Moving right along. Thank you again, Racey.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Chapter 04
Grimmjow groaned as he felt the throb in his head. It felt like there was water clogging his ears and nose. He turned over on his side, feeling another painful shot to his temples. He wondered why his headaches were attacking him now, when they hadn't been around for a week.
He balled his hands into fists, feeling soft cotton sheets between them. He slowly blinked his eyes open and took in his surroundings, making a noise of disappointment. He immediately recognized the room and wished he was anywhere but there. He wondered what the hell happened and why he was laying in Luppi's bed. He tried to remember, but his brain was protesting the idea.
He listened for any sounds coming from the apartment and heard soft murmuring coming from some other part of the apartment. Wasn't he supposed to go there and completely cut Luppi off for good? Why the hell had that not happened? Why was he laying there in the bed of his ex, naked? He frowned to himself when he heard the petite man's humming getting closer to the room. He watched the doorway and the sight of Luppi smiling wide, made him realize that something went terribly wrong.
"Grimm, you're awake! I made you breakfast." Grimmjow winced at the overly cheery and whiny voice. He wanted to bury his face into the pillow, but he needed to wake up and get the hell out of there. "It's your favorite: French toast! I made the eggs just how you like them and there's sausage and a cup of steaming, black coffee."
"Luppi, what the fuck!" His voice came out raspy and slightly strained. He tried to glare murderously up at Luppi, but the sleepiness in his eyes wasn't doing it justice. He needed to know what happened the night before. His body felt hard and heavy, his throat was sore and scratchy and his head was killing him. "Why the hell am I laying in your bed?"
"…What do you mean? We had sex last night. Don't you remember?"
"Fuck no! Tell me what happened last night? Explain to me in detail."
"Well…"
The Night Before
Grimmjow made his way over to Luppi's. His mind was going a mile a minute and he could feel a migraine over the horizon. He didn't know what the hell to do about Luppi. On one hand, he had Ichigo. A man that he met a week ago and came to enjoy being around. He still didn't know much about him, but he was willing to get to know him more. Then there was his three-year boyfriend, who even though was a pain in his ass, was still able to keep his interest in some way.
His relationship with Luppi wasn't all that bad. There were enjoyable and exciting parts, but the petite man's attitude towards various things was just something he couldn't deal with. Not to mention, Luppi was a total whiny, cry baby. The time they had been together, Grimmjow always hoped that the smaller male would grow a little backbone and stop being so dependent on him, but it never happened. He would feed off of Grimmjow and lean on him for everything.
Grimmjow had his own problems to deal with and dealing with Luppi's drama and attitude on top of it was not good for his health. It had gotten so bad that Grimmjow had started getting headaches and nausea around the smaller man. It would go away after a while, but it was the fact that it showed up anyway. A relationship was not meant to make you sick, it was supposed to build you up and keep you strong and Grimmjow wasn't feeling that way.
He pulled up to the large apartment complex and parked at the curb. He sat in the cold, blue car for a minute, debating if he really wanted to go in there and deal with Luppi. When he told the petite man that it was over a week ago, he didn't really give him time to explain anything and stormed out. He knew that hadn't been the right thing to do, but hell, he was just sick and tired of everything. He had exploded, but now when he thought about it, he could have treated the situation differently. He could have explained why he was breaking up with the smaller man and let Luppi digest the information in a more civil way.
He sighed and slipped out of the car, locking it behind him. He pulled his jacket tight around him and made his way up the concrete stairs and into the warm looking building. He greeted a little old woman that passed him by and made his way down the dimly lit and brown-carpeted hallway.
Making it to the man's door, he knocked and waited to be let in. He watched as the door opened to reveal Luppi clad in what would be one of Grimmjow's old t-shirts and nothing else. The blunet just stood, staring down at the petite man. Was Luppi trying to seduce him, knowing it had been a while without any sexual contact? He couldn't deny that he was still attracted to the smaller male, but he had came to do a job and distractions weren't going to stop him from doing just that.
"Grimmjow! I'm so glad you came. Come in." The smaller male moved out of the way to let Grimmjow in. The blunet made his way inside towards the living room, taking off his jacket and throwing it over the couch. He watched Luppi come around him and sit on the couch before he planted himself next to the other male.
Grimmjow decided to get straight to the point and talk about how he couldn't be in a relationship with Luppi anymore. He explained how sick he was feeling and that his interest in the smaller male was dwindling. He couldn't deal with the way the petite man treated other people or how clingy and dependent he was. He told Luppi how annoying it was to have to deal with him always clinging and using Grimmjow.
Luppi sat there crying, but tried to defend himself. He knew he was clingy, but he didn't like being away from Grimmjow. He needed him to survive as if the man was his life raft in a vicious sea of problems. He needed Grimmjow by his side because he couldn't rely on anyone but the blue haired male. Grimmjow called Luppi out on that statement, claiming the man didn't have a single problem in his life.
Luppi had a steady job that paid good money and rich parents who practically worshipped the ground he walked on. He was a spoiled brat who-if he didn't want to- didn't have to work a day in his life and could use his parent's hard-earned cash. Luppi didn't know the meaning of problems. He didn't know what it was like to live his life without a father and now be without a mother. He didn't know what it was like to stretch the money that had been saved since his very first job. He didn't know what it was like to have to deal with a snobbish, whiny and rude boyfriend for three years. Luppi didn't know shit about stress or depression.
Luppi was furious about what Grimmjow was implying. He might have been well off, but he was not a spoiled brat. Okay, his parents did help him with a lot of bills and buy him the things that he asked for, but he did do things on his own. He did depend on Grimmjow, but he always thought he was meant to depend on his boyfriend for things. He didn't realize he had been going overboard with it.
"Bullshit, Luppi. You know how you are around me. When it comes to me, you always cling to me and claim I'm not allowed to do anything unless it's with you. When we go out, I feel I can't even have breathing room, because you are clinging to me like some second skin. You ask me for everything. You throw your problems onto me and expect me to solve them for you. I'm not some 1-800 hotline, that's there for what you need. I have a life of my own and my own damn problems and being with you and is deterring me from them."
"But-"
"But nothing," Grimmjow interjected. "Our relationship is not healthy and it's time for both of us to move on from this. We had a long three years and though not all of it was bad, it has run its course. Our relationship wasn't moving forward and I'll be damned if I stay in an inanimate relationship with you." Grimmjow watched as tears rolled down Luppi's face. He didn't feel bad for making the smaller man cry because he was so used to seeing those fake emotions on the boy's face. They did nothing to him anymore other then annoy him to no end.
"But we are in love. How can you feel this way?"
"I have never said that I loved you, Luppi. You were the one that said it. Have you ever heard those words come from my mouth?" The dark haired male flinched at the words, feeling the tears fall from his eyes harder. That hurt him more than anything else Grimmjow had said. The blunet didn't love him? All those years he had thought their love was mutual. How could he have been so stupid? He felt something in him snap. He shook his head, denial taking over his mind. Grimmjow was his and he wouldn't let the blunet leave him.
He rose from the couch and made his way to the kitchen. He could feel the blue eyes watching him intently. "Sorry, I just need a glass of water. Want some?" He heard a faint and uncertain "sure" from the blunet, making him smile softly. He grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and made his way over to the refrigerator. He grabbed a pitcher of ice-cold water and made his way back over to the glasses. Humming softly to himself, he reached his hand out to a drawer in front of him, opening it. Slipping his hand inside, he pulled out a small packet containing two rows of white pills. He quietly opened one section, letting a pill fall to the counter.
He slipped the packet back into the drawer and closed it. "Do you want lemon in your water?" He began to use the bottom of the cup to smash the pill into powder before swiping it into the glass. He heard Grimmjow say no and poured the ice-cold water into the glass, watching the powder dissolve as if nothing was there, with a smile. He made sure no powder was left on the bottom of the glass and poured himself some water as well.
He made his way back and handed Grimmjow his water. He sat down next to the man and watched him drink his water as he sipped on his nonchalantly. Grimmow would never realize what happened that night. He listened to the blunet continue to speak about him breaking up with the petite man. He watched Grimmjow's eyes get heavy and he listened to his voice as it began to slur.
He knew Grimmjow was heavy so he quickly helped him up from the couch and made it towards the bedroom, telling Grimmjow he should probably lie down if he wasn't feeling well. He pushed Grimmjow onto the bed and watched as the man passed out. He smiled to himself, humming as he started to remove Grimmjow's clothing. He was happy about what was about to happen.
Present
"When you came over, you wanted to talk about our relationship," Luppi started. He set down the tray of breakfast on the bed and sat down next to Grimmjow. "After a while of talking, you said that your head was hurting. I offered you some aspirin, but you didn't want to take it. When you tried to get up for a glass of water, you almost collapsed, so I helped you to the bed so you could rest. You blacked out after that. When you came to, we had a long talk and I asked for another chance at our relationship. You were skeptical at first, but I promised to change for the better and you agreed. Then we had sex."
Luppi watched Grimmjow digest the information with hopeful, lavender eyes. He needed the man to believe him. He needed to make sure Grimmjow didn't leave him. The blunet was his and he refused to give him to anyone else.
"I don't believe that for one second." Luppi kept his calm mask on, but the panic in him was rising. Grimmjow's eyes flashed with anger and he rose from the bed. His head was throbbing and his legs felt like jelly, but he brushed it off in search for his pants. "I understand the blackout and the headache, but why the fuck is my body feeling like this? Why does it feel like I was hit with a truck?" Grimmjow grabbed his jeans from the floor and slipped them on. He waited for another lie to come spilling out of Luppi's mouth as he slipped his long-sleeved shirt on.
Luppi couldn't think of a comeback. He tried desperately to think of something to say, but his throat was constricted by the way Grimmjow was glaring him down. "I-I…"
"Did we really have sex?" Grimmjow didn't give a damn about anything else right now. He didn't care if Luppi lied or if he was the one that knocked him out. He wanted to know if he really did what Luppi was telling him.
"Yes," Luppi whispered. He was sure of that. He couldn't ever forget how Grimmjow made him feel. Grimmjow shook his head in denial. He couldn't believe a word Luppi was saying. He knew the petite man wouldn't deny having sex with him, but that just made the situation that much more fucked up. He didn't want to believe that. He made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall. He looked around for his jacket and shoes and couldn't find them. He wanted to yell in frustration about his brain feeling so scrambled.
"Luppi! Where the hell is my shit?" He listened for the smaller male as he padded down the hallway and walked past him to the closet towards the front door. He followed after him and watched as the man grabbed his things from the closet.
"Gr-Grimm, please don't be mad at me. I just want another chance."
"How many times do I have to tell you? No means no. You've had plenty of chances to get your act together and I'm not waiting anymore. We are done and that's the end of it." Grimmjow slipped on his shoes and his jacket. He could feel large lavender eyes gazing into his back. He wanted to ignore them, but he could feel the anger and hurt in them. He looked over his shoulder to see Luppi looking straight at him. "Lose my number, my address and anything else that involves me."
Luppi could feel his body shaking with heartbreak. He didn't want Grimmjow to leave him. He didn't know how to love anyone else. The thought of Grimmjow being in love with someone else made him want to do unspeakable things. He balled his tiny hands into fists, his nails digging painfully into his skin. He could feel the tears rolling down his face, but he made no move to stop them. He watched as Grimmjow made his way out the apartment, closing the door behind him.
His body felt heavy and tired and he slowly fell to his knees. It was official. Grimmjow didn't want him anymore and he felt like his heart had been ripped out. He screamed his pain out into the small apartment, not caring who heard through the walls. He didn't want this. He just wanted Grimmjow to love him.
"Orihime, what are you waiting for? He needs a woman in his life now more than ever. Are you seriously going to keep your feelings under wraps all your life?" Rukia was sick and tired of seeing Inoue torture herself over her love for Ichigo. The girl needed to tell that boy how she felt and she needed to do it now.
He was single and needed someone who was willing to be there for him. "But…what if I say something wrong? I don't want to make him feel awkward."
"Awkward smawkward. How can he not like you? You are the perfect girlfriend material. He'll totally say yes and if he doesn't, he needs some sense knocked into him, which I'll be very glad to do." Orihime looked down at her balled fists. She didn't think it was such a good idea. She did love Ichigo, but what if he didn't love her back? She wouldn't know what to do.
"I…don't-"
"It'll be great. We can invite him and Renji out for the day and you can tell him. It'll be so romantic. He'll say yes and you guys will become such a cute couple." Orihime blushed at the thought of being with Ichigo. It was something she had dreamed about since they were in high school. She always wanted him to see how she looked at him and ask her out, but she guessed he didn't really see her feelings for him.
Now that he had lost his ability to see, it was her decision to finally let him know how she really felt. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Okay, call them." Rukia smiled wide and squealed with joy, dialing the orange head's number. The orange haired woman watched as her best friend talked to Renji on the phone.
"What do you mean he's busy today?" Inoue frowned when she heard that she might not get a chance to speak to Ichigo today. "He's meeting someone for lunch?" Orihime glanced at Rukia to see her sneering at the empty space in front of her. She wondered who Ichigo was going to see for lunch. Was it another woman? Did she wait too long? "Is it a woman?" Rukia listened to Renji speak, growling at the thought of Ichigo even thinking of being with another woman other than Orihime. "Then, who is it!" Rukia was getting frustrated at Renji for not giving up the details of who was taking up the orange head's time lately.
Ichigo had never been so outgoing after he left the hospital. He had always wanted to stay home and keep to himself, but now he was always out or busy. She wanted to know who this person was that was bringing this change out in him. She didn't get any answers from Renji, so she would have to get answers from Ichigo himself.
Grimmjow stood in the shower, letting the steaming water glide across his body. He couldn't believe himself. He couldn't believe he did something so stupid. Instead of doing what he had planned, it seemed he screwed the petite man as well. The fact that he couldn't remember anything made it even worse. He lowered his head to the cold tiled wall and slammed his fist against it. That was not supposed to happen. Even after the petite man had told him what happened, he still couldn't remember it.
His brain was blocking out that vital information and he didn't actually believe what Luppi said. He hated having to put his trust in the dark haired man. How could he just have a black out like that? He had never had any before and the thought made him shiver. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He didn't enjoy the feeling he was having at the time.
He stepped out of the shower, not even caring to dry himself. The water from his naked body dripped onto the white tiled bathroom floor as he padded towards his bedroom. He let the cold air and warmth from the heater waft around him as he threw himself onto his bed. He buried his face into the dark grey pillow and groaned. He had taken two steps forward with Ichigo and one-step back with Luppi. Things were getting way too complicated for him and he wished he could just take a break from everything. It was such an awful way to start his day off.
He could feel the water evaporating off of his body as he lay there, ignoring the biting chill that was creating goose bumps across his skin. He heard a soft chiming noise coming from somewhere on the floor. Lifting his head, he continued to listen and realized it was his cell phone. Grumbling, he picked himself up off of his bed and headed to the pile of clothing that he threw off after coming home. He searched for his cell phone in the middle of the pile and pulled it out.
"Hello," he answered in a bored tone, throwing himself back onto his bed and pulling the covers over him, ignoring the fact that he was still naked.
"Grimmjow, it's Ichigo." The blunet felt a slight throb in his chest at the thought of what he did last night after he had told Ichigo he enjoyed being around him. He knew they weren't a couple, but he had screwed his ex, claiming that the petite man was a pain in his ass. He felt like he had betrayed Ichigo in some way. It felt so awkward hearing the man's voice.
"Hey…what's up?"
"Are you busy today? I thought we might be able to do something." Ichigo's tone was eager and serene. Grimmjow didn't feel like doing anything with anyone that day. He wanted to be dead to the world, even if it was just for one day. "…I mean it's okay if you don't. We can, uh, do something another day." Grimmjow hated hearing the disappointment in Ichigo's voice.
"You wanna' go to lunch?" Grimmjow couldn't really think of anything exciting to do with the way his mood was, but he hoped being around Ichigo would lighten it.
"Yeah, that sounds good." The blunet smiled a little at the orange head's tone.
"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." After getting off the phone, Grimmjow laid there, staring at the wall. He tried to will away the broken thoughts of earlier and focus on the time he was going to spend with Ichigo. He just hoped whatever happened, that he wouldn't screw it up.
"Tell me where Ichigo went, Renji!" The petite woman sat upon the large, red haired man. She refused to budge until the man gave up the goods. Orihime stood off to the side with wide eyes, trying to stay out of the situation. She didn't think it was that serious to know where Ichigo went. She could wait for another time to talk to the orange haired male, but Rukia didn't seem to think that way.
"I told you! He went to lunch with someone!" Renji cried out as the midget of a woman sat on his chest. That didn't hurt him, but the fact that her knee was jabbing him the wrong way wasn't making the situation any less painful.
"Details!"
"Ru-Rukia, I don't think this is necessa-"
"Shhh, Orihime!" Rukia interrupted. She was going to find out where that boy went.
"Okay!" The orange haired woman squeaked. She watched as Rukia began to pinch Renji's cheeks as hard as she could. It looked so painful, but the man still refused to tell them where Ichigo had gone.
"Damn it, this isn't working!" Rukia was starting to get pissed. She glanced over at Orihime and got an exciting idea. She smiled innocently at the orange haired woman. "Hime, did you bring some of your snacks with you?" She turned her face towards Renji to see him gazing at her. "I think Renji would love to try your new recipe." His face turned into an expression of sheer horror, mouth hanging open and eyes wide.
"Okay! I'll tell you, just…please." Renji quickly explained that the pianist from the club had come to pick Ichigo up. He didn't say where they were going, but that they were going to lunch. "That's all I know, I swear." Rukia tutted and raised herself off of the red haired man. She began to make her way over to Orihime and started to pull the woman out the door with her.
"…You would never survive in the war," she murmured on her way out.
Ichigo felt uneasy. Grimmjow hadn't said one word to him since they slid into the car. The man's aura was threatening, confused and somewhat shut-off. He wanted to speak, but every time he got the courage, it quickly died in his throat. Maybe he should just tell Grimmjow to take him back home. He listened to the soft music on the radio as he felt the car smoothly driving through traffic.
"Grimmjow?"
"Yeah," the blunet growled out. He was still in a shitty mood and he knew he was fucking up his time with Ichigo.
"Uhm, is…is everything okay?" Grimmjow glanced over at Ichigo to see the man gazing in his direction. He lowered his eyes to see him twiddling his thumbs together in a nervous fashion.
"No, everything is not okay, but I don't want to dwell on it. I can deal with it later." Ichigo sighed, but ignored the want to pester Grimmjow about it anymore.
After a while they made it to the diner and slipped into a booth situated by a large window. Grimmjow stared out of it, looking at the people in their winter wear as they walked by. The snow was falling lightly and the sky looked like it had seen better days. He turned his eyes towards Ichigo to see the man looking down at his menu. He really felt like an ass for the way he was acting towards the smaller man, but he didn't know what he should do. His mind was only focusing on one thing, not wanting to focus on the positive.
He hated how Luppi could screw shit up for him, even if the petite man wasn't around. "If you really don't want to be out, you can just take me home." Grimmjow frowned and leaned back. He hated seeing Ichigo's face twisted into that deadly scowl. He enjoyed seeing the man smile and he knew it was mostly his fault.
He shook his head and pushed away his problems. "No, I'm okay. No more worries." Grimmjow and Ichigo began to talk. He finally was able to get into a better mood and focus on nothing but Ichigo. The man was actually fun to be around. They had talked about their high school lives and what their hobbies were. Grimmjow realized that he had a lot in common with the orange haired male. They enjoyed the same music, same movies, even some of the same food aside from the sweets.
He and Ichigo had gone through just about the same things during high school, being picked on just because of their hair color, which they always ended up in fights for. Grimmjow may have been a little more crooked than Ichigo with his thievery and bad acts, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
He watched Ichigo eat, enjoying the way the boy licked his lips and fingers. He didn't realize how erotic it could be and enjoyed it more than he probably should have. He chuckled when Ichigo had gotten pizza sauce on his nose, wondering how it even got up there. He teased Ichigo about it until Ichigo gave him a chance to help him remove it. He so wanted to lick it off, but he didn't think Ichigo was ready, so he just used his napkin.
After they finished eating, Grimmjow paid, after a little battle between Ichigo, which he had won. They stepped out into the cold, winter weather in a comfortable silence. Ichigo felt a little better about how Grimmjow was acting. The blue haired man seemed to be enjoying himself and Ichigo smiled a little.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Ichigo asked. Grimmjow looked around for a minute before he smirked and grabbed Ichigo's hand, pulling him into a store.
"Rukia, are you sure we should be spying on Ichigo?" Orihime and Rukia were sitting on a bench across the street from the diner Ichigo and Grimmjow had been in, trying to be inconspicuous. After driving around for a good fifteen minutes, Rukia had spotted the car Renji had seen in front of the apartment. She had dragged poor Orihime out of the car in search for the orange haired man, when they saw him in the diner. They had promptly gone across the street to keep an eye on Ichigo and see if anything had happened.
Rukia was furious. She hated the way that blue haired punk was looking at Ichigo. Orihime was the only one that should be looking at Ichigo in a slightly loving, yet perverted way. "It's fine. We aren't doing any harm by looking. Besides, we need to figure out if this is something friendly or more serious."
"Why?" The orange haired girl didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like Ichigo was out with another woman. She wasn't close-minded, but she could never see Ichigo with another man. He was too…manly. He shouted heterosexual in every way possible. At least that's what Inoue thought. "He's just out with a friend."
"…You're probably right, but we need to make sure. He is only supposed to be with you, Hime, and I refuse to have it any other way."
"Grimm? Uhm, where are we?" Ichigo frowned at the various noises surrounding him. He couldn't tell if he was at a park or a zoo and Grimmjow wasn't giving up any details.
"Just a minute, Ichi. Stand right there and I'll be back." The orange haired man did what he was told, fidgeting when he heard people whispering around him. He didn't like how he always felt as if he was on the spot.
"…Grimm?" He could hear Grimmjow's deep voice from somewhere in the distance and tried to figure out what he was saying. After a while, he heard the man's deep chuckling from in front of him. "What are you doing?"
"I'll show you." Ichigo felt Grimmjow's hand in his and he tried his best not to blush. He felt the man deposit something soft and fluffy into his hands and frowned at the feeling. Grimmjow's hands were still in his and he felt the man push his hands up towards his face. "Now, don't scare her."
"Who?" Ichigo heard a soft mewing and his eyes looked down at where the sound was coming from. He felt a soft pat to his cheek and giggled at the feline as it nuzzled his chin. "A kitten?"
"Yeah, her name is Pantera. I take care of her once in a while. My apartment doesn't allow pets, so I can't take her home."
"I didn't know you liked cats."
"My weakness, I guess." Grimmjow watched as Ichigo nuzzled the cat with his cheek. The cat seemed to really like him, considering she was such a bitch to everyone else.
"Do you wanna come home with Ichigo?" Grimmjow was surprised the orange haired man was even offering to take care of the cat. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he didn't know how capable Ichigo was in taking care of someone other than himself. "Yuzu would love you. She'd probably fawn over you instead of going to class."
"You really want to take her?" Ichigo's eyes rose to look up before they looked away. He wasn't sure if he could really take care of the cat, but it would be great company for when no one else was home. Yuzu came over everyday, so she could take care of the cat most of the time. He knew Renji wouldn't even try to help, in fear of getting scratched. Inoue loved cats, so she would probably enjoy helping out.
"I would love to, but do you really think I would be able to take care of her? I mean with…the way I am," Ichigo whispered at the end. He wanted to be able to start feeling independent. It was still difficult for him to do some things on his own and he had yet to get everything established for himself. He didn't want to be blind for the rest of his life, but he knew if he wanted to survive, he would have to deal with being blind for the time being. He was kind of upset that he had to pack away all his books and laptop because they were for someone who could see. Braille and a voice-automated computer was his next step into his new lifestyle and he seriously wasn't ready.
"I think you'd be okay. Gotta' take it one step at a time." Eventually, Ichigo bought Pantera and supplies to take care of her. He was ecstatic that he was taking a step forward in the right direction. He practically glided his way back to Grimmjow's car in a fit of bliss.
"Do you wanna hang out at my place for a while? We're having sukiyaki tonight, so it would be nice to have someone extra over. You can help me set the things up for Pantera."
"...Yeah, sounds good."
"I'm home and we have company!" Ichigo yelled into the small apartment. He toed off his shoes and slowly made his way into the home. Grimmjow followed behind him with the bag of supplies and set them down off to the side, taking off his shoes as well and closing the door behind him.
"Ichigo!"
"Renji?" The orange haired man looked in the direction of Renji's voice, hearing the panic in it. "What's wrong?" Renji caught sight of Grimmjow and his back stiffened. The words in his mouth quickly died and he was left gaping like a fish. "Oh, you remember Grimmjow, right? From the lounge club."
"Yo," Grimmjow said, lifting his hand up in a greeting motion.
"I, uh, need to speak to you for a minute, Ichigo. In private." Ichigo frowned, but let himself be dragged away by his red haired friend.
"I'll…just," Grimmjow started as the two disappeared around the corner, "be standing here…looking dumb." Grimmjow decided he would check out the small apartment. It was a decent size with light, hardwood floors. The walls were a soft gray color and the walls had picture frames adorning them. He peeked at some, realizing most of them were of Ichigo's family. The male seemed a lot younger, but he could tell it was him with that colorful hair. He noticed how much Ichigo looked like his mother and nothing like his father.
He chuckled at some of the pictures, one at the beach where Ichigo's father was attacking some poor innocent soul in the background of a beautiful family photo. There were family photos of park outings, festival walks and winter fun. He noticed how the images changed after the parents were no longer in the pictures.
Ichigo's smile had been completely wiped clean, a scowl now in its place. The boy seemed standoffish and like he didn't care about what was going on around him. That is, until you caught sight of him looking at his little sisters. There was love in his eyes. A look only a brother would have towards his siblings that he loved dearly.
He was so into looking at the photos that he didn't hear the door opening and closing or the soft voice calling into the house. "Big brother?" Grimmjow finally glanced over his shoulder to meet a small brown haired girl. He recognized her as the girl that gave him the peppermint tea that practically saved him from the painfully awful headaches.
"Yuzu?" Grimmjow turned his attention back towards Ichigo, who was coming around the corner. The kitten was still clutched in his arms as he slowly made his way over to her with a smile. "I have a surprise for you." He squatted down to her height and she came over to him. Grimmjow just watched the scene play out with azure orbs. She had the biggest smile on her face as she slowly took the kitten from Ichigo's arms.
Pantera mewed and softly licked her against her cheek, making her giggle. "Where did you get it? It's so pretty."
"It was Grimmjow's cat. He let me buy her, so I wouldn't feel lonely when everyone was gone."
"Grimmjow?" Yuzu raised her deep brown eyes and caught sight of the blue haired man. "Hey! I know you! You were that guy I gave the tea to."
"Tea?" Ichigo asked as he rose to a standing position again. "You've met him before, Yuzu?"
"Yeah, uhm, it was the day you guys went out. I saw him earlier that day. He wasn't feeling good, so I gave him a container of peppermint tea."
"Huh, talk about creepy," Renji's voice interjected. More like fated, Ichigo thought.
"Oh, well that was nice of you, Yuzu."
"More than nice. She practically saved me from becoming dependent on medication." Ichigo was surprised to hear that. He knew what that was about, having to take various medications for his headaches, eye pain and sleeping. He was glad his sister was able to help someone in need.
"Well, I'm glad I was able to help. Now, I guess I should get started on dinner before Karin arrives." Yuzu handed the cat back to Ichigo and went on her way to start dinner. Ichigo stood there smiling after her before turning around. He needed to lie down for a minute. It was a shame that he didn't feel as energetic as he used to. Just being out for a couple of hours would wear him out. He didn't want to be rude to Grimmjow though, since the man was his guest.
Grimmjow could see the weariness on Ichigo's face. He guessed it had been a long day for the orange haired man. Renji eyed the blue haired man for a moment. He didn't enjoy the way that man was looking at his best friend. It just didn't sit well with him.
"Ichigo, why don't you go lay down for a bit? I'm sure your guest wouldn't mind." Ichigo was hesitant, but when Grimmjow confirmed it was okay, he cautiously made his way to his bedroom. Renji and Grimmjow watched to make sure he didn't get himself lost and was relieved when the male made it safely to his destination. The red head turned his attention back to the blunet, glaring up at him. "I don't like you."
"Not my concern."
"It is when you are messing around with my best friend's feelings. Don't drag him into whatever game you are playing. He's vulnerable enough as it is and he doesn't need some cocky fag of a man putting ideas in his head." Grimmjow was pissed at what the red haired man was saying. If Ichigo's sister wasn't about two feet away, the red pineapple would have been thrown into a wall.
"What the fuck is your problem? Is it that you don't want to see Ichigo happy with another man unless it's you?" Renji's face paled and Grimmjow realized he had hit the nail on the head. Jealously wasn't a very nice thing. "So that is the problem. You are playing the best friend role, when you want to be something more than that. And you say I'm messing around with his feelings. I've confirmed to him how I feel, but you're sitting here acting like you're being there for him, when you are probably just exercising your weird fantasies about him. Don't fucking huddle me up with your ass. I've got more balls than that." Grimmjow watched as Renji's russet eyes went ablaze and caught sight of the man's arm as it swung his way. He dodged the blow, grabbing the red head by his wrist, twisting it into an awkward angle and making Renji grunt in pain. He sneered down at the red haired man before looking up and catching sight of Yuzu looking at them both with large eyes.
That was the last thing he wanted her to see. To be invited into Ichigo's home only to start trouble. He quickly let go of Renji's wrist and backed up away from him. He made his way down the hall and towards Ichigo's bedroom, not giving Renji enough time to protest. He slipped into the boy's bedroom and closed the door behind him. Pantera was lying on the pillow next to Ichigo's face, but lifted her head when she heard the door close.
Grimmjow made his way closer to the bed and hesitated for a minute before sitting upon the bed. Ichigo's eyes blinked open when he felt the dip and looked out in front of him. "Renji?"
"Naw…"
"Grimmjow? What are you doing in here?" Ichigo raised his head and stared out in front of him.
"I'm leaving. Something…came up and I won't be able to stay." Ichigo's relaxed face turned into a frown and he pulled himself completely into a sitting position.
"But, I thought-"
"I know and I'm sorry. I just think I should go." Ichigo gazed out into the space in front of him before lowering his eyes.
"Did Renji say something to you?"
"…No." Ichigo looked back up.
"You're lying. What did he say?"
"…"
"Fine, don't tell me, but…just stay. Fuck what Renji or anyone else said. I like being around you and that's the only thing that matters." Grimmjow continued to watch as the white orbs looked at him. He looked away and sighed. He hated disappointing Ichigo, but he didn't feel like he should be there. He started to rise up off the bed, when Ichigo's hand shot out and touched his hand.
Grimmjow looked at the long smooth fingers wrapped around his. "Don't, Grimmjow. I really want you to stay." He watched as those long fingers trailed their way up his arm. They smoothed over his shoulder and came to the side of his neck. They lingered against the side of his neck and Grimmjow sighed, enjoying the feel of them. The fingers continued their journey up the blunet's strong jaw and down towards his chin. Grimmjow's eyes shifted and looked up, seeing Ichigo move closer to him.
He felt Ichigo's other hand join in and continued to watch the orange head's face as he caressed his own. He felt the appendages ghost over his cheeks, like a warm breeze. Ichigo's face showed curiosity and Grimmjow wished that the boy showed it more often. Fingers trailed over the bridge of his nose and down before they touched his lips. Grimmjow closed his eyes when he felt Ichigo's other hand began to run its fingers through his hair. He was glad most of the gel had disappeared and all that was left was his normal soft hair.
"Your hair is so soft," Ichigo whispered. Grimmjow just hummed in return, feeling content at feeling the fingers massage his scalp. He wouldn't admit to loving when people played with his hair. The fingers on his lips were stationary and trembling slightly. "Grimmjow…" He heard Ichigo breathe his name, but he made no move to open his eyes. He felt hot breath ghost over his cheek before soft trembling lips pressed where the fingers had been. Grimmjow's brain could have fried for how much that kiss turned him on.
It wasn't rough or needy. It was gentle and unfamiliar and as soon as it started, it had ended. A simple, exploratory, chaste kiss. It had been initiated by Ichigo, someone who had never kissed a person in his whole entire life, but the passion and dedication in it spoke wonders. Grimmjow opened his eyes and noticed he was only a hairsbreadth away from Ichigo, staring deep into clouded eyes. Long fingers were still running themselves through his hair and gliding across his cheek. Before he could speak a word, the moment was destroyed by a banging sound to the door.
Ichigo sighed and backed away from Grimmjow and slid off of the bed. He didn't speak of what had just happened or how the kiss was making his heart flutter and his brain melt. He made his way towards the door, placing his hand onto the knob.
"C-can you bring Pantera when you're ready?" Ichigo didn't wait for an answer and left through the open door. Grimmjow still sat there, his lips wet and tingling. Never in his life had a kiss made him feel the way he was feeling. His heart pounded in his ears and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. He didn't know what the feeling was, but it didn't feel bad one bit.
He slid off of the bed, grabbing the tiny feline. It mewed and clung to him, making sure it didn't fall. Grimmjow's head was swimming with thoughts and his heart was filled with emotions he had never felt before. What did it all mean? Why was he feeling this way now? And was it really all the fault of a man who saw nothing in the world, but darkness?
So don't kill me because of a kiss. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review please and see you next chapter.
