'How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
"Oi, Abarai!" Grimmjow slammed the red heads locker closed with a wide smirk on his face, his eyes hard as he glared daggers at Renji. "What the fuck is wrong with the fucking Pumpkin?"
"The fuck are you talking about Jaegerjaquez?" Renji pushed Grimmjows arm out of the way and opened his locker again so he could get the rest of his books for the last half of the day.
"Orangey, what the fuck happened to him wanting to beat the shit out of me? First he doesn't take the fight when I offer it as we're walking to school, then in PE when I try and piss the pecker off I get nothing." Grimmjow was livid at the small simple fact that Ichigo was ignoring him, he wanted to rip the teens ear off, he was pulling out stops that had previously made Ichigo almost foam at the mouth and he was getting nothing out of him.
Renji pushed Grimmjow out of his way again, backing him up and step before the blue haired teens foot planted and he stopped himself firmly. With a harsh glare at the slightly smaller teen, his smirk grew as he realized he might get a fight. "He is none of your fucking business Grimmjow. Now fuck off, I've got class to get to and I'm sure you've got one to skip out on."
"Fine, I guess I'll just get it out of him then." Grimmjow turned to leave but Renji caught his arm and pushed him up against the lockers.
"If you fucking even look at him again I'm coming after you with a storm you fucker. He's been through enough shit before you came along. The last fucking thing he needs is you trying to get a rise out of him because it feeds your sick sadism. Ever think he's just fucking tired as fuck about you bugging him?"
"Then why doesn't he fight back anymore? It's not like I could have broken him that easily."
"Because I don't have to. Now will both of you move your fucking fat asses?" Both boys turned to Ichigo, standing beside them with his arms crossed over his chest and a glare on his face that could have killed a puppy. The both of them broke away but Grimmjow didn't move away from the carrot tops locker since Renji had been so kind as to put him right in Ichigo's path. "Move it Grimm."
"No, I don't wanna move for you."
"Don't make me ask again."
"You wont have to, cause I'm not movi-" Ichigo cut him off with a strong right hook to his lower jaw. Ichigo heard a crack in his hand and hissed at his dislocated middle finger, only glad that it was his right hand and not left.
"When I tell you to do something you little shit, fucking well do it you fucking bitch-shit." With a growl Ichigo stood beside the stunned Grimmjow who was propped up against the lockers, holding his left jaw completely shocked that Ichigo had gotten a punch in. He didn't know what to do, every bone in his body was screaming at him to punch back but something felt horribly wrong about it. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach saying he shouldn't.
"Then fucking answer me when I ask you, fucker." Grimmjow turned away and stormed off to his next class as Ichigo pulled out his violin for orchestra class.
"Hey Ichi, you alright?" Renji had never seen Ichigo hit anybody that quickly if it hadn't been to protect a friend or during martial arts practice, he knew Grimmjow wouldn't go to the principal about it because that would mean expulsion and no more Ichigo to terrorize. He he was worried about why Ichigo had thrown the punch to begin with.
"I'm fine, just cant fucking wait for today to be over. I want this fucking season to be over." Ichigo stuffed his back into his locker and picked up his violin case and folder. "As soon as Christmas is over I think I'll be fucking happy as Hades." Ichigo slammed his locker shut and stormed off, not bothering to wait for Renji.
Renji let out a shaky, worry filled sigh. 'I'm going to have to confront him at some point. But I don't know how. Fucking hell." Renji growled as he slammed his fist against the lockers, lucky that the thin metal didn't bend.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Hey Grimm, what the fuck happened to you?" Nnoitra looked at the forming bruise on Grimmjow's jaw and smirked as he sat down beside the blue haired teen he'd befriended in the school's metal work room.
"Nothing I couldn't handle."
"Kurosaki punched him." Ulquiorra sat down on Grimmjows other side, having picked up on the conversation and knowing what actually happened. "Saw him on the way to class."
"Good for fucking you Ulqui." Ulquiorra just shrugged and got his supplies out to start finishing his term project.
"Whatever gloats your boat Grimmjow."
"So what's going on with you? Got the hots for him or something? Havent left him the fuck alone since ya got here." Nnoitra looked at Grimmjow for a reaction and couldn't hold the smirk back as Grimm just shrugged.
"He's got a nice ass, not like I'm up for dealing with that baggage though. He's got more fucking emo mood swings then bat-boy here."
"Wow Grimm, you really know nothing. Do ya, Dip-shit?" Grimmjow turned to Nnoitra with his mouth opened to yell his fool head off that he knew lots more then they thought he did but Starrk sat down between the two, pushing Nnoitra over.
"Grimm, don't think you know things. Sometimes it's best to just cut losses if you want one might stands. And Nnoitra, get lost." Starrk was the type of person that wouldn't let gossip run around the school if he could help it, and he knew that the many stories Ichigo Kurosaki had were just stories and rarely any of them were true. "If You want to know Grimm, actually be his friend and stop trying to pick a fight."
"Che, what the fuck ever Starrk." Grimmjow rubbed under his right eye in annoyance, thinking about the symmetrical tottoo's he'd gotten the year before as his own Christmas gift. It had been the straw that broke his fathers abck and forced the man to kick him out, the two tattoo's were something he liked having because people looked at him with worried eyes. They often didn't want to go near him if they could help it, his plans for that Christmas were for another tattoo on his lower right back.
"Alright class, lets get started, put your last night homework on the corner of your desk and get ready to start the test." Everyone groaned, who should have tests and homework for shop class? Their teacher was crazy.
Grimmjow ground his way through the test, trying as hard as he could to ignore Nnoitra chuckling every few minutes or Ulquiorra's annoyed sighs of impatience as he waited for the rest of the class to finish their tests too.
"Alright everyone, pencils down." Grimmjow set his pencil down and looked at the question he'd been working on only to find a scribbled drawing of poorly drawn eyes. The doodle was on the first page so with a frightful flip of pages he checked over all of the math work, seeing that he did as a matter of fact do all the questions on the test.
His nerves relaxed out again when he noticed that he'd even done the bonus question and had gotten it before the test was snatched out of his hands. Mr. Jaegerjaquez, you know as well as I that I don't allow the correction of work after pencils down."
Grimmjow just shrugged and sat back in his seat with a bit of a glare "Did it look like my pencil was in my hand old man?" the brown haired, laidback teacher narrowed his eyes for a moment before continuing on with a sigh.
"So Grimmy, what was it ya were drawin?"
"Nothin'." Grimmjow crossed his arms over his chest as he rotated his head, fully intent on stretching the aching muscles a little.
"Excuse me Sir, sorry for interrupting but I need Mr. Jaegerjaquez to come with me." Grimmjow looked up at the door, a frown marring his face when he saw Ichigo and Toshiro standing in the doorway. Ichigo's arms were crossed over his chest and Toshiro was glaring at the blue haired teen as the teacher nod his head lazily while the rest of the class started to get their projects out again.
With a confident smirk Grimmjow got up and followed the two smaller boys out of the room with a smirk on his face
"What's up Snowflake, Pumpkin?"
"We need to talk to you about something." Toshiro moved out of the way and lead the other two down the schools main hallway towards a commonly used area that had been cleared. Grimmjow let out a sigh as he hopped up onto one of the higher benches and sat with his elbows resting on his knees, he wasn't planning on moving another foot until he was told what they wanted with him, maybe half a foot more if Kurosaki were to look at him and not Hytsugaya.
"Fine, we'll tell you here. We need you on our soccer team for the last week of school Grimmjow. Kurosaki can't play the upcoming three games because of work related issues and our team is horribly short on players because of the flue." Toshiro sat down on a lower bench and turned sideways so he could see both Ichigo and Grimmjow.
The two teens were just glaring at one another with so much intensity that Toshiro thought they might throw fists at any moment.
"I didn't even know Pumpkin was on the team."
"I wasn't until they needed the player. Listen, it's not exactly-"
"So, the replacement cant do it. That's gotta hurt Orangey, what's so important that you cant help out yer friends? Letting them down a bit there, aren't ya?" Ichigo tensed his jaw, ready to rip Grimmjow a new one until Toshiro cut in.
"Kurosaki doesn't have to explain why he can't play, all he needs to say is he cant. Now we would ask Starrk or Nnoitra, but we figure you'll be more… willing lets say."
"And why the hell is that? You think I'm some kind of pushover?"
"On the contrary, you're better then them at soccer. In PE you play the position we need filled, and we want your ferocity on the team." Toshiro knew that stroking Grimmjow's ego was the only real way to get what he wanted. If Grimmjow felt like they needed him for his strength and power that the blue haired teen would agree.
"And what the fuck makes you think I'll do it."
"You know what, just forget it Tosh. I'll make it work with my work schedule, I doubt you'd be able to count on him anyways." Ichigo turned away with his hands stuffed in his pockets "These games are too important to you and your future to let this guy fuck it up."
"Good thing you stepped in Pumpkin, because I wouldn't have said yes."
"But Ich-Kurosaki, you cant do that. What about your scholarship concert, what the hell are you going to do?"
"It's fine Toshiro, I don't need the scholarship with the money I was left in the summer." It wasn't true, he just hoped that Toshiro thought so. He could always just call in sick on game days and skip out on practices. "I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."
Grimmjow stood up and stuffed his hands into his pockets, watching Ichigo storm off, his eyes shamelessly watching the orange heads ass as he head back to the work out room.
"Grimmjow, if you could find it possible, I'd still like you to try. Kurosaki has so much on his plate already that I don't think he'll be able to do it." Grimmjow said nothing before walking back to the shop room so he could weld something.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Grimmjow was more then happy as he walked into the schools work out room and saw Ichigo lifting weights, no spotter and all alone. The orange haired teen's chest was covered in sweat and the glare on his face as music pumped in his ears so loudly that he didn't hear Grimmjow come in.
"Che, this'll be fun." With a wide smirk Grimmjow walked over to Ichigo and stood at his head.
"Fuck off Grimmjow, I'm busy." He knew he should have been down in the music room, working on his song once again. But he had needed to clear his head with hard physical exercise.
"Awe Pumpkin, do you hate me?" Ichigo raised the bar to set it back in the holder so he could take an earphone out, but Grimmjow stopped the bar from moving much higher. Ichigo then loosened his grip on the bar to see if Grimmjow was going to hold the weight, more then pissed as the hundred pound bar dropped with his arms.
"Grimmjow, fuck off." Grimmjow just smirked and let go of the bar, watching as Ichigo set the bar down and stood up to glare at Grimmjow. "What the fuck is your problem? What the bloody fucking hell did I do to you?!"
"Whoa, calm down there Pumpkin, it was only-"
"Don't call me that you stupid fucking bastard! What makes you think you've got the right to make me feel like shit for no fucking reason?"
"Well it's not like I know your name."
"Hey Ichigo, we've got to get going or else-" Rukia stopped as she saw both boys in the work out room looking like they were going to pummel each other. She was followed by many of Grimmjow's friends as they all went to different machines.
"'Ichigo'? That's yer fucking name? Ha! And I thought my parents fucked me over with a name like Grimmjow. Is the pretty little Strawberry not allowed to hang out with his friends? Gonna go be a loaner in the Music room like the pretty strawberry you are?" Ichigo sent a heavy glare in Grimmjow's direction as the blue haired teen broke out into hysterical laughter.
"Common Grimm, if you don't hurry up we wont get our spot." Starrk was standing a few feet off of the group of teens glaring at his newest ally, not something he liked since he knew what happened the last time someone made fun of the orange hared teens name. That had been before Ichigo's family had died, in all truth Starrk didn't know what the temperamental student would do now.
"S-Starrk, d-did you know h-his name?! oh-oh god, I have fucking stitches!" Grimmjow was holding his sides, one hand bent up in an odd angle to point at Ichigo with a slender pointer finger.
"Grimmjow¾"
"Ulquiorra, you knew too?! Why-why the fuck didn't either of you tell me he had such a fucking fruity name?! Strawberry, oh man, who the bloody fuck gave a guy such a pathetic, worthless name as¾" Rukia's grip on Ichigo's shoulder slipped, and it was all the teen needed.
Ichigo sprung forward and his fist made perfect contact with Grimmjow's jaw, sending the blue haired teen into the punching bag where the chains on top and bottom stopped him from tumbling. He was given no warning as Grimmjow lunged back at him and punched him in his stomach, causing him to double over.
Grimmjow's punches hit Ichigo's torso like a barrage, Ichigo couldn't even see them coming as he was pushed back a little bit with every fist. His back ended up hitting a metal surface and he took the opportunity to kick his leg up to hit Grimmjow, only resulting in hitting Grimmjow's side in a weak attempt to get the blue haired teen off. When his leg was caught Ichigo blocked the punch and punched out at Grimmjow's chest, grunting as he knocked the other back and was forced to follow because of the blue haired boys grip on his leg.
"Ichigo! Ichigo get off him!"
"Grimmjow, knock it off. This isn't funny." Rukia was freaking out, trying to grab Ichigo's shoulders while Nnoitra and Starrk tried to do the same.
"I'm going to kick your ass into next fucking month Grimmjow!"
"Go right the fuck ahead Strawberry!" Grimmjow was still laughing like a mad man before he flipped over, knocking Rukia over in the process of pinning Ichigo under him. Grimmjow started punching with both hands again, his laugh never stopping as the other started grabbing at him to get him off the enraged orange head.
"Grimmjow, get off of him. This isn't fucking funny." Starrk motioned for Ulquiorra to get Rukia out of the workout room and down to the nurse since she was holding her bleeding elbow.
"You gonna start crying Strawberry? Am I hurting you?"
"Shut him the fuck up!" Ichigo let out a huge roar as he got his feet under Grimmjow and kicked the teen off of him. Ichigo got himself up and rushed for Grimmjow again. Starrk and Nnoitra managed to grab Ichigo, holding his chest to hold him back from getting to Grimmjow.
"Ichigo, calm-"
"You fucker! You better be thanking your fucking lucky stars you've got more friends here then me right now! I want to rip your damn head off!" Ichigo was struggling against Starrk and Nnoitra, swearing his head off as he did his best to combat the two holding him back. "Get the fuck off of me!"
Ichigo finally broke both Starrk and Nnoitra's hold on him and took a few steps back, his eyes dark as he glared at Grimmjow, picking himself up with a few grunts and gasps of pain. "To protect. That's what it means. It means to protect!" Ichigo was debating on moving forwards and hitting Grimmjow again but gave up and just turned towards the work out room door.
"I don't fucking care anymore. I'm done with you Grimmjow, come near me again and I don't know what I'll do, but it's not going to be pretty." Ichigo left the room, not bothering to grab any of his stuff as he head down to the infirmary to see if Rukia was alright.
"Ichigo, what the fuck happened to Rukia?" Renji stopped Ichigo outside the door and the orange head tried to brush his friend off.
"Jaegerjaquez and me got into a fight. Rukia got-"
"What did you do to her?!"
"I did nothing!" Ichigo pushed Renji off of him so he could go in and check on Rukia.
"Ichigo, tell me why the fuck she-"
"Will you shut up Renji?! I've already been in one goddamn fight today and I don't feel like getting into another. Now I don't care how worried you are about her because the two of you are dating and didn't think I was mature enough to know. I just want to check on my friend and then go home before my shift tonight." Ichigo had lost most of his fire and his arm dropped from Renji's chest where he'd been using his forearm to keep the other pinned to the wall.
"How long have you known?"
"September, it was kinda easy to figure out when you two would sit beside each other and the whole passing notes thing instead of texting was so old school."
"Ich, I'm sorry man, we just didn't know how to tell you."
"It's fine Renji, I honestly don't care. It's fine, I'm glad your both happy." With a sigh Ichigo hung his head glaring a little at the ground. "I know if I go in there the nurse will fret, and then they'll call my foster parents… but if I leave school before the end of the day they'll do the same. I cant really afford that." Ichigo was more thinking out loud as he let out another sigh and leaned against the wall beside Renji, just trying to clear his head.
"Are your foster parents that strict? What, do they have some kind of 'no fighting' policy or some shit?"
"Uh, yeah." He was going to say, just to open his mouth and tell Renji everything. He wanted to have one of those emotional breakdowns where he just tells his best friend every horrible truth of his last half year and get all the hidden truths out so he didn't have to deal with it all. But putting something like that onto Renji's shoulders just wouldn't be like him.
"Well I've got a fix for that. This weekend your staying at my place. I don't give a damn if I have to break into this mysterious new place and spirit you away in the middle of the night, you'll be spending the weekend at my house."
"Alright Renji, I'll let them know tonight when I get home. Ugh, until then feel like helping me patch up in the bathroom?" Renji nod his head and followed Ichigo to his locker to get the small medical kit he kept there.
Ichigo hopped up onto the counter of the locked bathroom and took a few deep breaths as he waited for the sting of the antiseptic he knew Renji was going to apply. "So Ichigo, are you really good with me and Rukia?"
"Yeah it's all good."
"Really? Because you guys were really close last year."
"Renji, are you trying to talk me back into a relationship with your girlfriend?" He and Renji shared a bit of a laugh as Renji started dabbing at the cuts on Ichigo's face as the teen hissed at the fizzling pain.
"Now why the hell would I do that?"
"No idea." They fell into a relaxed silence, Ichigo sitting on the counter and letting Renji crudely fix the few cuts on his face and tending to the cut on his lip himself.
"I can tell you anything, right Renji?"
"Duh, that's kinda what you get when we've been friends for years Ich." The air in the room suddenly got really heavy and Ichigo felt like he couldn't breathe, it was finally the moment of truth, he could either tell Renji one of two secrets or no secret at all.
"The truth is Renji, well you see…" 'I can do this, I can tell him, cant I? what's the worst that'll happen? Damn Ichigo don't ask that question, you could end up back in child services. I'd only run away again though, but they'd catch me, Renji would know everything and he'd probably think he's doing something for my own good. "I haven't gone to my families grave since the funeral. Do you think you could come with me a little closer to Christmas? I-I'd like to play the violin for them."
"Sure thing Ichi, I can do that. I've been meaning to go myself for a few weeks now, it'd be too weird going without you though." Renji finished with the antiseptic and reached into the bag for the polysporine.
"Don't worry about that yet Renji, I'm going to get a shower in the locker rooms." Renji nod his head and pulled a bit of paper towel off the roll for Ichigo to dry his face with.
"Alright, should I tell Hisagi that you'll be a little late?" Ichigo looked down at his watch and nod his head seeing that he only had fifteen minutes until class started.
"Yeah, fifteen should be fine, I shouldn't be too late." Renji nod his head and grabbed the crappy medical kit that he and Ichigo knew how to use because of Ichigo's dad having been a clinic owner and doctor.
"Kay, see you then Ichigo. If your too late I'll have to come and find you though. don't make me find you butt naked in the shower or something." Ichigo just rolled his eyes as Renji left him alone in the bathroom before hopping off the counter and making his way to the work out room so he could grab his clothes that he'd changed out of.
On his way up to the workout room students were parting like the red sea, wondering why Ichigo was shirtless and had a bruised and cut face. A few girls came over and fretted over him, trying to touch him before he just bolted. He caught a glimpse of Rukia coming out of the infirmary with both Renji and Ulquiorra, not all that odd since the two were cousins.
Up in the workout room Ichigo saw that Grimmjow had cleared out and that his stuff was nearly folded beside the bench he'd been working on, his missing iPod sitting on top with the headphones wrapped around them. Starrk and Nnoitra were working on different machines, Nnoitra was working on his biceps while Starrk was hanging upside down, pulling himself up to work on his abs.
"Who touched my shit?"
"Me, got a problem with it Kurosaki?" Starrk hated the odd altercations he had with the orange head ever since the accident, it hadn't been his fault that he'd seen it while he was walking and had called it in, and it most certainly wasn't his fault that Ichigo had asked to know who called it in to talk to them. Ichigo had asked for every detail and had mentally beaten it out of him within the span on an hour.
"Oh, I guess not. Where's the Blueberry?" Ichigo checked the room again as he grabbed his wife beater and pulled it over his head before gathering the rest of his stuff.
"He left, babbling something about an ass and 'fucking bastard' I think. Why, miss him?" Nnoitra gave Ichigo a wide smirk as the teen grabbed up all of his stuff.
"Thanks Starrk, later Nnoitra." Ichigo grabbed all his stuff and flung it over his shoulder, taking the back door to the workout room down to the locker rooms.
As soon as he slipped inside the doors Ichigo let out a sigh as he heard a shower going in the back. He hated the lack of curtains and separate stalls, it always made showers after gym awkward. He stripped and wrapped his towel around his waist before stepping into the tiled three inch deep basin with the many drains in the bottom. He hung his towel on the opposite wall and walked over to a shower head, not bothering to try and see the other person through the steam.
He turned the water on and sighed as the instantly hot droplets soaked his aching muscles. "You like a hot shower after a good fight too I see." Ichigo jumped as he heard Grimmjow right beside him.
"The hell?!"
"Awe, what's the matter Berry?" Grimmjow leaned himself against the wall right beside Ichigo's shower spray as Ichigo moved back into the spray to get the soap off his body.
"Fuck off Grimmjow."
"Common, don't be too mad there. You got in a few good punches." Ichigo rolled his eyes and just grit his teeth together as he cleaned off the rest of his body and hopped out being quick to grab his towel and wrap it around his waist.
"Aw, you shy Berry? Don't worry about it, you've got a cute enough ass."
Ichigo felt a shiver run up his spine that he wasn't sure about. He didn't know if it was because he was scared of the fact Grimmjow was looking or if it was because the thrill it sent through him. 'No, no Ichigo. Fucking no. you're straight, you're spending Christmas with Orihime, aren't you? Well, of course she's dating Uryuu, and it's a little more of an obligation because she'll be all alone- no! stop fucking thinking about it.' Ichigo shook his head as he pulled his boxers up, quickly followed by his pants as he fastened the buckle.
"You thought anymore about my offer?" Ichigo jumped again as he felt the hot chest so close to his back as Grimmjow practically purred in his ear.
"What the fuck? Do you always get this cuddly with people who just beat you up?"
"If I remember correctly you were the one pinned down Ichigo." hearing Grimmjow say his name sent a chill down his spine again that made him want to jump the other.
'Shit no, Ichigo. You're not gay, you like boobs.'
"And as I remember it, I'm the one that broke your nose."
"Eh, lucky shot. So, what do you think of my party tonight? You wont be expected to head home afterwards, I live alone so all the rooms will be open for those of you too drunk to stumble home."
"Listen Grimmjow, I'm busy tonight. I've got a lot of work and stuff, and I really don't think that going to a guy's house that I just got into a fight with is a good idea."
"Common Berry, it was a friendly little spat, haven't you ever just beaten up your friends before?"
"Kurosaki or Ichigo. don't call me fucking Berry or Strawberry."
"Whatever Kurosaki, do you at least want me to drive you home after school?"
"No, and why would you even offer? So you can beat me up when we get there and get me into more trouble?" Grimmjow just scoffed as he stepped away from Ichigo and started getting his own clothes on.
"Because I want to prove that I don't want to kill you, I would however like to fight you again. In a better setting of course."
"So you want to drive me home? You make absolutely no fucking sense Grimmjow." Grimmjow just shrugged his shoulders and pulled his shirt over his head as the bell rang for classes to start.
"Just let me drive you wherever you want after school. Consider it an apology and promise for another fight in the near future."
"Fine, you can drive me to work then I guess. I work at Starbucks on Robson."
"There are five star bucks on Robson."
"Just drop me off anywhere on Robson."
"Fine, I'll wait for you at my car after school. So don't be fucking late." Ichigo just sighed as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder so he could get to class. He had no real intention of letting Grimmjow drive him anywhere, even if he had to run like a mad-man from the blue haired teen and his car.
AN: Hello Everyone, Today is going to be a bit of an update day. I'll be going up to Chapter 7 within the next few minutes, so there aren't going to be any Authors notes until then.
I hope you've liked reading it though and i hope I've fixed Grimmjow at least a little bit, if not I do take constructive criticism into account when I write. As for the small mistakes I'm sorry, I do my best to proof read but sometimes it just doesn't work out with every mistake.
Please review to let me know how I'm doing! Bye bye!
