Hello again :D

Next chapter's up!

Have fun reading it, it's a bit longer than the previous two :)

"Every one of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That's part of what it means to be alive."—Haruki Murakami

Chapter 2 - The bodyguard

Pain… All he felt was immense pain. It was twisting and turning his insides. It clenched his heart and crushed it unmercifully. He wanted to say something, anything, at the funeral. But he couldn't… It hurt so hard that he couldn't even speak. Ichigo Kurosaki was not a crybaby, but he loved his mother more than anything in this world. Salty tears rolled down his cheeks and he didn't even try to wipe them.

Two days… It's been only two days since she was gone from their lives permanently. He wanted to rewind the time. He wanted to be the one to take the damn bullet. Why was life so cruel? It's sad and funny at the same time how everything, your whole world, can disappear in a moment. He was crying and he was sorry he didn't say a single word about his beloved mother at her funeral. He hoped she could forgive him for being so weak.

He was locked up in his room. He didn't want to hear or to see anyone. He even yelled at Yuzu when she knocked on his door and called him to eat dinner with them last night. He was broken, completely. Masaki Kurosaki was the pillar of this family. It didn't feel right without her here. He remembered all those Christmases they spent together in joy and happiness. All those cakes his mother used to make for them. Her warm smiles, her voice… he was warming up on the inside, recalling all those things in his head. But at the same time, he was tearing apart on the outside.

Isshin was in front of his door, he wanted to knock. This hadn't been easy for him either. He loved his wife more than anything, but he knew… Oh he knew well how much Masaki would hate him if he turned his back on their children to crawl up in a ball and cry. He had been crying. He still is. She was a part of him no one should've taken away, ever. But he knew that he was not alone. Masaki, his joy and ray of sunshine, left a piece of her in their children. She didn't leave him alone. Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin were a part of her.

He smiled at the thought, just a brief and small smile, and left the door untouched hearing his son's sobs coming from the inside. He will protect their children no matter the cost.

"Kisuke… I need to ask you a favor." Isshin looked at his best friend with the eyes of hope.

"Go ahead. You know I'll always help any way that I can." The blond man looked at the president and gave him a knowing smile.

"It's Ichigo… They killed my wife, they will try to take away from me everything I love! Masaki's death will influence Ichigo a lot. He needs to get enrolled in the college, and I know he loves football more than he admits it. I won't let him quit it, but I'll have to bait him." He finished.

"What do you mean?" Kisuke didn't completely understand the point of Isshin's speech.

"What I'm trying to say is that I want him out of country, to live his life normally like he always wanted."

"But…" Kisuke inserted, he knew there was "but" to this statement.

"But I can't let him alone. He could be the target as much as my daughters. They will stay, I can take care of those two, but he… He needs to go, or else he'll go mad. I want you to… find me someone who can take care of him." He sat in his chair and watched Kissuke sitting across from him pondering over something.

"Take care as in guard him, or take different kind of care…" He trailed of seeing the look on his long time friend's face.

"His love life is not my concern." Isshin had to interrupt. "I want someone strong, brash, brisk, brave and fearless… someone who can oppose him and give him a piece of their mind. Someone… who won't be scared to risk their life to save his. That's what I meant when I said "take care", my dearest friend."

Isshin watched Urahara incessantly. Something in the man's eyes spoke that he already had someone on his mind. He would let him take care of that, he trusted him.

"You have two days, don't make them come here until after funeral, please…" he choked on his sob thinking about his dead wife. Urahara stood up and hugged the man in front of him.

"You have to be strong, for your kids. And don't worry, I'll take care of that issue."

"Mr. Kurosaki, your father wants to see you." One of the servants stood outside of his room and kept knocking on his door.

"…"

"Mr. Kurosaki, please…" The girl was stubborn, he'll give her that. After spending hours sulking in his room, maybe he needed to speak to someone, though, he didn't know if his voice would serve him or if he would be strong enough to keep his tears at bay when talking to his dad. He stood up and walked to the mirror. He looked like shit - hair messed up, bags under his caramel eyes and stanches of tears evident on his black suit. He didn't even change into something more comfortable after the funeral… He walked up to the door and pulled it open. The girl got scared and with tiny voice said, "He is in his office, sir."

Ichigo merely gave her a glance and strolled to the office. He knocked and came in. Seeing his father sitting in the chair and sadly gazing out the window broke his heart just a bit more. "You wanted to see me."

Isshin turned around and was surprised that his son indeed came to talk to him. "Yes, we have to discuss a few things."

"Well, what is it?" Ichigo knew he was not going to like what his father have to say, but he stayed nevertheless.

"How do you feel?" he expected that question. It was usual and normal… He felt like shit, like he was run over by a trunk. Should he lie to his father? Why though? They could understand each other, they felt the same pain. "It should've been me," he simply said. That caught Isshin off guard. He didn't expect Ichigo would say something stupid like that.

Isshin pinned Ichigo to the wall and angrily hissed, "You stupid, foolish boy! Don't you ever dare to say that again! You hear me?! It shouldn't have been you and it shouldn't have been Masaki! They wanted me, probably still do, that's why you're all in danger." He sighed sadly. He didn't want to hide or to have to hide his children, his men were taking care of that issue, but no one reported him yet who was responsible for the attack. Someone wanted his head, and he wanted to know why.

"Tell me, son, what you plan to do after you finish your high school?"

Ichigo took a minute to think over his response. His father was jumping into another subject, but he was fine with that. Being pinned against the wall by his father wasn't exactly what he wished for to accomplish. "Keep up with my trainings and enroll the college." He didn't want to give up on everything his mother worked so hard to allow him, he wanted to be a doctor one day… he wanted to cure people and help them. And football… he enjoyed playing it. He relaxed and relieved stress and tension.

Isshin seemed satisfied with the response he got. "I'm glad to hear that. But, where do you plan to go to school?"

"Harvard's med school." Ah, Isshin could guess it. His son never doubted himself. And he never doubted his son's possibilities. So, Boston, it will be.

"Very well. Now, listen. I am not going to forbid you anything, you may follow your dreams, Masaki would have my head if I said otherwise, but… I cannot let you go alone."

Where did that come from? "Excuse me?"

"You will have your personal bodyguard with you, no matter where you go."

"No." Is his father mentally challenged or something? He wanted to get away from this. All of it, including the White House, the staff, the "king" treatment, every single one fucking thing.

"Either that, or you'll stay here, living under my roof by my rules." Isshin was not planning on giving in. He will let him have all he wants, but he had to listen to him just this once. "Nobody has to know you have a bodyguard. He can dress as casually as you do, he doesn't have to look like a freaking gorilla or shit like that. I just want to know there is someone that'll keep you safe when I can't do it. I lost your mother, even though I was right there, damn it! I couldn't protect her, I couldn't save her! I couldn't do a fucking thing! I'm not intending to let that mistake repeat! Am I clear?"

There was pain in Isshin voice. Clear and desperate pain. Ichigo pondered over his words. He could go away from all this shit and be alone, well not completely alone obviously, but he could lead his own life. On the other hand he could stay here, in this god awful house, with his loving sisters and apparently idiot of a father and nothing would change. He knew he couldn't keep himself together if he stayed.

His mom wouldn't want him to give up.

"I'll accept your offer, Mr. President," and he slammed the door behind him, angrily walking to the kitchen. His appétit was suddenly opened and he had to eat something, fast.

The black Audi parked itself in the parking lot in front of the USA President's residence. A young, tall and well built guy got out of it. He checked for wrinkles on his black suit and found none. "Good."Then he checked his wristwatch and continued walking towards the White House. On the entrance he said he's here to see Urahara Kisuke and he was told to enter and wait in the large hall.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez had seen and been to many different places, but he couldn't help but be awed at what he saw. He had a feeling like he was in some royal palace or some shit like that. How could someone live in a place like this? There was zero home atmosphere with all these people wandering the halls and talking and doing their job… He fought a shiver that burst through his body and patiently waited for blond haired man to show up. In the mean time he got curious glances directed his way, it had to be the hair.

His flight from Germany was a bit late, so that's why he couldn't make it here earlier. The plane ride was long and so boring. He waited on the airport for three fucking hours! All these people around… He hated crowd. He heard his nickname being called and knew it had to be the man he was waiting for.

"Long time no see, Pantera." Urahara chuckled at the look Grimmjow gave him. He saw the man was irritated, for waiting apparently, and decided to play just a bit longer with him. Somehow he knew how to push his buttons the wrong way and he liked that. Not many people had that power over Grimmjow, if any at all.

"So, captain, what can I do for you? I'm listening to what you have to say." He didn't have time to play Kisuke's games. He wanted to know why he had to travel for over eight hours, and he wanted the answer now.

"I can't tell you what you want to know, but… come with me." And Grimmjow followed him, as he was instructed. It was like that time in the army, captain wanted to… No. "Don't go there Grimmjow." His subconscious whispered. He waited until the elevator beeped and got out of it, trailing after Kisuke. They stopped in front of a large door and Grimmjow wandered just what kind of a man the President was. They heard the gruff "Come in" and he braced himself for whatever the fuck was waiting for him in there.

There was a man, sitting in his chair, leaned over the desk and writing something. The room was different than the rest of the house, somehow more home-like than the rest of this place. There were pictures on the walls. He counted three children on almost each of them, two girls and a boy he'd say, by the look of it. The boy was around twelve and looked like a sissy, always wore a smile and hugged some lady. Seeing the lady on more pictures he concluded it must be his mother.

"He's here, Isshin." The man sitting at the desk raised his head and was a bit shocked to say the least. "You aren't serious, are you?" Isshin directed the question to Urahara and Grimmjow didn't like that, none bit. The old man obviously judged the book by its covers. Only, he pondered over what inclined the suspicion. Could've been his hair, again?

"Why am I here?" he decided to speak finally. Hearing the seriousness and determination in the man's voice Isshin thought about changing his mind. Maybe this guy wasn't that bad, and maybe it was good thing he was so young.

"Well, good afternoon to you too, Mr.?"

"Just call me Pantera." Grimmjow gruffly answered. "Why am I here? And how can my services be of any use to you?" he was getting impatient with all these people taking his precious time away. The two men in the room just observed him quietly. Standing like that for a couple of minutes Grimmjow changed his mind about coming here.

Fuck them. He had had enough. Rolling his eyes and muttering "See ya later," to Kisuke, Grimmjow moved to the door, when he was yanked by the arm. Well, tried to be yanked. He caught the hand that came at him and had it twisted in a mere second.

He saw that it was the President he was currently holding down and he quickly let him go. "Wait." He heard the President say.

"Yes?"

"I'm in a need of a bodyguard." Grimmjow looked angrily at Kisuke who guiltily gazed in the other direction. He didn't do this kind of shit. He didn't want to protect anyone. He was done with that shit. He could save someone's ass, beat someone to the pulp, hell, he'd even shoot someone for all he cared, but not this.

"You've got the wrong guy." And he turned again, but then…

"Wait… Just listen to me." He heard desperation in the man's voice. He didn't want to, really, but this man obviously had something important to protect, so he waited.

"I'm being targeted." Grimmjow nodded waiting for him to go on. "That means my family is targeted too. My wife…" he paused. The blue haired man wondered why this man, Isshin, went sad all of a sudden, "…she's been assassinated two days ago." Oh, that's the reason, he thought. "My son was very connected to her. He's a good boy, Mr. Pantera, but… If I make him stay here against his will, he'd probably just crept in his shell and be closed off to the world for the rest of his life. He needs to go to school, away from here. I need someone to take care of him, while he's there." Isshin finished carefully observing Grimmjow's reaction.

"Sir, I am not a bodyguard." He tried to make his way out of this. He didn't want to keep an eye on some spoiled brat and be its babysitter.

"Grimmjow." That was Urahara. And he said his name, so he meant business. The said man turned his head to Kisuke and there was something piercing through his voice, something that could only be transcribed as… warning. "You will take this job."

"Don't forget you're not my captain anymore, Kisuke." Isshin gasped hearing this. So, this man had been in a military… and if he worked under Urahara's command than that meant he was the marine. Or the ex one…? Kisuke knew this man well, so he knew he will be the right guy for the job. "I'll pay you as much as you want," Isshin cut in. "Ask anything, I'll give you that. Just accept the job." He was on the edge to say 'please' to beg this guy here.

"Look, Mr. Isshin, you look like a good and kindhearted man. To be honest, I don't think I'll be able to do this job. Kisuke overestimated me. I'm sorry." And that's when Kisuke took the matter in his hands, seeing that Isshin was still fighting with himself to cooperate with the loss of his wife and was at a loss for words at the moment.

"Listen here, soldier. You. Will. Do. The. Job. End of discussion." Grimmjow wanted to hit the man, seriously. To hurt him and enjoy watching him suffer. "I won't be anyone's fuckin' babysitter, goddamn it, Kisuke!" Grimmjow growled loudly, "I didn't use to lead that kind of life. I was alone, always, and you know it. I can't just live with someone so suddenly. Especially not with some kid who lost his mom two freaking days ago. Do you expect of me to act as his mother, too?" He wanted to hurt anyone at this moment.

"Go call Ichigo, Kisuke…" Isshin said, "we'll have a chat until you come back, please, Mr. Grimmjow, sit." And he obeyed. He did take a seat and listened to what this man wanted to say.

"Look, I'll pay, ok? Any price, just say it. You look like a man who could teach my son so many things, and I'd be more than grateful if you'd do what I ask of you."

Money… He needed that, well, not really but he liked that thing. "You know, I have some rules that need to be respected." Grimmjow gave in… first Ulquiorra, and now this stranger… Is he becoming a softy? God, he hoped not! "How much money are we talking about?"

"A month salary. Three hundred thousand dollars per month. But I expect full service." Isshin said, finally releasing that pent up stress.

"Hey, rule number one – the deal is the deal. You pay, I do what you say. That's it." He could try… he'll give this man a shot. But if his spoiled brat got annoying he won't hesitate to take him back here and leave for good.

"Look, just to be clear," in that particular moment the door, which remained open, moved a bit and in the room entered two men though Grimmjow didn't see them, "I can be the boy's bodyguard, but I won't be his babysitter, nanny, caretaker, I won't dress him up, I won't cook his meals and I'm not gonna act like a bloody housewife, am I clear enough?" Grimmjow looked seriously in the man's eyes which displayed humor and he wondered why he got himself in this mess.

"Excuse me, but, just whose babysitter you do not intend to be?" The voice that he heard speaking sent him chills down his spine. "I believe my father asked for a bodyguard, not a nanny." He hadn't heard it before, never. And he thought how the boy who didn't even hit the goddamn puberty, judging by the pictures he saw here, could have such a strong and full voice. "Is this boy really a twelve year-old?" Grimmjow got surprised when he heard Isshin chuckle and he carefully and painfully slowly turned around to see that "boy" he was supposed to "babysit".

He directed his view downwards expecting to see a child with stuck out tongue which displayed how he indeed was spoiled, but his eyes almost popped out of his head when he got the view of the knees which obviously belonged to someone's body. He tried to mask his surprise, but failed miserably while he raised his head to connect those legs clad in tight light worn-out jeans with the "boy's" face. Grimmjow was stunned, to say the least. Everybody made it seem like he was supposed to take care of a kid who didn't even know how to dress itself, when instead, there stood a man, a bit younger than him - he concluded - with a scowl planted on his face and a weird hair color.

His legs seemed long. No surprise there, the guy was tall, almost as tall as him. His black button up shirt did little to hide how perfectly shaped his pectoral muscles were. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stopped checking out his supposed to be "ward". He had never been so surprised in his life, that's the reason he checked him out. Grimmjow was asexual, even though he had his share of women, he never liked them and he had never been in love. He lived to fight and nothing brought him more pleasure than that. "Who's this punk?" he tried to collect himself and voiced his thought.

The scowl on the young man's face seemed to deepen and he growled angrily, "Who do you think you are calling me a 'punk', and really dad," he directed his attention to his father, " you got me a guy who's almost the same age as me to supposedly protect me?" The orange haired boy scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest in a pretty girly manner if you ask Grimmjow. The blue haired man was starting to get pissed off, for no apparent reason this idiot here doubted his ability. He didn't take no one's shit.

"Ichigo, this man, is going to be your bodyguard. You're stuck up with him for the time being, you might as well show some respect." Ichigo couldn't believe his ears, he thought his dad will find some old man to stick to him and follow him where ever he goes. He imagined the man would be quiet and obeying his orders… and he got a blue haired beast who obviously didn't give a fuck about anything in the world. "I don't want him! Find someone else." Ichigo angrily shouted at his father. He couldn't live with this guy, he screamed trouble and distress! Just look at that freaking weird hair!

"Why you fuckin' brat! I didn't want you either. I just knew you're a spoiled kid who needed someone who'd listen to your orders. Tough luck, idiot, I'm not the guy. Find a maid or a girlfriend for that kind of services. Now, you might as well be grateful I accepted your father's offer, and you," he glared at Kisuke, "you owe me so big for this shit you pulled on my neck, got it blondy?" Kisuke smiled and nodded, he knew Grimmjow wouldn't reject him. Blue haired man became the way he is thanks to him, he knew Grimmjow better than anyone and he was sure he was just the right person Ichigo needed by his side.

"Why no one asks me a thing?" Ichigo interfered, "Do you realize I'm not a brat like you thought I was? Yeah, I heard your little speech when I came in. I don't need a freaking nanny, but I also don't need a bully with stick up his ass to order me around." That got to Grimmjow, well how couldn't it when the guy mentioned his precious ass? "Look, you sissy, I meant what I said. You don't make the rules – you respect mine. You don't order me around – you let me do my job. I'm not gonna be your housewife, I'm not gonna prepare your food, do the laundry and have a shit eating grin on my face anytime you speak to me. I'm gonna stick by your side as long as your father wants me too. I'm putting my life at risk to protect yours. You have no say in this what's so matter and if you ever mention my ass again, in any context, I'll personally cut your dick off, got it?"

Grimmjow fumed, no one as in ever in his life, except maybe Urahara, succeeded in pissing him off this much like the guy who entered the room a couple of minutes ago. He face-palmed and turned to Isshin. Isshin was amusingly observing their chat and realized why his long time friend chosen this man for the job. The guy had a gut and he was strong-willed. He would never betray someone's trust and obviously failure wasn't the word in his dictionary. He was grateful for this man. He wondered what would Masaki thought of him if she had a chance to meet him.

In the mean time Ichigo stood dumbstruck and speechless. Never in his life had someone talked down on him like this guy here, but what irked him the most was that his father was totally fine with that. Oh, he'll get his revenge. He'll show this bastard just how spoiled one could be and how much he gave a fuck about what he'd just said. "The game's on, son of a bitch."

"You start your job immediately." Isshin said. "For the next couple of moths you'll be living here, under this roof, and then you're off to Boston, with my son." Ichigo winced a bit at that. He thought his father would be as kind as to let him have his freedom while he was here, but this… "Dad, can I at least have my freedom until I live under your roof. I have friends here, you know? They know me for who I am and this… beast here will ruin everything. Please…"

Isshin pondered for a moment, his son's life was at risk but he didn't want him to hate him for the rest of his life… "Fine. You can leave now, Ichigo. It'll be as you wanted. You'll have your freedom while you're here."

Ichigo could faint of happiness. Not wanting to have his father change his opinion, he stormed out of the room shutting the door behind him. Grimmjow though stood dumbfounded by the man's answer. "So, when do I really start?" his rough voice shaken the President from his thoughts and he looked at the blue haired man, "Immediately, as I said. Work undercover for now, you don't have to live here, I'll pay you a hotel room. Keep an eye on him from the distance. That's your job for the next four months. And try not to be seen, or we'll have him on our necks for the rest of our lives."

Grimmjow chuckled for the first time in a long time and smirked at the man, "You are one crazy old man…"

Isshin just smiled at that. He'll get along well with this guy.

A/N:

What do you think about their meeting? ^^

Is Grimmjow asexual for real? :O

And what kind of game does Ichigo have in mind for our blue haired sexy bodyguard? :D

Review?

Love,

A :)