Society because she gave me her powers. I was killed," he confessed.

Grimmjow frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Ichigo explained the story how he retrieved his shinigami powers in the first place and the consequences of it. "Byakuya stripped me of that power. I laid there, literally dying but Urahara-san saved my ass. He used a perverted means to release my power and it was ten times more powerful than Rukia's had been. In return, he made me a Vizard by accident. I worked my ass off to defeat not one but two of the fucking Captains of the Gotei 13. The same bastard that killed Nnoitra, I had to get passed along with Rukia's brother who was by far the hardest considering he has three levels to his Bankai, which I was forced to learn in three days to survive my battle with him. I needed a reason to beat his ass."

"Why did you suck so bad when we first met?" Grimmjow asked after hearing the story.

Ichigo laughed hollowly. "It's not that I sucked Grimmjow, I was scared shitless of the Hollow inside of me. It tried to take me over when I was fighting Byakuya and every time I released the more powerful amounts of reiatsu it would try and take me under. I didn't get it in control until I met you the second time and that was only for eleven seconds. Technically, I'm still training but it was abandoned when Inoue was kidnapped by that Emo-freak Ulquiorra."

"Emo?" Grimmjow deadpanned.

"Emotionally disturbed little prick."

Grimmjow barked in laughter and Ichigo winced as his hand flew to the Espada's mouth. He brushed against the broken mask along his jaw. "Sssh, my dad is in the other room," he mused with a slight smile.

Grimmjow had literally froze as the warm flesh seeped through his cool lips and before he could stop himself, he opened his mouth and pressed a kiss to the teen's hand. His blood rushed and he forgot what he was doing.

Ichigo shivered, surprised by the reaction and he wondered vaguely if Grimmjow knew what he was doing. Gently, Ichigo curved his hand and ran his fingers along the smooth side of his jaw line. His skin wasn't warm but cool. What happened next was expected yet unexpected at the same time, Ichigo couldn't really explain why it was a contradictory.

But Grimmjow shifted, sliding down the sheets and he leaned in without a single thought and began to kiss Ichigo fervently.

Ichigo briefly thought the mask piece along his jaw would be a problem, but it wasn't. He could only feel a slight rough brush along his cheek as Grimmjow's tongue slipped passed his weakened defense. Ichigo attacked back however, not allowing Grimmjow to have total and began to bite and nibble at the his bottom lip and tongue every time he was assaulted.

Ichigo hitched a breath as the heat coiled in thick threads through his body when Grimmjow's hand began to glide down his right side and brushed his cool fingers along his exposed skin. The thrill he had sought earlier was hitting him head and his nerves was riled up, he could imagine how far this could be taken, especially when Grimmjow slipped his knee between Ichigo's thigh and his hand slid up his shirt. He wondered briefly, if his heart was going to explode.

Perhaps, this wasn't the best of ideas, Ichigo thought apprehensively, but the thought was washed away when Grimmjow's kiss turned deeper and filled with so much sexual intent that he felt it through his entire frame.

Ichigo's mouth was hot to touch, it scolded his cool skin and every time Grimmjow was bit, his starving obsessive hunger grew wilder.

It took every ounce of will Ichigo possessed, to bring his hands to Grimmjow's face and pull back, his whole body was aflame and it was dangerous. He breathed deep, panting softly as Grimmjow stared down into his eyes.

The lights from the street outside streamed through the window giving them enough light to see each other. "G- Grimmjow… why?"

"I want you," Grimmjow stated without hesitance.

That was one way to put it. Ichigo brought the back of his hand to his mouth briefly. "How do you want me?" he asked trying not to sound hesitant.

"All of you," he growled, his eyes flashing like a cat.

Ichigo figured that now was a good idea to confess what he knew. "If we do this, you're going to do it right this time, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow's eyes widened and he leaned back on his knees. "What?"

Ichigo struggled to sit up and rubbed his face. "I know about last week," he said quietly. Grimmjow's first instincts were to run but Ichigo caught on and grabbed the man's hands pulling his reflexive action back. "I'm not angry, Grimmjow," he assured. "If I was angry, you'd have already known it. I'm just confused."

Grimmjow looked down at Ichigo's strong grip and forced himself to glance up into the teen's eyes.

"Don't run from me," Ichigo scowled. "If I didn't want you here, I'd have said something."

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" Grimmjow growled.

Ichigo quirked an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked incredulously. "Look at you, Grimmjow, every time I say something that sets you on edge, you flip out! You're like a stick of fucking dynamite."

Grimmjow winced appropriately, Ichigo was far from wrong. He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said feeling a little guilty.

"Eh, it don't matter anymore," Ichigo insisted releasing Grimmjow's hands.

"Why not?" Grimmjow asked looking away from Ichigo. "I violated you in your sleep, I knew the fucking consequences but I didn't care at the time. I just… I wanted you," He confessed darkly.

Ichigo could feel the heat in his cheeks at the Arrancar's words and he wondered briefly how hard it had been to literally say that. "I was upset the next day. That plushy you saw talking to me earlier saw everything and yeah, I wasn't too happy at first. But, it's not like you're fucking awful to look at," he admitted grudgingly. "I was confused and curious, not to mention I was sick as hell!"

Grimmjow flinched. "Sick?"

"Well, yeah!" Ichigo grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest a little grumpily. "I was sick as a dog, but, I had thought I was dreaming and since you weren't out to hurt me, I wasn't as upset after I let it all sink in. I've never had sex."

Grimmjow knew that, but he hadn't at the time. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"It's fine. It just hit me too quickly, the mix of the cough syrup and all unsettled me. But, honestly, Grimmjow, if I didn't want you here, I'd have made it loud and clear. No one's ever been in my bed before. In fact, I've never let anyone kiss me."

Now that was surprising. "Why me then?"

"I can't really answer that at the moment," Ichigo said shrugging.

Grimmjow glared, he didn't know whether to feel insulted or not. It was a good thing that Ichigo didn't seem irate but he didn't want to be some fucking experiment. The simple thought of that, made Grimmjow's anger rise. "I'm not your source of entertainment, shinigami!" he sneered.

Ichigo blinked at that. "Huh?"

"You heard me," Grimmjow growled darkly. "I will not be used to abate your pathetic curiosity like some fucking science experiment!"

"I never said that!" Ichigo snapped. "What kind of shit are you talking about Grimmjow?"

"You know what I'm talking about, shinigami. I am not your entertainment nor am I your experiment just because you're fucking curious!"

"You're still not making any sense at all!" Ichigo shot back coldly. "Why the hell do you have to take my words and twist them the wrong way?"

"How the hell am I supposed to take it? You say you don't know why you let me kiss you, why you're letting me touch you. You must get a real kick out of it, seeing Grimmjow Jaegarjaquez seeking out a goddamn shinigami, getting your amusement out of me!" He grabbed Ichigo by the front of his shirt and brought him close. "You enjoy making a joke of me?"

Ichigo growled darkly and shoved Grimmjow off him. "Get off me you bastard! I never once said that shit!"

"You don't have too," Grimmjow sneered.

"Hey! You're the one who practically raped me and when I tell you I don't really mind, you turn into a asshole!"

"You led me on!"

"I did no such thing!"

"You did! You didn't tell me."

"Because you're a fucking time bomb!" Ichigo shot. "I was waiting for you to get comfortable with me before I said anything! I'm sixteen, you fucking idiot. I may be a shinigami but I'm also human! I've never had a relationship!"

"And you're using me as an experiment, yeah, I hear your words!"

"Those aren't my goddamn words!" Ichigo threw his hands up in distress. "Fucking hell, Grimmjow, what the hell is your problem with me?"

Once again, his shirt was grabbed and he was pulled right into Grimmjow's face. "Perhaps, I should have just taken you and fucked the shit out of you until I couldn't stand to look at you anymore. Perhaps then, I could be done with you. Do you think, I enjoy this? Enjoy my fucking obsession with the likes of you? A fucking shinigami crossbred into human! It sickens me!"

In a flash, Ichigo brought his knee up and collided it with Grimmjow's crotch making him double over in shocked pain. "Get the fuck out of here, now, Sexta, before I turn into a shinigami and whoop your ass!"

Grimmjow's eyes flashed. "Bring it on, brat!" he snarled viciously. "I'll kill you."

"I'd like to see you try," Ichigo challenged.

There was movement down the hall, Ichigo snapped his attention to his locked door when there was a swift knock. "Ichi-nii!"

It was Karin.

"Get the fuck out of here, Grimmjow, now!" Ichigo hissed moving off the bed. "Hold on Karin!" he called out moving to the door and glaring at the retreating Arrancar.

"Ichi-nii, are you okay? I heard yelling, who's in there with you?"

Grimmjow turned at the window, fury and other mixed emotions collided headlong when he took a hard long look at Ichigo.

"It's nobody, Karin," Ichigo said tightly. "Nobody at all." He gave Grimmjow a pointed look.

Without a single word, Grimmjow disappeared into the night and Ichigo sighed heavily as he unlocked the door and opened it.

"Ichi…?" Karin padded into the room and glanced at the window to see the curtains swaying and when she looked up at Ichigo, she saw a panged expression. "Ichi-nii, you said it was no one, but really, who was it? I felt a strange presence and Kon asked me to look."

Ichigo turned from the window and gazed down at his little sister. "Someone," he whispered ignoring the hurt deep inside. He didn't want to acknowledge it, didn't want to let on like Grimmjow's words had really hurt him.

He had thought that despite everything, Grimmjow was a decent guy, but it obviously turned out he wasn't. He was just an idiot with a temper problem and like hell would Ichigo be a punching bag. He wasn't some pathetic naïve bitch.

Karin wrapped her arms around Ichigo's waist and he smiled slightly. "It's alright, Karin."

"Can I sleep with you tonight, Ichi-nii?"

Ichigo wanted to say no, but looking down at his little sister, he simply couldn't choke up the words. "Sure. Go get your pillow."

Karin smiled and rushed out of the room as Ichigo sighed and straightened his bed. He glanced once at the window, but he didn't feel the usual reiatsu. He was gone and apart of Ichigo was glad he was gone, but the other part was bothered.

He couldn't believe he had been thinking of a relationship with an Arrancar, a Hollow technically, and not just any Arrancar, an Espada.

No matter how Ichigo looked at it, he was an enemy, even if he didn't believe it at first. How would they have even worked out? It was beyond him and he didn't want to think about it. It hurt his head and other parts of him too much.

Those other parts, he desperately did not want to admit.

When Karin came in, she shut his door and padded over. When she placed her pillow down beside Ichigo's she almost tripped and when she looked down she blinked. "Who's shoes are these?"

Ichigo peered around and he stared at the familiar sandals. "His," he answered.

Karin arched an eyebrow, but didn't comment as she slid them under the bed and crawled in next to him. "I won't ask Ichi-nii, I'll just sleep."

Ichigo smiled weakly and ruffled her head. "Good night, Karin." That was how Karin always was, the two had a strange silent connection. He couldn't exactly lie to her and he could trust her with his secrets more than anyone.

"Sweet dreams, Ichi-nii," she murmured curling up beside him.

Ichigo didn't think he would be having any sweet dreams on that night, he was sure of it. He laid his head back and tilted his head, looking toward the open window.

Why did he even care? He scowled, damn sick Espada.