Night 3: Date Night
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"Quit being a mother hen, I'll be fine Shin." Ichigo pulled at his sleeve. He frowned at himself in the mirror and pulled at his sleeve again.
"This looks familiar, do I have an outfit like this?" Ichigo questioned.
"Not that I know of," Shinji shrugged. "He sent this to you didn't he?"
Ichigo nodded and frowned, something was really off. The blunet had sent him an outfit that arrived at his door that morning with a note that told him where they would be going and what time he would pick him up. Ichigo blanched at the name of the fancy and expensive restaurant but sighed and asked Shinji to help him get ready.
They heard a beep from outside and Shinji looked at the time. It was seven, right when Grimmjow said he would be picking him up. Shinji hurried him down the stairs and pushed his wallet and phone into his hands and out of the door.
"Have fun!" Shinji waved.
Ichigo rolled his eyes, his brother's excitement too weird for him. Shinji had been acting strange anyway but Ichigo just figured it was just that time of month for him.
He trotted slowly toward the shiny, dark blue BMW and his nerves finally hit him. Hard. The blunet came out from the driver side and gave him a grin, but Ichigo could only think how stunning the man looked. A black blazer laid carefully over a deep purple pressed shirt with a lavender tie and black slacks and shiny shoes. The man's blue eyes shined and his hair was slicked back immaculately with a few locks falling over his forehead. A grin spread across his face and he went around the car to open the door.
Ichigo was speechless for a moment before a soft smile fell on his lips and he stepped closer to the man who seemed to change completely over the span of a day.
He felt the need to give the man a chance to prove that he wasn't a total ass and that he could be nice.
"Thank you," he said softly as he stepped into the car and Grimmjow's grin widened as he shut the door.
He took his position behind the wheel and started the car, a grin placed over his face like a giddy child on Christmas.
"You seem pretty happy for a date with someone you only met once." Ichigo commented.
Grimmjow flinched, something Ichigo didn't miss and frowned. "Well you know, I saw something pretty and hard to get so when I get what I want, I become very happy."
Ichigo snorted and leaned back in the comfortable seat. "Pretty, huh?"
Grimmjow chuckled, his foot on the gas a little harder. "Yeah, you're right. You're definitely more than pretty. I find pretty to be too innocent of a word for you."
"Oh yeah?" Ichigo smirked. "What word would you use to describe me then?"
Grimmjow's grin came back full force. "It seems you'll just have to find out won't you?"
Grimmjow pulled up to the restaurant and the passenger door was opened. Ichigo stepped out as well as Grimmjow and they were immediately greeted by a man in a white waiter suit.
"Welcome back, Jeagerjaques-sama. If you would please follow me."
Grimmjow slipped his arm around Ichigo's waist and pulled him along. Ichigo blushed but said nothing.
The Maitre D' seated them and bowed. "Your server shall arrive shortly." He bowed again and walked away.
Ichigo looked around the restaurant in awe. The lighting was low and different colors like burgundy, beige, and gold made the atmosphere warm and comfortable.
"It's nice here," Ichigo commented softly, "do you come here often?"
"Every once in a while," Grimmjow responded. "I came here once with someone I liked, and ever since it's been a nice place to come to. It's not a nice place for business meetings though, this place will put you to sleep during those boring things."
Ichigo laughed a little and looked at his date across the table. Why he was at a fancy place with such a figure in society, he had no idea. The man was wealthy, no doubt, and apparently he had eight other siblings stationed around Japan who were equally, if not more, wealthy. His father on the other hand had more money than God and he wondered how Japan had any money left for the rest of the less fortunate.
He laughed a little and Grimmjow watched him in amusement. "What's so funny?"
Ichigo smiled and shook his head. "I called myself less fortunate and thought it was funny."
"Oh?" Grimmjow inquired. "Isn't your old man a doctor?"
"He is," Ichigo reached for the drink next to his hand not realizing when it arrived there, "but it doesn't really feel like it. Since the accident, things haven't changed but I'm not unhappy with the outcome either. Apparently, I have an account with more money than I could imagine but I don't know how it got there."
"Yeah? How much?"
Ichigo blushed and bit his lip. "3.2 billion."
Grimmjow laughed out loud and Ichigo jumped, his face going darker. "Ichi-berry, that's a lot of money."
"I know," he responded. "It just seems weird, that there's so much money there but no one seems to know how it got there."
Grimmjow nodded and frowned. "What about the accident?"
Ichigo paled and shook his head, "I'm not going to tell you about that. Besides, didn't you do a background check on me anyway?"
Grimmjow leaned back, "I did, but I figured you'd be willing to tell me about it instead of me prying into your past."
Ichigo snorted, "you say that now."
Grimmjow opened his mouth to reply rudely but a few waiters came then with a new ice bucket of wine, a loaf of bread and their main dishes.
Ichigo smiled at the delicious smell emanating from his plate. It was Italian and he was given cheese manicotti and veal, with grilled mushrooms and broccoli. The sight seemed so familiar and he frowned at the oncoming headache. Was it a trigger? Had he seen this before? He concentrated and shut his eyes at the pain.
It was the same place, the same seat, but who was sitting across from him? He couldn't see anything but the dish in front of him. Who was it?
"Ichigo!"
The orangette jumped in shock and stared wide eyed at Grimmjow. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Ichigo shook his head. "Just a trigger."
Grimmjow didn't pry any further and they began eating in silence.
"This is really good." Ichigo smiled happily. "What did you get?"
Grimmjow grinned, "Fettuccine alfredo and chicken with ceasar."
Ichigo smiled back, "for someone so flashy, that's a pretty boring dish."
Grimmjow shrugged absently, "it's good enough for me."
Dinner went quickly for the two, most of it going in comfortable silence. Grimmjow didn't bring up the accident or the memory trigger and for that Ichigo was grateful.
The waiter came quietly to take their empty plates and asked if they would like dessert. The waiter bowed when Grimmjow declined and disappeared quickly.
"You're a scary person, aren't you?" Ichigo questioned.
"Hmm? Why do you say that?"
"The waiters and the manager who came over once and even the Maitre D' are very cautious and don't stick around very long. I find that strange that they do that despite you being such an influential person in society."
Grimmjow shrugged, "I told them I don't like to be hovered over when I'm eating. They don't want to piss me off because I sponsor this restaurant and they'll miss my donations. They come when they're needed and I like it that way."
Ichigo snickered, "see you are scary."
Grimmjow stood and gave a hand to Ichigo. "Come on, there's one more place we're going before the night is over."
"One more place?" Ichigo questioned. He took the hand and followed him out of the restaurant regardless. They walked through the bustling city streets and the orangette was surprised to have stopped in front of an ice cream stand.
"One strawberry and a chocolate vanilla swirl."
The man passed the two cones and Grimmjow handed Ichigo the swirl. Ichigo took it and Grimmjow took his hand. From there, they walked to the park nearby and Grimmjow grinned at him. "You're gonna like this."
He pointed a finger at the sky and counted down.
"3, 2, 1..."
Boom!
Ichigo watched the fireworks sprout across the sky in awe, his hand automatically intertwined with Grimmjow's, their laced like a couple who had been deeply in love. It all looked so familiar, this entire night but he couldn't remember where he'd seen it all before.
Grimmjow smiled in satisfaction and squeezed Ichigo's hand slightly. It all managed to work in his favor and from there it would be a cake walk.
After the firework show, they began to make their way back to the restaurant where Grimmjow's car was.
"How did you know?" Ichigo inquired.
"Hmm? About what?"
"That I liked chocolate and vanilla swirl?"
Grimmjow shrugged, "good guess."
His car was already ready and waiting for them when they came up to the restaurant. Grimmjow opened the passenger side for Ichigo and jumped behind the wheel back toward the orangette's house.
The ride back was silent but not uncomfortably so, both of them long finished their ice creams and hands far from together.
The drive back to the clinic went by too fast for the both of them and Grimmjow reluctantly shut off the engine.
"Well," he opened his door and walked around the car to open the passenger side.
"I had a lot of fun," Ichigo smiled softly and different emotions fluttered through his heart, "thank you for taking me out today."
They walked slowly to the door and Ichigo turned to face Grimmjow. The blunet touched his face gently and leaned forward to steal a kiss from those lips he'd been longing for.
It was quick but also lingering and Grimmjow pulled back to rub a finger over those parted lips, as wide chocolate eyes stared at him.
"That's how you end a good date, berry."
He pressed their lips together once again before he stepped back, his hands safely in his pockets as an anchor to prevent him from wanting to stay even longer. "I'll call you tomorrow."
Ichigo nodded and watched the man walk back to his car and drive away until a silly grin plastered itself on his face. He opened the door and wasn't really shocked to see his family waiting there in the genkan.
He sighed and removed his shoes, his mind exhausted but ready to recount every moment that happened during the last four hours. After all, with a perfect kiss to end a perfect date, how bad could it be?
Phew! That was fun. What should I do next?
~3.2 billion yen is roughly $26,606,100