Chapter Four: Panther's Claws
Shiro emerged from Grimmjow's room with a nervous feeling. He really didn't like what went on in the room. He had accepted Grimmjow's declaration to fight Renji, and he had allowed his brother to become a trophy. He basically felt he had degraded his brother and himself.
"Fuck," cursed Shiro under his breath. I don't know if I can trust this fight at all, he thought. Renji is a fuckin' monster in a fight; he could hurt this Grimmjow. I hope that blue haired, cocky bastard is right about being a black belt in sanda, or he's gonna have his ass handed to him again. With another sigh, Shiro shook his head and headed back toward the elevators.
I might as well watch my brother, thought Shiro as he pushed the button. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the elevator. When the contraption did ring, Shiro complained, "About time." He stepped forward.
As Shiro entered the elevator, Chad was leaning against the door, trying not to strangle the blue haired man on the bed. He did so by looking at the ground and fiddling with his dog tags, which hung freely outside of his shirt. Chad didn't know what to say. His friend's life was possibly in peril, and his best friend, Ichigo, could get hurt in the fray. He couldn't blame Shiro; he knew the SEAL was caught.
All is fair in love and war, thought Chad as he grimaced at the ground. What is exactly fair? I don't know what's fair, Shiro. I don't know what to say to that, either. 'Fair' can mean anything. Anything at all. Even death... He dropped his tags and sighed. Although the thought of Renji ever killing Grimmjow was in his mind, Chad had to admit that even Renji wouldn't stoop so low.
Grimmjow had watched Shiro leave after the SEAL was satisfied with the given answer. He just noticed he was holding his breath, so Grimmjow released the air. He replayed everything that just happened until that point in his mind. He combed over all of Shiro's words, and he analyzed Shiro's reactions. After thinking deeply about it all, he leaned back on the pillows and stared at his hands in disbelief.
I really did it, thought Grimmjow. I asked him to permit me to fight Renji...and he barely accepted my request. He looked up at Chad, who looked to be snarling at the ground. With a cautious tone, Grimmjow started, "Chad-" He was caught off by a look he had never seen from Chad.
The larger man was looking at Grimmjow fiercely. His brown eyes were gleaming through the dark locks of his bangs, his brow was furrowed, and his lips were pressed together tightly. When he opened his mouth, the voice coming out was far more fierce.
"What were you thinking?" he snarled. "I barely saved you from being beaten into a coma, and you ask for another fight. How can you do this?"
"I want 'im," answered Grimmjow. "A lot more than I thought." His eyes were sadly drooped. I do want him. I really do.
"Tell me, Grimmjow," growled Chad between his teeth, "are you speaking for your bodily desires or your heart?" His eye focused on Grimmjow's face. Tell me the right answer, he demanded within his mind.
Grimmjow didn't immediately reply, for he looked down. At the moment he saw Chad straighten his stance, Grimmjow quickly said, "If I'm fighting his boyfriend for him, I guess there might be more than just lust." His eyes were refocused on Chad. Grimmjow never felt so awkward; his answer didn't seem to fit the question just right. He felt it, and he was sure that Chad felt it, too.
"So... There's a chance Ichigo is more than a fulfillment for your desires," stated Chad. His response seemed calmer, which threw off the other man. "I don't get it," said Chad aloud from his thoughts. He wanted to speak his mind fully. "You said something different to Shiro. Why is your response different towards me? I thought there was more to this fight..." Chad trailed off.
There's no way Grimmjow could be answering like this...unless he's unsure, thought Chad. He leaned against the door again and banged the back of his head against the door. He caught Grimmjow's flinch. There's no reason to fight if you're unsure, Grimmjow, thought Chad.
Or were you trying to look good, Grimmjow? he mentally asked. There's no point in trying to impress a soldier who doesn't care for this fight.
Instead of asking for uncertainty, Chad asked Grimmjow, "Were you trying to look good in front of Shiro?"
Grimmjow was shocked at the question. Does Chad think that lowly of me? He really thinks that I would say all that crap for just a one time impression?
"You seemed well into those words about honor and dignity," Chad stated blankly. He rolled his head the other way to concentrate on nothing; he just didn't want to look at the other. Tell me you spoke the truth, Chad begged.
I guess I did seem that low, Grimmjow sighed. He had to get the truth out. He wanted Chad to know what's going on with him, and he wants Chad to know what he really wants. He wasn't kidding about honor and dignity, either, so he would have to somehow prove that to his friend. "Chad," started Grimmjow, "look. I'm not gonna make some sappy confession, but I will tell you that I don't just want one night with Ichigo. I want to show him the real me."
"The real you?" questioned Chad. His head was still against the door and turned away, so his eyes had to stare at him from an awkward angle. "Who is the 'real' you, Grimmjow? Do I not know the 'real' you?" He swallowed a lump in his throat. If a confession was necessary from the tall man, he would confess that he was hurt. I know him as the player. I know him as the rich kid. I know him as one of my close friends. I know him to be as much of a brother as Shiro is to me... So what is he hiding from me? Chad questioned.
"You know me," answered Grimmjow. Just not all of me, he added. He leaned back against the pillows and sighed as he rested his hand on his forehead. "I'll be honest," he confessed, "I didn't tell you a lot. Don't think that I don't trust you 'cause I do trust you. I trust you with my entire being. You know me as the player who lives in a house the size of the Playboy mansion. You know me as your friend. I just never told you my past; thus, you don't know me as the fucked up loverboy."
Fucked up loverboy? Chad pondered. What time is it? He looked around the room and found the clock. Being satisfied with the time, he stood upright and walked toward the bed. Before he got to the edge, he pulled a chair along with him, so he could sit. When he was settled on the chair, Chad leaned on his knees. His face was more relaxed. Granted he was still serious about what was going on, he still wanted to be as calm as possible. "I have time to listen," he said.
Grimmjow nodded his head and set his hand down on his lap. With a deep breath, Grimmjow started, "I used to be a romantic... I know that sounds hard to believe, but I was." He laid his head backward to look at the ceiling. "I used to be the guy who only stayed with one person until the end of the relationship. I used to buy flowers, candy, dinner, everything. I dated mostly women, so all that crap was necessary...But then that one woman showed up in my life. I thought she was the one, Chad. I thought she was.
"She didn't need any flowers, she didn't need any candy, and she definitely didn't need to be treated to dinner. She was so much like a guy, but with a feminine side." Grimmjow stopped to look at Chad, who raised his eyebrows. A tear glinted in the light off of Grimmjow's cheek; he swore he saw it reflect off of Chad's face.
"One day, I proposed. I got on my knee, presented the ring, and asked her to marry me... She said, 'no.' When I asked for her reason, she told me, and I quote, 'I'm not ready for a commitment like that.' Before this gets more dramatic than it needs to be, I want to add that the rejection wasn't what broke my heart.
"I woke up one day, and she was gone. She left me a note." Grimmjow took in a deep breath. He continued, "The only thing the note said was 'sorry.' I don't know why she left. I called her, but she changed her number. I tried to visit her, but she moved." He stopped to look back up at the ceiling.
"That was six years ago, though. Before I met you, I had another downfall for a relationship. This guy. Oh, man. I thought he was my savior. He told me all of these things that I loved to hear. I gave him anything he wanted," Grimmjow said with a maniacal smile. "He was a small guy, and he was pretty. I loved him, but the problem was that he didn't love me. I found that out the hard way." He pursed his lips and viciously stated, "That bastard was fuckin' some other guy in the condo I bought for him!"
Grimmjow looked down at the sheets and clenched his fists. "He was surprised I was there. Heh. The other guy was just as surprised... Their faces didn't last too long, though. I knocked out my ex, and I broke almost every bone in the other bastard's body." His eyes narrowed. "That same year, I decided to not fall for all that shit again." Grimmjow was trying hard to calm himself down; his nostrils were flared as he exhaled his breaths.
"Love, Grimmjow," stated Chad. When Grimmjow looked back at him, he continued, "You can't get revenge on love. It's abstract. You can only feel it. If you see it, then there's a miracle." He rested a strong hand on Grimmjow's shoulder and lectured, "I can see your pain; I can feel it rolling off of you. Granted that no one can unstab the wounds in your heart, the wounds can still heal. Lover after lover doesn't help.
"That method is like applying water to a deep bullet wound to kill off the dangerous infections and hold off the bleeding. No. You must apply pressure to stop the bleeding, and you must wash the bullet wound with antibiotics. The same is with your wounded heart." Grimmjow looked away. With a gentle squeeze that made Grimmjow look back up at him, Chad said, "You must give yourself time to think about your priorities. To think about what is best for you."
After licking his lips, Grimmjow replied, "I have thought about what I want. Don't get pissed at me, but I want Ichigo." He expected Chad to punch him or yell at him, but the other just sat there with his arm still resting on his shoulder. "I may be fighting Renji for him, but that doesn't mean I wasn't serious about my dignity and honor. That guy took those away really quick in the hallway, and I want it all back. I need it to face Ichigo."
"You're sure you want to open up to Ichigo?" asked Chad in calmer tone. "Don't rush into this if your heart still needs time to heal." Give me the right answer, he thought again. You were unsure. Now that you've expressed yourself, tell me the right answer.
"Yeah," came the response.
Now you're sure, smiled Chad. He got to his feet and looked down at Grimmjow, who had to bend his head back farther to match the gaze. "Okay, Grimmjow. I won't stop you from fighting Renji, but don't expect me to stop Renji if he overpowers you. You're fighting for your dignity and honor; you know that you can only do that on your own. I will be nearby, though," said Chad. He held his hand. "You ready to make that challenge?"
With a brighter smile, Grimmjow took Chad's hand and allowed the other to pull him to his feet. "Thanks, Chad," he said. He rolled his neck and rotated his shoulders. He bounced on his feet a little to show that he was definitely ready. Okay, Renji. I'm gonna see what ya really got, Grimmjow thought.
Chad chuckled, "Okay, Mr. Warrior, let's go. You can't challenge Renji if you're up here bouncing."
Grimmjow grinned.
"You healed up pretty fast, or are you immune to pain?" asked Chad as he watched Grimmjow stretch his arms.
"What's pain?" joked Grimmjow. He brought his arms down. "I still feel the bruises, Chad, but I don't care about those. My honor and dignity hurt more when they were ripped off of me." He inhaled and exhaled a large breath. "Alright. Let's go."
As Grimmjow and Chad left to search the building of Renji, Ichigo was walking with the wanted redhead toward the game room of the hotel. Renji had already showered and dressed into a green dress shirt and white capris with sandals, all chosen for him by Ichigo. Ichigo still wore his red shirt and black shorts.
"Wanna play some pool?" asked Renji. He took Ichigo's hand and squeezed it.
"Sure," responded Ichigo. He squeezed the other's hand back.
Renji smiled and said, "Try to take it easy on me, though. My geometry skills are at an all time low." He slipped his other hand into his pocket.
Ichigo shook his head and replied, "I'll try." When the game room came into his view, Ichigo asked Renji, "Want to make this game more interesting?" His eyes went to Renji.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Renji with a smile. He glanced at his lover.
With a smile, Ichigo replied, "Loser buys dinner."
"Hey, wait a second," reasoned Renji, "I don't need to feed you because of pool."
"I said, 'loser buys dinner,' Renji. You're making it seem like you've already lost," said Ichigo with a raised eyebrow. He loved challenging Renji, for he knew the other wouldn't back down without a fight.
"Huh?" realized Renji. He narrowed his eyes and said, "I didn't say all that."
Ichigo laughed, "I didn't say you did. You just seem to come to have an epiphany about the result of the game." Silly Renji.
"Epiphany? Hey. I know that I can match you in a game of pool," defended Renji crossing his arms and pouting.
"You can be such an airhead sometimes, Renji," laughed Ichigo. He tapped the other on the back. "Don't get so serious." He walked into the game room with his hands in his pockets.
"Airhead?" asked Renji dropping his hands to his sides. "Am I really- whoa..." When he entered the game room, he gaped.
The game room was a large rectangular room with a swirling stairwell at the very center. Arcade games lined along the walls, and claw machines littered most of the right side of the room. The left side had all of the pool tables. Upstairs, guests could hear the clatter of pins and bangs of bowling balls. The walls were black and littered with glowing stars and posters. The floor was a gray carpeting.
"After all that cream crap in the hallways, the owner decided to change the color in the game room," commented Renji aloud.
"Renji," called Ichigo. When his lover looked his way, Ichigo held up two pool sticks. He saw Renji drooling at the large game room, and he had to admit that the amazed look was funny. As Renji walked toward him, Ichigo said, "You seemed spaced out over there. Did you fall in love at first sight with this place?" He laughed.
"I was not spaced out," countered Renji as he took his stick. "I was thinking." He followed Ichigo, who stopped at a pool table toward the back of the game room.
"About what?" asked Ichigo. He quickly bent over to retrieve the balls from the pockets on the pool table's side.
Renji bent his head as he stared at Ichigo's butt. He wanted to walk over toward his lover and grab the darn thing, but he couldn't. Renji learned his lesson a long time ago. He put his finger to his chin to reminisce about the event. He had been with Ichigo for a couple months when he grabbed the other's butt. The cuff was unannounced, so he got a black eye. Renji had to do a lot of apologizing, and he had to bring in the chocolate to quicken the process. Let's see, thought Renji, the chocolate did reduce my begging to three days. Man, he was pissed.
He also knew that Ichigo was a virgin, so the reaction was understandable. Renji just thought of Ichigo's still present virginity. Being the gentleman, he never brought the virginity topic. He didn't have to, for Ichigo had told him that he wanted to be married before he lost his virginity. Renji respected Ichigo's decision.
He loved that orange haired man more than anything. They've been together for some time. The relationship did come to an end at one point in their lives, but they got back together when things cooled down. Seeing how he couldn't live without the other, Renji was thinking about proposing to Ichigo, but he doubted the other would accept. Thus, he wanted to wait until the next month to propose. He was originally supposed to be off until then, but duty called.
"Spaced out again?" asked Ichigo. Renji blinked; he shook his head. Ichigo chuckled, "You sure you think when you're not blinking." He had already set up the balls on the pool table.
"Don't make fun of my thinking face," argued Renji.
"You must've been thinking really hard," retorted Ichigo with a smile. He walked over to Renji and poked him in the gut, making Renji giggle. "You're so goofy, Renji," said Ichigo. He walked toward the other side of the table. "You break first."
With a nod, Renji lined up his stick at the back of his hand and aimed his stick. With a strong flick of his wrist, he sent the white ball toward the others. The white ball made a crazy cracking sound as it broke up all of the others. He smile when two striped balls fell into the pocket nearest Ichigo.
"Hah!" cheered Renji.
Ichigo shook his head. He watched as Renji pocketed two more balls. After nodding his approval, Renji walked toward his side. Ichigo saw Renji set his sights on a lovely orange striped ball. Smiling, Ichigo grabbed his stick with his other hand, so he had a free hand nearest to his lover. As Renji took aim, Ichigo poked Renji, who yelped and sent the white ball off the table.
Ichigo laughed really hard. He had to turn around and hold his stomach.
"That was dirty," said Renji. When the other didn't stop laughing, he rolled his eyes and just smiled. "I'll get the ball, so you can recover from your laughing fit." He walked toward the other end of the table and bent down to look for the ball in case it rolled under the table. After seeing the ball wasn't there, Renji raised his head.
When his head was raised, Renji saw a hand holding the white ball out toward him. His eyes looked up and met a familiar set of blue eyes. What the hell is he doing here? he asked himself. Renji pursed his lips and quickly got to his feet. After glancing into Grimmjow's eyes again, he took the ball and muttered, "Thanks." He turned and went back to the pool table.
Ichigo noticed the exchange and recognized the blue haired man as the one Renji beat up. Oh no. Not again. Doesn't guy learn after an ass kicking? he panicked. Ichigo quickly walked by Renji, who met him halfway. He laid his hand on Renji's arm and whispered, "Just ignore him, Renji. I don't want you getting into another fight. You promised, okay."
"Renji," called Grimmjow. He has his arms crossed. "Renji," he called again. Grimmjow wasn't going to be patient about the fight he wanted. He would see that the fight happened.
The orange haired man pursed his lips. He didn't like the way Grimmjow was looking at Renji. Grimmjow had a determined set of narrowed eyes, and his lips were set in a tight line. The stance was worse: Grimmjow's arms were crossed and his legs were set wide apart. Obviously, the man was looking for a fight.
He glared at Grimmjow, who didn't seem to take notice of the look. Then, a sliver of movement behind Grimmjow caught the orange haired man's attention. Deciding to take a more careful look, Ichigo saw a figure standing at the entrance of the game room. As he peered closer, Ichigo noticed that there were actually two people. One was Shiro, and the other was Chad. They appeared to be having a conversation.
"Renji!" came Grimmjow's voice again.
Renji pursed his lips, but he kept his eyes on Ichigo. "Babe," he called to the other. Ichigo blinked and looked at him. "You wanna get outta here? This guy's not gonna leave me alone," said Renji.
"Where do you want to go?" asked Ichigo. Renji looked down. Ichigo did the same and noticed that the other was squeezing the ball tightly. Not liking the clutching, Ichigo took the ball away and set it on the table. "Renji?" asked Ichigo. What is he thinking? What does he plan to do?
"Look, babe-" started Renji.
"No," cut in Ichigo. "Let's just go somewhere else. I'm sure he'll leave once he sees you're not interested in his pestering." He pulled on Renji's arm.
"King!" came Shiro's voice.
Ichigo ignored his brother. "Please tell me you're not going to fight. You promised, Renji," begged Ichigo. He hugged Renji and looked up. "Please. Let's just go," he begged again. He tensed when Renji hugged him back tightly.
"King!" called Shiro again. Instead of standing back, Shiro walked into the game room until he got to his brother's side. "King," he said. "Come on. I'll treat ya t' some food. Let Renji handle his business." He waited for the other's reply.
"You can't do anything about this?" asked Ichigo to his brother.
Shiro shook his head and replied, "There's no threat about that dictates I should take action. I just heard that Mr. What's-his-name wants t' talk with Renji about somethin'. Nothin' that concerns me." His brother looked away. Shiro wanted to tell both of them the truth, but he was blind in all ways. He would not let his brother get mixed up in the fight, and he would not witness the fight, either. He just wanted to take his brother and leave.
"I'm sure he just wants to talk about some lawsuit," reassured Renji into Ichigo's ear. "Go with Shiro and wait for me." He pressed a kiss to Ichigo's forehead and let Ichigo go. He really didn't want to let the other go, for he always enjoyed holding Ichigo, especially when the other was not at ease. I don't know what this asshole wants from me, but I can't swing. I promised Ichigo I wouldn't.
With a gentle squeeze, Ichigo said, "Okay... Just don't fight, please. I don't want you getting hurt." He got on his toes and kissed Renji on the lips, then he let the other go. Please be safe.
"Let's go, King," said Shiro. "Do ya feel for burgers or somethin' fancy?" When he gained enough distance from Renji and Grimmjow, Shiro muttered to Ichigo, "You shouldn't be worried about Renji. The other guy is the one who needs mercy." He frowned when his brother just looked toward the ground as he put his hands in his pockets.
"Ya know Renji," said Shiro with a reassuring smile, "his head is too hard to be busted. Oh come on. Ya know he's one of my prized soldiers. I trust him to do the right thing, and so should you." His brother sighed.
"I know he can fight, Shiro. I just don't like it when he does. I'm scared he might get hurt, or he might hurt someone else even worse," said Ichigo. When he looked forward, he saw Chad. "Are you gonna be here, Chad?"
Chad tried to lighten the mood with a smile. "Of course," replied Chad. "I'm to make sure these two don't go at it." Ichigo smiled at him. Of all things to love about his best friend, Chad loved his smiles. The reason was that Ichigo had a smile that could light up a person's mood in any situation. "Don't worry about anything, Ichigo. I'm here to make sure everything is alright."
"Thanks, Chad," said Ichigo. He patted Chad's shoulder and left with Shiro.
The tall man looked to Shiro, who looked back and nodded his head. Keep him away, Shiro. Keep him away until this bloody fight is over, thought Chad. He looked inward, and he realized how glad he was that the game room was empty. The only thing he had to do earlier was turn off the game room cameras. In fact, he found Renji due the help of the cameras. Thus, his job was easier. I hope you know what you're doing, Grimmjow. Don't take this fight for granted and blow it.
After Ichigo was clear of the room, Renji looked at Grimmjow and asked, "What do you want?" The question brought up a smirk on Grimmjow's face. Renji sneered in response. What the fuck is wrong with this guy? After I pummeled him to a pulp, he still wants to come at me? He's got balls if he thinks he can come up to me with a stupid face on, thought Renji.
"I just wanted to ask you somethin'," replied Grimmjow. He walked closer, stopping only a few feet away.
"Ask away," said Renji in an annoyed tone. He crossed his arms.
The blue haired man cracked his knuckles. "Would you be willing to fight me again?" asked Grimmjow. "I'm not talking about some little bullshit brawl. Where I come from, fighting is an art to be respected by all warriors. I want a fair fight, and as a respectable fighter, I am challenging you." He put his hands in his pockets as he awaited the other's answer.
Renji's lip twitched. Gutsy bastard... With a bored expression, Renji replied, "No."
Grimmjow clenched his teeth and pursed his lips. "Why not?" he asked. Asshole! I ain't letting you get away like that. I want a fight, and I'll be damned if I don't get one.
"I made a promise," answered Renji. "I promised my babe that I wouldn't fight anymore. Thus, my fists are to stay at my side." He crossed his arms to make his point more clear.
"Alright," said Grimmjow. You'll let up. I'll make sure of it, thought he. "What's it gonna take to get you to come off your high horse and fight me?" Renji didn't answer. "I guess I have to do things the hard way." Grimmjow took a quick step forward and punched at Renji, who side stepped to avoid the hit. He grinned.
I told this asshole that I'm not going to fight, so why is he doing this? Renji asked himself. He uncrossed his arms to avoid a high roundhouse kick. Renji didn't want to go against his word to Ichigo, and he didn't want to hurt this guy again. His eyes widened when Grimmjow developed a maniacal grin.
"Quit runnin'!" taunted Grimmjow. "You have somethin' that I want, and I'm not gonna stop until I have it!" He lunged again, making Renji roll away over the pool table toward the other side.
"Bastard!" growled Renji. "How dare you think about Ichigo in that way!" He was set low, so he could avoid any hit. At any time, the other would eventually get closer. That bastard thinks he can treat Ichigo like a thing. I should-
Grimmjow jumped over the pool table and hurled a volley of fists at Renji, who avoided the blows. With jab to distract Renji, Grimmjow threw a full forced fist at Renji's open chest. He grinned when his fist hit the smooth fabric of Renji's shirt. When Renji staggered back in shock of the blow, Grimmjow growled, "I ain't talkin' about Ichigo. I'm talking about my honor and dignity that you took from me earlier!"
Renji looked fiercely at the other. "I'm not fighting you. Get that through your thick skull," sneered Renji.
Enough was enough, Grimmjow had it with Renji's stubborn will. It was about time he gave Renji something worth putting up his fists. Grimmjow started to throw more blows and kicks. Renji caught his leg, so Grimmjow jumped up to both avoid any possible tripping and hurl his foot at Renji's face.
The kick landed on Renji's left cheek, causing him to let go of the leg and spin onto the floor. Renji felt his jaw with his hand, tracing and feeling for any damage. He wasn't liking this. He knew Grimmjow was drawing him in, and he would soon have to defend himself from more attacks.
He keeps getting stronger, thought Renji as he lifted himself onto his hands and knees. Every damn punch and kick seems to get faster and more forceful. Had his kick been planned and stronger, he could have dislocated my jaw. Renji moved his jaw to ensure he could continue.
"Fuckin' fight me!" snarled Grimmjow. He didn't want to do this, but he had to. Grimmjow took a step toward the downed SEAL and kicked him in the ribs.
Renji fell onto his side with a grunt. His hand immediately went to his ribs, feeling the damage. He looked up and Grimmjow with a sneer planted on his face. He had it.
He wants to fight? thought Renji, I'll give him an ass kickin' he won't forget. He got up halfway when he hurled his body at Grimmjow. He heard a satisfying grunt from impact. When Grimmjow hit the ground, both Renji and he grunted. Renji quickly sat atop Grimmjow's torso and started to hurl fists.
Grimmjow didn't think Renji would go for another pin, but that didn't mean he wasn't prepared this time. He used his free upper arms to block punches and return jabs of his own. Taking the risk, he sat up, scooting Renji farther away from himself. This gave him more of a chance to block punches to the face and abdomen.
Can't let him up, thought Renji as he dodged a punch to the temple. Can't or he'll over power me with that damn speed. Renji roared as he hurled a fist that landed on Grimmjow's chest.
His heart jumped from the impact. Grimmjow didn't know how he let that punch slip through. He realized that Renji was getting into the fight more. He could see it in the redhead's face. The man was practically staring daggers at his face, and the other was roaring with all of strong swings.
After blocking a couple more jabs to the face, Grimmjow used both arms to fling Renji's arms apart. He grinned at the open opportunity and speedily jabbed a few times at Renji's chest. When Renji swayed from the last punch, Grimmjow used both hands to push the other off.
Renji rolled onto his knees. He put his hand to his chest and coughed. His heart was pounding at a scary pace. All those punches to the chest were really hard; Renji knew that taking more blows like that would have disrupted his heart. He quickly got to his feet and put up his arms to better stance himself.
Grimmjow was liking the look on Renji's face. The man was obviously radiating anger and murder. Thinking quickly of a way to end the fight, Grimmjow remembered a move he learned to completely knock out an opponent. Desgarron. It's been awhile since I've done that move on some poor sap, he thought. "Sorry, Renji," said Grimmjow. "I gotta end this." He smiled cockily.
"I was thinking the same thing," replied Renji. Renji knew that Grimmjow was focusing way too hard, so he guessed the next attack would be strong and fast. If I were him, I would aim for the temple or jaw, thought Renji. I guess I'll give him a run for his money.
The blue haired man took a step forward. He was focusing all of his energy on his right fist as he stared at Renji's temple. He could feel Renji looking at him, too. With a wild roar, Grimmjow ran forward and hurled his right fist at Renji's left temple.
When the other had started to run at him, Renji clenched his left fist. He smiled, for he knew that this was the move he was most notorious for: the flaming snake. When Grimmjow threw his punch, Renji uppercutted his left fist into Grimmjow's jaw. Around the same time, both fists made contact with their target.
Renji's face snapped sideways, while Grimmjow's face snapped upwards. After the impact, both men fell to the ground, knocked out. Renji laid on his right side with both arms splayed forward and legs together. Grimmjow was on his back with arms at his side and legs spread.
Chad had watched the entire fight. He didn't know whether to be proud or concerned, for Grimmjow had fought fiercely with Renji whilst managing to knock out the other and be knocked out. He walked over toward the two forms and knelt by Grimmjow's body first. He checked the pulse on Grimmjow's neck. Being satisfied with the pumping heart, Chad shuffled over to Renji and did the same thing. He stood up.
At least they didn't kill each other, Chad laughed to himself. He leaned on the pool table behind himself and folded his arms. Sticking around a battleground with two hotheads didn't seem so bright, but he told Ichigo that he would stick around. His dark eyes shifted from body to body. I'm not sure, but I think the person who wakes up first wins.
The tall man had to will himself from kicking Grimmjow awake. He just waited. After a few minutes of waiting, Chad was still leaning against the pool. He was staring at Renji when he heard a gasp. His eyes widened; Chad looked toward the entrance.
At the doorway stood Ichigo and Shiro. Shiro looked calm, but Ichigo was wide eyed. Oh shit, thought Chad. He uncrossed his arms and shoved them in his pockets. He looked down at the ground, for he did not want to face Ichigo's fury.
Ichigo ran over to Renji and dropped to his knees. He rolled the other over and scanned his skin for damage.
Shiro walked next to Chad. He quickly whispered, "Glad this is over. Ichigo wouldn't stay put even for strawberry ice cream... So who won?" He was focused on Chad.
The taller man shrugged his shoulders. "We just have to wait for who wakes up first," he replied. Just as he was about to tell Shiro how this happened, he heard a groan. Chad looked at Renji, but the redhead was still knocked out. He then set his sights on Grimmjow, who sat up against a pool table.
"Fuck," complained Grimmjow as he rubbed his jaw. He looked up at Chad, who gave a weak smile. Did I win? he questioned. Grimmjow looked to Renji and found the man out cold. He grinned. After shaking his head, Grimmjow hoisted himself up to his feet by using the pool table as leverage.
I did it. I won. I fuckin' won, thought Grimmjow. I have my dignity back and my honor. Now I don't have to feel ashamed when I face Ichigo. He sighed, but he winced when his jaw throbbed from the action. His eyes looked straight at Shiro and Chad. Shiro seemed indifferent toward the event, while Chad seemed a little concerned. Grimmjow didn't know if he should celebrate at the moment.
"Renji," called Ichigo. He tapped the other on the cheek. Then he saw a slight coloring on Renji's temple. He turned Renji's face, making his jaw drop at the sight. On Renji's temple was a huge bruise that looked like an animal's set of sharp claws.
Ichigo traced the claw like markings on Renji's face. Marks of an animal from an animal, thought he with narrowed eyes. With a deep breath and closed eyes, Ichigo did his best to keep his anger down. He rose to his feet. After opening his eyes, he turned his head toward Grimmjow, who seemed quite pleased with himself. Ichigo's eyes dropped blankly and his lips relaxed.
All dangerous animals have to be taught a lesson at some point in their lives, thought Ichigo.
"Ichigo," called Chad. He caught the relaxed look on Ichigo's face, and he was worried about the result. Oh no! he panicked. "Shiro!" exclaimed Chad as he jumped out to block Ichigo.
Shiro caught the panic in Chad's voice and the movement from the corner of his eye. Oh fuck! King! he thought. He quickly went to help Chad, but the larger man was already knocked aside. He saw a fast fist coming his way, so Shiro quickly put up his arm to block the attack. Although he was defending a punch, he didn't feel it. Instead, he felt a high pressured hit on his abdomen, the most merciful blow his little brother could deal. Shiro fell onto the pool table in back of him with a hard thud.
The orange haired man wasn't finished. After kicking his brother in the abdomen, he spun on his still planted foot and landed the next round house kick in Grimmjow's chest, causing the man to grunt and lay sprawled on the pool table.
Grimmjow felt as if five Renjis hit him all in one spot. He coughed, for the wind had been knocked out of him. He felt a hand grab his shirt and lift him upwards. He used his hands to support his torso. He looked up groggily and came in contact with a pair of brown eyes. The brown eyes weren't soft; they were dark and deep. The eyelashes were in the form of black angel wings.
Even when enraged, Ichigo still seemed to have beautiful angel eyes. Grimmjow couldn't breathe at that moment. The kick's result just added to the caught breath as he stared into Ichigo's eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the eyes of an angel?" he asked absent mindedly.
The question caught the other off guard, causing him to blush. He blinked and shook his head, replacing his angry look. Ichigo snarled, "If you come near Renji again, Mr. Jaggerjack, I will personally rip you a new asshole! You got that?" His face was only a few inches away from the other man, but he couldn't feel any breath on his face. For good measure, Ichigo punched the man back onto the pool table.
Grimmjow held onto his jaw. Damn! That boy packs a punch! Of all spots, why did he have to punch me in the jaw? he inwardly complained. He raised himself back up and looked at Ichigo, who knelt by Renji again. He frowned. Ichigo was supposed to be his, but with something like this hanging over their heads, Grimmjow wasn't sure how he could get the other. One fight down; one more to go.
Chad was sitting against the pool table when he heard the threat. At that point, he knew Grimmjow had more pressing matters to worry about than just Renji. Grimmjow would have to give more than he ever had before. Grimmjow... You got a bigger challenge now.
Shiro witnessed the threat, for he was sitting on the pool table with an arm wrapped around his abdomen. That's why I call you King, he thought with a small smile.
Author's note:
After writing this, I noticed that I have been in a violent mood...for writing, of course. I've written violence for all three stories that I've updated. I'm on a roll.
Sorry to all those who might have been rooting for Renji in the fight, but Grimmjow had to win this one. He was prepared. Some of you Grimmjow supporters are probably really happy right now.
In case any of you were confused, there is more than one pool table in the game room. I just thought of that minor detail right now.
Yes, there's more hurdles for Grimmjow, but I won't tell what they are. :)
So tell me, readers, what do really think? Don't hold back! Let it all out. I shall be your Dr. Phil for this chapter.