This chapter is a bit lemony, so if you're under 18 or squicked out by boysex, don't read it!

Chapter 4

THE KYOTO U-NIVERSE

Campus Safety Alert

Kyoto has always had one of the lowest crime rates in Japan, a place where even women can travel securely alone at night. The University campus has been considered a paragon of safety with well-staffed security patrols and a generally peaceful student body.

However, in the past few years suspicious activity on campus has begun to rise, from the discovery of dead birds and the frightening evisceration and display of larger animals, to break-ins and thefts of academic facilities. Many a student has taken a stroll through the campus parks or surrounding area only to discover the gruesome remnants of a stray cat or dog. Though animal mutilation is a warning sign to possibly more violent crimes, all campus security can do is remain watchful.

Has this developing sociopath taken the next step?

Over the past week and a half there has been an alarming increase in violent crime. One man was mugged and required care at the campus health facilities. Two women reported being assaulted and one required hospitalization. The second woman has since been released but is still recovering. Police say the victims have not been able to provide any detailed descriptions of their attacker, as one suffered a moderate concussion and the others reported the man wore dark clothes and a mask. They urge anyone with clues about the perpetrator to come forward.

Authorities have advised that until the offender is caught, students should not travel alone at night, especially women. The Women's Studies department has sponsored a special self-defense course that is available to everyone.

BY MURAKAMI AIKO

Thursday

It was the locker room that was getting to Ichigo. It was easy enough to ignore the other members of the team; the thought of Nnoitra disgusted him, Tesla was too creepy to even think about, and Renji was so firmly a friend that even a cursory glance made him feel guilty. No, it was always goddamn Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. He was solid, every bit of that body hard and unapologetically presented, including those solid shoulders and that indent above the hips that the freshman liked so much- No, you don't think about that. You like women. If you think about women enough, you'll like them. Promise. Really.

The problem was that he was always there. Like today after practice, there was the blue-eyed man standing down the row of lockers, chest lifting and falling with heavy breaths, hair disheveled from pushing it back. It made Ichigo's pulse race uncomfortably to see him like that, so he couldn't watch long, wouldn't watch, and went to shower as quickly as he could without rushing. He had to ignore the urge he felt building in his gut. Every day the same, wishing there was just some way to look... He turned the heat up high enough to hurt.

Why even think about it? He's the fuckin' poster boy for heterosexuality. I've noticed the numbers he gets after matches; he's got his pick of women. It ain't like he hasn't described screwing girls in graphic detail. Fuck, why do I even care? All he wants is to win against me, again and again. And not barely, completely and totally, then he expects this arguing friend ""I'm really hot"" thing to be okay? He's such an ass. I just need to find someone else, someone... nice. Maybe he'll make me remember what a human being acts like.

It was the locker room that was getting to Grimmjow. It was easy enough to stop himself from noticing the bodies of the people around him. It wasn't like Nnoitra's whipcord torso was something he wanted to look at, Tesla was too creepy to consider, and Abarai was too annoying for him to appreciate that physique. No, like always it was fucking Kurosaki Ichigo. He was stacked, but he wasn't over built; lithe. From what he could see, however, there were still soft places on that body, and that carved line around the hips was his favo- No, focus on the locker. You like the paint job. The locker has a fuckin' sweet rust deposit. Great paint job.

The problem was that he was always there. Grimmjow watched now while peeling off his socks; Ichigo was flushed and sweating after practice, orange hair damp against his head, a roguish, tired grin on his face while he joked with Abarai and stripped off his practice clothes. It was entirely too easy, like today, to just end up going in to the showers after Ichigo to get a casual look at his ass, except he wanted to see much more. Once under the showerhead, Grimm cranked the temp to cold and got a yelp from the teammate in the next shower.

It ain't gonna happen though, so I just need t'stop thinking about it. He's seῆor jock boy, straight as an arrow. I seen the way he smiles at Bigtits when she coos at him. And he makes me so fucking angry, I can't even decide if I wanna fuck 'im or beat the shit out of 'im. I just need t'find myself a pretty piece a' ass so everybody stays nice'n'convinced... maybe she'll even distract me for awhile.

It was a good thought. He even believed for awhile that he'd be able to follow through with it, because Kyoto had its fair share of hot women. But then Grimmjow remembered, after starting up several conversations, that he found most women annoying, and those he wasn't annoyed by weren't the type to be his temporary distraction. He just didn't have the patience today to deal with the empty-headed princesses that were willing to jump into bed with him.

So it was that a few hours after practice he was more sexually frustrated than ever. There was little else to do but grab his lotion and tissues, sit down in his chair and jack off. Slowly at first, tentative, like he thought Kurosaki might be the first time if Grimmjow could ever get him to switch teams. Leaning back and closing his eyes, the aroused athlete let himself fall into his imagination.

Grimmjow had Ichigo pressed up against the wall and he was horny and tired of not getting what he wanted.

"I know y'look at me. Y'want me, y'want me enough that y'think of me while yer jackin' off and fingerin' yourself. I bet yer just dyin' to know what it's like t'have someone inside ya,"

"Don't say that shit," Kurosaki snarled.

"Y'want me to say it pretty like? I won't. But…I want ya as much as y'want me," Grimmjow murmured.

"…Good," He replied breathlessly and yanked Grimmjow closer by his shirt and kissed him. In response he grabbed Kurosaki's hand and guided it down his pants.

"Yes," Jeagerjacques hissed, moving the hand back and forth. The redhead's expression was part aroused, part scared. Probably scared of himself, Grimmjow thought, because the man's hand was groping him without any guidance now. He took it as a signal that Kurosaki was willing, so he leaned in and practically shoved his tongue down his throat. Grimm started thrusting against the hand rubbing him more vigorously as he was given complete control of the kiss without a fight. "Tell me how much you want me," he said quietly and grabbed Kurosaki's ass, hard, making him gasp.

"Fuck, I…" Grimmjow started biting his neck while one hand undid the younger man's jeans, tugging them down with his boxers. His hand ghosted around Kurosaki's dick, never quite touching it but spreading tauntingly across his thighs. "So bad, please, ugh…" The blue-haired fighter cut off his plea with a deep, languid kiss.

"Get on yer back if y'want it so much," Grimmjow pulled away and gave him a satisfied smirk. Ichigo glared at him until Grimmjow finally started tugging on his cock, and his other hand drew closer to his asshole. Ichigo let out a soft grunt of pleasure. "C'mon, get on yer back if y'want me inside ya," he whispered. "I won't touch ya anymore otherwise…" His thumb pressed into his slit, earning him a small sound before he pulled his hand away. Kurosaki growled in anger and tightened his grip on the other man's cock almost too much, before letting go and drawing away from the man's hold. He looked so self-conscious, so angry with Grimmjow and himself as he lay on the floor.

As soon as Kurosaki was on his back, Jeagerjacques was on top of him, grinning viciously, yanking off the redhead's pants and shoving two spit-covered fingers inside of him without so much as a warning. He let out a short cry and tried to writhe away from the assaulting fingers.

"Quit bitchin', just like it," he told him gruffly. He added a third finger and brushed against Ichigo's prostate, eliciting a surprised gasp of joy. That was enough for Grimmjow; he spit on his dick, hitched the redhead's legs up and pressed in without much regard for the groans of pain. It was a bonus for him, if he could fuck the arrogant prick and show him who was stronger all at the same time. This kind of dominance left a deeper memory than any kind of defeat in a game and to be honest it was a great deal of the pleasure he was getting from this. Soon he was thrusting hard, his skin slapping against Ichigo's while the redhead begged for more.

Grimmjow was only too happy to oblige him, feeling higher and higher with every "please," every moan, every thrust of Ichigo's hips to meet his own. He was just a boy, after all, a boy who would never be anything more than this. It wasn't his fault, and Grimmjow would enjoy reaping the benefits. It came along with being the best.

"Ah…Ahhh…" Grimmjow groaned and thrust up into his hand that was moving faster. "Nnn!" Finally his muscles contracted, his body jerked, and he came. He slumped back into his chair and breathed deeply.

It was nice.

It really wasn't enough.

Friday

It was a soft, warm day for early October. Renji and Ichigo lay in the grass on a hill, enjoying the weather and staring at the sky while waiting for their other friends. The past few weeks had been high-stress yet somehow went by like a whirlwind, and they all appreciated the chance to laze about on a Friday afternoon. Both redheads let out a deep sigh.

"Today's the day right?" Ichigo asked, absently plucking at blades of grass.

"I think so," Renji replied. They lay in silence again for awhile, clouds fluffing and floating along dreamily above them. How could he build the redhead's confidence up enough, at least temporarily, understand he had a chance with Rukia? Doesn't he see the sidelong glances, the extra smirks? …Well, no, I guess he wouldn't. The right advice suddenly formed in his mind.

"Grimmjow's right, y' know," he stated.

"About what?" his friend asked skeptically, and shot Ichigo a look that said he thought he was crazy.

"Don't be a pussy," Ichigo said as if it were obvious.

"I hate both of you," Abarai replied flatly.

"Mhm..." God this is nice. His eyes closed and he let the sunshine warm him until he heard the quiet crunch of grass behind them. "Hey Rukia," he waved without turning around. "Take a seat, do nothing with us for an hour or three."

"Love to," she drawled, and plopped down next to Renji who was trying valiantly not to look at her any more than anybody else would. "There's supposed to be a concert on the mall tonight though, anybody wanna go?" She asked, hugging her knees to her chest.

Ichigo looked pointedly at his redheaded friend before looking at Rukia to lie, "Nah, there's some things I have to take care of tonight. Lemme know for the next one." It was too bad; he'd seen the posters and some of the bands sounded good, but doing his boy a solid was more important. And he'd better make use of it, he thought.

"I'm game," Renji tried to say as suavely as possible.

"Good! There're some local bands that are supposed to be pretty decent. I didn't want to have to bully any stubborn martial artists into going with me either," she smirked at Renji, one hand clutching her pants a little more tightly.

"Not necessary," Abarai responded with a grin. "You're too scary; I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of your temper."

"Who are you calling scary!" She demanded and dropped a bunch of ripped-up grass on his face, making him sputter and give her a light push in retaliation.

"I'm calling the scary girl scary!" He said, and earned a laugh instead of a punch; Ichigo considered it good progress.

"Kurosaki-kun, Abarai-kun, Rukia-chaaan!" Orihime called gleefully, and ran and slid into place next Ichigo, with Ishida sitting down next to her with slightly more dignity.

"Did we miss much of the party?" Ishida inquired.

"You missed us chuckin' grass at each other," Ichigo informed him, and subsequently threw a handful of grass at his face. Uryuu cleared his throat and shook the blades from his glasses. One meaningful look from him to each of the group was enough to warn Ichigo. "Wait, hey, no-Agh!" He was showered with clumps of dirt, grass and laughter from all side. It felt good to laugh too. After the assault stopped and the laughter was reduced to occasional snorts and giggles, the teen promised, "When you all least suspect it, when you forget I even said anything, I'll get you back. I will."

"Oh yes, I tremble before your mighty wit, Kurosaki-sama," Ishida deadpanned. The sarcasm didn't even bother him, not when he noticed, with satisfaction, that a few of Inoue's fingers lay over Ishida's hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Kurosaki-kun is smarter than you give him credit for, Ishida-kun," she said with a wag of her finger.

"Living with someone shows you their worst qualities, I assure you Inoue-chan." Ha! Inoue-chan, huh? Damn I'm good at this.

"You should be less cynical, Ishida-kun," she scolded lightheartedly. "It's not good for your health to be so pessimistic," she smiled at him indulgently, making him turn barely pink. He adjusted his glasses to draw attention away from it.

"One of us has to conceive of the worst things that could happen, or we'll always be woefully unprepared," he lectured. "So, you can frolic in the field while I make sure no one sets the flowers on fire," he finished seriously, though a smile tugged at his lips when Orihime laughed.

He could hear Renji and Rukia drift off into their own conversation too, as familiar as ever, filled with smiles that lasted a little too long and laughs a little too frequent.

"It's not anything, y'know, wacky, like that stuff you use for your floor routines is it?" Abarai asked skeptically of the girl next to him.

"I choose that 'wacky' stuff because there are rules about what we can use, Renji. No rock and roll, no guitar solos, not even lyrics," she recited the litany like she'd complained about it several times before. "I prefer beam and bars anyway."

Ichigo reveled in his own silence and the happiness around him for several minutes before realization made his heart skip a beat.

Right in the center of all of these people, he was alone.

It wasn't a fun realization. It was something Ichigo had known in the back of his mind, but it hadn't hit home. He didn't care if it was jealousy that provoked it, it didn't change that he was sick of it.

If I can't and shouldn't have the one I want, I'll find someone else to want.

It was this thought that led him to put on a nice pair of jeans, clean shoes and a well-fitted navy shirt, and search online for a gay bar a safe distance away from campus that wouldn't make him jump out of his skin. A quick check in the mirror made him grateful for his athleticism and bolstered a confidence he wouldn't admit was faltering. He refused to think about how uncomfortable and weird this venture could be for him; there was a first time for everything and dammit he didn't fail at things. He grabbed his jacket and left before Ishida could get back and ask questions.

The bar was better lit than he'd expected and it seemed half-restaurant anyway. Ichigo hadn't planned on drinking, but no one had bothered to put those annoying X's on his hands so he counted it as a blessing and a sign. He chose a small, tall table off to the side and ordered a beer. I should go. Just write this off, pretend it never happened, no one would know I came here or that I chickened out. But no, that was stupid. No one in here was even frightening.

He scanned the place; the lesbians seemed open and friendly enough but there wasn't much point in that avenue. The more attractive men there all seemed to be with someone, and the men alone seemed much older. Well, not all of them... Maybe he could approach someone. But how? The freshman was served his beer and brainstormed while he nursed it, but he still hadn't the slightest idea how to hit on someone here without feeling ridiculous. He hated feeling like an amateur.

…I have to relax. This shit isn't instantaneous. People spend a long time looking for dates; I can't expect to find someone, or be found by someone, on my first night out. …Specially since I'm obviously the fuckin' new guy, and they can probably all tell I'm still in the closet. Fucking fuck fuck f-

"Excuse me" said a smooth, deep voice behind him, accompanied by a light touch on his shoulder. Ichigo looked behind and breathed in carefully. It was... a very handsome man with tousled brown hair. Maybe he shouldn't have been handsome, not with those thick-framed glasses, but the brown eyes behind them were-Oh for shit's sake, stop that. "Are you waiting for someone?" The stranger asked with a faint smile.

"No," was all Ichigo could muster up as a reply.

"Are you looking for someone?" He asked as his smile widened. Flirt. Flirt damn you! Girls act giggly and smile. Men compliment, tease. ...Neither of those things seem right. Shit.

"...Maybe," Ichigo replied, trying hard not to seem inexperienced. I'm probably failing. But I have to pretend I'm not.

"What a coincidence," the man said, and slipped into the chair across from Ichigo. "I might be looking for someone too. I'm Aizen Sosuke," he introduced himself.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." ...Okay, now say something else. He realized in the most awful moment possible that he had not approached a single one of the people he counted as friends. They had all come to him, and he had no idea at all how to start this kind of conversation out of nowhere. At least not without a little antagonism, but cussing didn't sound like a good idea. Mercifully his new companion broke the silence.

"You know, I think I've heard your name somewhere before," Aizen trailed off, inspecting his table partner's face. His eyes were kind but they were certainly piercing, and the Ichigo hoped he wasn't blushing from his gaze.

"Uh…My dad's a pretty well-known doctor. Do you live near Karakura?"

"No, no. But I think you know my friend, Gin Ichimaru,"

"Gin? That son of a bitch, I had to deal with the consequences of his winning the whole ride home, with Grimmjow going into catatonia and then throwing a fit, and- ..."The redhead cleared his throat, "...I'm sure Gin's a good person," he tried to recover after he realized he'd called Aizen's friend a "son of a bitch," but the brown-haired man just laughed.

"There, I knew you had a few words in there somewhere. I just had to find the right subject," he said with a wide smile.

"What? That's..." I'm so out of my league.

"Don't worry. Gin's manner doesn't exactly earn him a lot of friends, so don't clam up now. Tell me about yourself," he encouraged. Ichigo hesitated, looking at the wall to think, before looking back at Aizen more confidently.

"I just started at Kyoto University this year; I have a full ride for martial arts. I saw Gin at last Sunday's tournament, like you said… I didn't fight him but he won against two of my friends. One of 'em was happy to make it as far he did, the other looked like he was gonna have an identity crisis right on the bus," he explained with a grin. "So…What do you do?"

"I'm in my fourth year at Tsubaka University, in Ibaraki. Maybe it would make your second friend feel better if he knew Gin thought he was almost a challenge?" Ichigo nearly choked on his beer.

"Almost a challenge? Oh no, I ain't havin' that conversation. Grimmjow is still capable of kickin' my ass and more than likely to shoot the messenger, the bastard," the freshman said.

"Hm, a big ego. You don't get along, I take it," his table partner guessed.

"He annoys the shit outta me. ...Y'know, most of the time anyway." That initiated another studying glance from Sosuke.

"You still called him a friend," Aizen noted after a moment.

"Difficult as he is, he's still better than the rest of the team, they-" Ichigo began, and then looked a bit disgusted with himself. "This is too much for the first time we meet," he decided and took a sip from his beer. He didn't want to whine to this magnetic stranger.

"It isn't if I asked you," the bespectacled man assured him.

"...Yeah, I guess," ...He's really handsome. I think under that long-sleeved shirt he's more muscled than Grimmjow. Aizen sized him up, again, and then stood up.

"Let's go somewhere else," he suggested. Ichigo scowled and blushed. He'd thought Aizen was smarter than to assume that kind of thing would work with him.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he replied flatly.

"Nothing like that, I promise you. I mean food. Low-pressure, outdoor food from a stand, hm? Somewhere we'll get fewer stares?" Confused, Ichigo looked around and realized they were being stared at. Aizen leaned in and said quietly, "We're quite the good-looking pair, Kurosaki-kun, it shouldn't be so surprising." Surprised and uncomfortable regardless, he reached for a subject change.

"My beer's only half-finished," the redhead objected.

"You shouldn't have been able to buy it in the first place," Sosuke said with a good-natured grin and quick squeeze of his new acquaintance's shoulder, sparking a scowl, but they both walked out. "I'll buy you another some time." They walked towards a busier street while the younger man considered the situation uneasily. This was going along too smoothly; Ichigo didn't feel like he'd contributed anything at all and yet here was a broad-shouldered senior, entirely too pleasant and handsome and strangest of all, interested in him.

"Do you have some kind of ulterior motive here or something?" He asked suddenly. Well that's stupid. Of course he does.

"Ah, you've found me out... The truth is, I like your hair a great deal," Aizen admitted, making his companion stare.

"What? I, that isn't what I meant," he replied accusingly.

"The scowl is very charming too, I admit," the brunette added thoughtfully.

"Dammit, stop that," Ichigo demanded, unable to stop his scowl from deepening and his face from flushing.

"Why, when you get so cute?" Ichigo was so flustered he didn't even know what to say. "...I'm sorry, I'll stop," Sosuke relented. "I suppose I shouldn't flirt so flagrantly. It's a shame you're not used to it; beautiful things should be admired, often and out loud." The object of his compliments glared, since the outrageous flirting obviously hadn't stopped, but he decided to ignore the last part.

"It's not that, it's..."

"You didn't strike me as the flirting type even before I talked to you, I'm not expecting anything," Aizen assured him.

"Oh, thanks," he said sarcastically. "I love to be reminded of my failures- often and out loud."

"I didn't mean it as an insult. I meant that I think you don't know how to be anybody but yourself. An admirable quality, if not always diplomatic," Sosuke replied eloquently. Is this how people are supposed to get by senior year? Completely fucking erudite?

"Speakin' of not being diplomatic," Ichigo said as Aizen stopped walking in front of a large cart with several people milling around it. "A ramen stand?" He asked with a smirk.

"If you recall, "low pressure, outdoor food from a stand,'" he recited with an answering smirk."This is enough to prove I'm a man of my word, right?" he asked as they ordered their food. Points for telling the truth, but…

"Hardly," Ichigo responded, but with no loaded emotion behind the word. It was enough to trigger another careful examination from Aizen that he refused to acknowledge. The silence stretched until they were served their food and sat on a table close to each other, feet on the benches. Kurosaki was still feeling suspicious of his new acquaintance, but he couldn't ignore that the brown-haired man was pulling him in. Gentle as he seemed, he radiated heat, and Ichigo found himself getting caught up.

"...So you 'know' all this shit about me, and I don't know anything about you other than you obviously lift weights and you're trying to charm my pants off," he said, trying not to slurp his noodles.

"Not yet, certainly," Aizen replied, spearing a piece of meat on his chopsticks and eating it.

"See, there! You're being cocky. Assuming we're going to be something- I don't like arrogance." I came here to get away from that. Far away.

"But you like a challenge?" There wasn't much denying that. Ichigo sent him a sidelong glare.

"There you go again, saying things about me. Talk about yourself, because I ain't omnipotent like some people sittin' next to me," he said with irritation.

"Like what? That I'm a Gemini and I like long walks on the beach at sunset?"

"Very fuckin' funny," he said through his food. "What's your major? Your hobbies? Your dream?"

"Ah, the basics. That's fair enough. I have a double major in psychology and political science, and a minor in biology," he started. That's not intimidating at all. Damn."I enjoy a number of sports... kendo, though I hardly have time these days... I also like science experiments. If I weren't set on getting in office, I probably would have gone into research. As for my dreams..." Aizen gave Ichigo his most disarming smile. ...Oh. "I'd like to either rule the world or live forever. Maybe both. "

"No more than any other man would want, of course," Ichigo replied sardonically, making Sosuke chuckle. Kurosaki's phone beeped from his pocket, and he looked at it with a sigh. "One of these days it'll be from my sisters or my dad," he said whimsically, and flipped it open. He read it and snorted, "My friend Renji… Exact quote, "All caps, I've got a date, exclamation point exclamation point exclamation point, you know a real one not a concert you didn't go to," Ichigo recited. "The gutless wonder finally did it."

Aizen smiled lightly, and then plucked the phone from his companion's hand. "Hey! …No reading my texts," the redhead told him.

"Shh," the brunette said while keying his number in, then stood up and handed the phone back. "I ought to get back home. …But if you want, you have a date too," he told Ichigo with a smile, who looked up at him in surprise. "Goodbye Kurosaki-kun."

"…Yeah…bye," he replied, still unsure what to make of Aizen. The man didn't know Ichigo very well, but he knew that seeing a goofy smirk replace his scowl was a rare thing, and it made him smile all the wider when he left.