A/N: Hello everyone, I'm back~ Well, for a short update, in any case. I'm unfortunately going to be away for a while again, shit's going down in the fam. Thank you for all your lovely reviews, they have been much appreciated. Keep them coming? I need cheering up, and you guys never fail to put a smile on my face. In any case, this is a slightly shorter chapter, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
And so, let us journey into the past~ *sparkly flashback noises*
Chapter Three: The Cure
I know the world has been mean to you,
I've got a cure, hold tight.
I know the world is not fair to you,
I've got a cure for its crimes.
Oh, oh, when you say it
So, so, slowly to me
Oh, oh, well I keep going
No, no, I run while knowing
No, no, I know you need it
So, so, I need it too and
Oh, oh, I must keep going
So you must too.
I've got the cure,
I've got the cure for you.
- The Cure, Tegan and Sara.
May 2nd 2006, 12:00
"Welcome to Arrancar, what can I get for you today?"
Ichigo had been working at the new coffee chain, Arrancar, for just over two weeks. It was his first job and even though he only did a few hours over the weekends, he was enjoying it. He kept mostly to himself, kept his head down, but was praised for his hard work. He hadn't really made any friends - he found it difficult enough to smile at customers, never mind his co-workers - the other staff seemed to avoid him like the plague. Ichigo didn't care. He enjoyed it because it was a nice distraction from, well, life.
He could hear the high-pitched squealing of his manager, Neliel - "Call me Nel, sweetie!" - as she rambled about how someone had finally come back and how she had missed them. Ichigo ignored it - she was always like this. He was pretty sure it wasn't normal for a woman her age to be that hyper but, surprisingly, it didn't irritate him. She was a good person, and had practically taken Ichigo under her wing since he had started at Arrancar.
"Oi, Nel. Get yer tits off of me, yeah?"
Ichigo's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the gruff voice and he involuntarily shuddered. What was that about? He wished a good afternoon to the departing customer and tried to casually look over his shoulder to the staff room, where the voice was coming from. As soon as his eyes reached the open door, however, they were met with a pair of shocking blue - staring right at him.
He scowled despite his quickening pulse, the slight weakening of his legs, the warmth rushing to his cheeks. The man was undeniably attractive. Unruly blue hair was pushed back from his face, shaved at the back and sides. His muscles were visible even through the shirt he was wearing. His piercing blue eyes were boring almost painfully into Ichigo's.
No. Ichigo didn't want to feel this way, so he wouldn't. And who the fuck was this guy who was just stood there, blatantly staring at him? It was kind of creepy. Neliel was wrapped around him like a child, but other than the arm slung casually around her waist, all of this guy's attention was focused on Ichigo. It only got creepier when the guy smiled - a feral smirk that was all teeth.
"Excuse me?"
Ichigo was snapped back to reality, quite embarrassed, by a customer standing at the till, tapping her foot. He apologised quickly and started taking her order, all the while trying to listen into the conversation between Neliel and the creepy blue guy.
"Ara, where's Luppi? He didn't come in with you? Oh well, he'd only get weird again. Besides, I'm so happy to see my cute baby brother-"
"Shut up, Nel. As if I care."
"Hnn? Trouble in paradise?"
"I said shut up. Let me into the office, I haven't picked up my keys yet."
Then they were gone, and Ichigo couldn't hear any more. It was weird. He had been so disinterested in everyone for so long and yet, he wanted to know more. Was that guy Neliel's brother? Who was Luppi?
Ichigo sighed and reached for the staff room door. His shift was over, and now he had to go home and deal with life again. He wondered if everyone felt like this about work. Surely they couldn't, because everyone else seemed to complain about it. He lifted his jacket off its hook, pulling it on as he made his way to the office to say good-bye to Neliel. She hadn't left the room since that weird guy had shown up. His thoughts were abruptly stopped as he ran into something hard.
"Oww, fuck."
Typically, he fell on his arse. He heard a deep chuckle and froze, slowly looking up to see a hand offered to him. He hesitantly took it, the contact sending an unfamiliar spark through him. The guy's hand was so big. Strong. He was pulled up and just as he had returned to a standing position, Neliel walked out of the office.
"Oh! Have we already done introductions?"
She clapped happily and Ichigo realised the guy's hand was still wrapped around his. He tried to free it, but the man's grip only tightened. Ichigo looked back up to the guy's face to see a blue eyebrow raised.
"Nah, just about to. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Nice to meet you, kid."
He shook Ichigo's hand forcibly and Ichigo made sure to pin him with his best glare.
"It's not 'kid'. It's Kurosaki. Kurosaki Ichigo."
A brief wave of shock passed over the man's face before he let out a laugh, finally releasing Ichigo's hand and patting him roughly on the shoulder, making Ichigo's eyes widen. Everything about this guy made Ichigo feel wrong.
"So you're the newbie, huh, Ichigo? Nel won't fuckin' shut up about you. You're an asset to the team, apparently."
Ichigo simultaneously blushed and scowled at the compliment and use of his name so familiarly. He sniffed, rubbing at his nose discreetly.
"Mmhm, he's a trooper all right." Neliel added with a wink in Ichigo's direction. "Ichi-chan, Grimmy is a supervisor here, he just got back from holiday. Well, if you could call it that..."
She let out a little laugh and Ichigo heard Grimmjow growl as he glared at her.
"What was that I said earlier about shutting up?" The man sighed and licked his lips quickly, subtly. "Fuck this, I'm heading off. See ya Nel, Ichigo."
Ichigo barely heard the man's farewell. The way the man's tongue had peeked out of that mouth, ran along those lips - that were strangely full for a guy - and then disappeared, had Ichigo entranced. It had been such a quick action, as though the man did it all the time, it should have gone unnoticed.
Why did Ichigo have to notice?
He made to say good-bye to the man, but he had already left. Luckily Neliel was too busy pulling her jacket on to notice.
"Sorry about that, Ichi-chan, I shouldn't have left you out there for so long." She made a pouty face that Ichigo supposed was meant to be apologetic and went to grab her bag. "I'm just such a stickler for gossip! You ready to go?"
Ichigo nodded and was just about to ask Neliel whether Grimmjow was actually her brother, when a loud slamming noise reverberated through the back rooms.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?"
Ichigo's eyes widened as he took in the sight of a rather dishevelled… Woman? Oh no wait, he had no breasts. But hell, that was one feminine dude. He was short, even with platform shoes on - were guys allowed to wear those? - and had black hair shaped into a bob. His chest was heaving and his forehead sweating, as though he had been running. His lilac eyes were wide, a snarl on his pouty lips. Needless to say, he looked pissed off.
"Luppi-cha-"
"Don't fuckin' give me that, Nel! Where the fuck is he? I bet you've had your filthy paws all over him agai-"
"Oh, get over yourself, Luppi."
"WHAT?"
Ichigo felt awkward to say the least. He was just stood there, watching this crazy dude go off on one. Neliel was exuding a menacing aura now, her tone calm but cold, her arms crossed over her ample chest. Ichigo wanted to run for the hills, but felt as though he had been glued to the spot.
Why did he care?
"He's mine, Neliel! You know he is!"
"You know we're not like that. I see Grimmjow as a brother, nothing more. In case you have forgotten, I am happily married! Calm down, Luppi. Go home. If you still want your job, you'll do well not to let your personal life affect your work. Make sure you come in tomorrow."
"I can't work with hi-"
"You'll have to."
Neliel's tone was final. The petite man left with a glare, quieter this time. Ichigo looked over to Neliel, offering her a small smile, and the woman rolled her eyes.
"Sorry about that, Ichi-chan. You want a lift home?"
The sky was starting to darken as they pulled up outside Ichigo's house. The young man moved to get out of the car, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to Neliel, frowning at the serious expression on her face.
"If there's any trouble tomorrow, you just call me."
Ichigo shot the older woman a confused expression before he remembered the earlier havoc. Tomorrow. Grimmjow was working tomorrow. That weird dude Luppi was working tomorrow. Slowly it clicked through his brain until it finally came to one conclusion.
Shit.
Ichigo nodded. Suddenly the woman was all smiles again - raising her palm from his shoulder only to bring it back in a playful slap - as she ushered him out of the car.
"Good luck!"
May 3rd 2006, 10:00
Today was as tense as hell.
Ichigo had arrived at Arrancar an hour ago, only to be met with an extremely pissed off Grimmjow. Apparently, one of the other weekend workers had phoned in sick. A surprisingly quick calculation on Ichigo's part revealed that that left none other than himself, Grimmjow and Luppi on shift.
Brilliant.
Ichigo couldn't decide whether it was a good or bad thing that Luppi hadn't arrived yet. Things were more than a little awkward between Ichigo and Grimmjow - mainly due to the older man's mood and the younger's inability to socialise - but Ichigo could only see things getting worse once the effeminate employee showed up.
Ichigo was tingling with something foreign: interest. He had never been one for gossip, not really, yet here he was. He wanted to know what was going to happen. He wanted to know what was going on. He blanched as he wondered whether spending so much time around Neliel had started to influence his own way of thinking.
Ichigo checked the clock. 10:05. Luppi was five minutes late, and Ichigo could imagine Grimmjow getting more and more worked up with each passing second. As he served customer after customer, he wondered what Grimmjow would do about the missing employee's tardiness.
A short figure appeared next to him and Ichigo jumped involuntarily. He quickly regained his composure and looked over his co-worker. His bob looked sleek, but on closer inspection was revealed to be lank, unstyled. His complexion was pallid, his eyes bloodshot, deep purple rings laying underneath them. Ichigo felt a pang of sympathy. Lilac eyes slowly rose to meet Ichigo's and he offered the man a small smile.
"What the fuck are you looking at?"
The smile quickly left and was replaced with the customary frown. Fuck him, then. Ichigo made to respond but was cut off as he was pushed to the side.
"Move over, I'm taking you off till." Lilac eyes narrowed and pouty lips spat out. "Grimmjow wants to see you in the office."
Ichigo's eyes widened. Not at Luppi's behaviour, hell he had come to expect that, but the fact that Grimmjow would allow this man on the floor on his own. Ichigo certainly wouldn't want to be served by such a sight. Shrugging and letting out a silent sigh, he left for the office. He knocked once and pushed open the door, wondering if he had done something wrong - would Grimmjow shout at him? He had been in a terrible mood all morning.
Ichigo stilled at the door.
Grimmjow was sat with his head in his hands, his fingers massaging his temple. Now that Ichigo dared to move closer, he noticed that the older man also looked tired, although not half as bad as Luppi. He took a seat next to the man, his brow furrowing.
"You okay?"
Grimmjow jumped slightly. Had he not realised Ichigo was there? He looked deep in thought, Ichigo realised, as he took in the other's glazed eyes. Grimmjow removed his head from his hands. Ignoring Ichigo's question, he looked at the younger man sternly, his eyes seeming to clear.
"I need to apologise to ya, kid."
Ichigo frowned but bit his lip against correcting his name. Now was not the time. The older man let out a sigh and shook his head slightly.
"I never woulda thought I'd end up bringin' my fuckin' personal life into work, but… Anyway. You've been dragged into it. That's not fair."
Ichigo shrugged despite the raising of his eyebrows. 'Personal life', huh? So… What was Luppi to Grimmjow? Were they-
"And yet I gotta ask you a favour."
Ichigo remained silent. What on earth could Grimmjow need from him?
"It's a Sunday, and as you probably know by now, it's gonna be dead. I've done all of my banking already so I'll be on the floor to help ya out…"
Grimmjow finally faced the younger man, his eyes settling on the other's.
"I'm gonna send Luppi home, which means we're gonna be majorly understaffed. We'll probably finish late. I'm just wonderin' if ya could put that bit more work in today. For me."
Ichigo was genuinely shocked. He wanted to ask why Grimmjow would do such a thing, put them under so much pressure. Yes, Sundays were usually quiet, but that didn't mean this one couldn't be busy. Would they cope? Ichigo took another look at the man. He was chewing at his thumb nail, eyes still on Ichigo.
Really, if he thought about it a little more, the younger man could see where he was coming from. If Ichigo had had an argument - one big enough to make the pair look like they did - would he really want to be around the other party? No. Also, this could go way deeper than Ichigo could imagine. He had no idea what had happened.
There was one other factor, too. Grimmjow was his supervisor - Ichigo had to trust that he would make the right, professional decision. An orange head nodded.
"Yeah, sure."
The rest of the shift went strangely smoothly. Luppi left without much of a fuss - a shouted 'fuck you' that was just barely audible from the floor and an intense glare in Ichigo's direction - and Grimmjow had kept his word, coming out of the office and pulling more than his weight. They hadn't been too busy and so Ichigo had - at first unwillingly - been able to talk to the man.
Ichigo was shocked to find that he didn't hate him - his first impression being that Grimmjow was an insufferable arrogant arse - and that he didn't hate Ichigo. Other than Neliel, no one had ever said more than two words to the orange-haired teen. Grimmjow was so different to Neliel, though. She was warm and happy and motherly. He was, well… Himself. He wasn't trying to be nice to Ichigo or trying to make him laugh - it just happened.
It wasn't as if the two had anything in common - Ichigo, a sixteen-year-old student with unusual habits and Grimmjow, a twenty-two year old man with an obsession with coffee and sport - yet Ichigo felt something there. It was there when the older man smiled, when he licked his lips, when he laughed. Ichigo moved to rub his nose on his sleeve.
"You ill, kid?"
"Ichigo." The younger man quickly corrected with a frown. "Do I look ill to you?"
The older man smiled, shaking his head, before looking up at Ichigo with an unrecognisable expression.
"Kinda."
"Hey!"
"Well, you've been snifflin' all day, and you ain't exactly radiant, ya know? You gettin' over man-flu or some shit?"
Ichigo's eyes widened.
No.
He couldn't.
Ichigo shook his head. From the way the man was looking at him, Ichigo could tell he hadn't worked it out. But, still… Ichigo hadn't even noticed he'd been doing it that much. He decided he'd be more careful from now on. If anyone at work found out, then he would lose his job. Then it would be bye-bye distraction.
"I'm fine."
Grimmjow grabbed his keys and shrugged on his jacket, motioning for Ichigo to do the same.
"You'd better be, don't want any of my other staff gettin' sick."
Grimmjow offered the younger man a lift home, but Ichigo declined. He was meeting someone. As he watched the older man walk to his car, throwing a hand in the air by way of farewell, he slumped in a bench outside his workplace. He looked down at pale, shaking hands. Let out a deep breath. As he waited, one thought plagued him.
Oh, don't worry. They couldn't catch this.
May 8th 2006, 12:30
It was lunch time at Karakura Sixth Form College and all of the students milled about - buying food, sitting with friends, chattering animatedly, laughing. Except one. Ichigo sat on the roof, back against the railings, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he glared at the sky. Today was a fucking bad day. Ichigo couldn't concentrate in his lessons. He'd run out, already. That meant he'd have to see that man again.
"Kurosaki Ichigo?"
Amber eyes snapped to an approaching figure, orange brows glued into their usual frown. A warning. 'Don't come near me.' Ichigo was antsy, he needed to be alone right now. He was starting to sweat and really hoped this other person didn't realise as they stepped ever closer.
"Who the fuck're you?"
Ichigo's eyes flickered over the figure that was now standing directly in front of him and his lip curled. He recognised this guy. He was said to be a genius, a prodigy in the sciences, a freak. He was said to be in competition with that other stuck up prick, Ishida Uryuu, for the top grades in the school. He couldn't recall a name, however. He flicked his cigarette away with slightly shaking hands.
The freak was chuckling lightly. He removed one of the arms that had been crossed over his chest and held out his hand. With the other he pushed a pair of glasses up a straight nose, before flicking away a strand of pink hair. A slightly deranged smirk pulled at his lips.
"Szayel Aporro Granz."
Ichigo simply glared at the hand. He needed this guy to back off.
"The fuck d'you want?"
Szayel sighed elaborately before sitting in front of Ichigo, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and offering it to the orange-haired man. Still glaring, Ichigo took one. They lit up, Szayel gazing at Ichigo as though he was analysing him, the other staring back with malice.
"You work at Arrancar, if I am correct?" The man's tone implied that the opposite was rarely the case. "I heard about you from my brother."
Ichigo simply glared, taking a heavy drag on his cigarette, uninterested.
"It really is strange, he keeps talking about you, and yet he seems to know nothing about you... When he mentioned you for the first time, I really did have to think twice about whether it was could truly be that Kurosaki Ichigo. But it has to be."
"You got a point, dickwad?"
"My, my. Do you not wish to know if someone is interested in you?"
"A lot of people are interested in me, douchebag. I don't give a shit what they say about me. They can spread all the rumours they-"
The other man was chuckling.
"You really are intriguing… You seem to have mistaken me completely, Kurosaki. When I said 'interested', it was not meant in a negative way. I am no gossip whore, but a mere collector of information."
Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't get it. His brain couldn't process the other's words. He needed to get away from this guy and get in contact with Yammy, as soon as physically possible. He really couldn't give a shit about what this guy had to say. He was about to get up and leave when the young man spoke again.
"But still, to think that Grimmjow had no idea about the drugs…"
Amber eyes snapped up to meet the other's. A growl formed behind cracked lips.
"What did you just say?"
The pink-haired man replied calmly, almost teasingly, each word precise as if mocking Ichigo's clouded brain.
"My brother. Well, half-brother. Grimmjow. He is your supervisor, is he not? He had no idea you are an addict."
"DON'T fuckin' talk to me like you're a doctor, asswipe. I swear to God I'll-"
"My, my. Do calm down. We all have our demons, do we not? And luckily for you, my brother is oblivious to most things."
Ichigo watched with wide eyes as a smirk pulled at the other man's lips, a thin arm reaching into a back pocket and pulling out a wallet. From a cut in the lining, Szayel pulled a small baggie, filled with white powder.
"Looks like you need a hand, no? I am willing to donate to your cause."
"O-oy, Grantz-"
"Szayel, please."
"Szayel… Are you trying to tell me…"
The man wasn't paying attention, too busy chopping lines on the back of a book he had pulled from somewhere. He offered Ichigo a rolled note and a smile.
"I'm sure we shall have a stunning friendship, Ichigo."
August 16th 2006, 18:00
Ichigo was scared.
Oh no, nothing bad had happened, per se. He had been working, as he did every Saturday. The day had gone well, he hadn't made any mistakes. He'd even made quite a few tips. There was just one thing, one tiny little thing, that had fucked him over.
Grimmjow was supervising.
It's not like such a thing was a rare occurrence. Neliel had explained to him that she rarely worked weekends - that was her 'baby brother's job, apparently - she had simply filled in for Grimmjow whilst he had been away. The man was also very good at what he did - he was loud and arrogant but he commanded respect - or so Ichigo had learnt from the few shifts he had worked with him. That wasn't the problem.
The problem was the thoughts that Ichigo hadn't been able to unthink. It had been fine before, when he had worked with Neliel and rarely anyone else. When no one else spoke to him. But, Grimmjow - he would start conversations with him, ask him to do extra jobs, ask him if he was over his man-flu yet. Ichigo wasn't sure whether he liked this new attention.
The orange-haired man was currently sat in the office, spinning back and forth in a wheeled chair. Grimmjow sat just a short distance from him, doing the end-of-day banking. No matter how hard Ichigo tried, he couldn't help but sneak quick glances at the other man when he wasn't looking.
Grimmjow's large hands expertly flicking through notes.
Grimmjow frowning at the numbers.
Grimmjow licking his lips.
"Ichigo."
The young man started before turning to face him. The older man smirked.
"Could you stick this in the safe for me?"
Ichigo of course complied, nodding briefly before reaching his hand out to take the envelope of cash. He could have sworn, as the older man placed the wad in his palm, that Grimmjow's fingers lingered, just slightly, before pulling away. Ichigo's brow furrowed and he glared at the man, but he wasn't paying attention, his eyes back on the books.
Of course he wasn't - this was all Ichigo's imagination.
Why had this had to happen? Work was supposed to be a distraction. Now, Grimmjow was distracting him from his distraction. He had taken up all of Ichigo's attention, and the younger man hated it. He didn't want to feel this way. He didn't want to keep looking at the man from the corner of his eye, stuttering when he talked to him, blushing like a virgin every time the man addressed him. He didn't want his heart rate to quicken whenever the man stood close to him. He didn't want his palms to sweat, his hands to tremble, as he slotted the envelope into the safe.
He didn't want Grimmjow.
Ichigo couldn't deny that he was attracted. He just didn't know where this attraction had come from. He'd had relationships with girls, slept with girls, hell he'd even his told his last girlfriend that he loved her. Although, now that he thought about it, he had said that more to pacify her than anything else. They had broken up shortly afterwards, after Ichigo had simply lost interest. It was nothing to do with him.
Even if he could admit that he wanted Grimmjow, nothing could ever happen. It's not that the older man was straight - that, strangely enough, wasn't the issue. More like he was taken. And quite a lot older. And not interested in Ichigo at all. Ichigo wanted to pull at his hair. Why was he even thinking about this?
His cheeks flushed as he thought back to the previous night. He had woken up sweating and hard, the flickering images of an intense dream still in his sight. He had stroked himself furiously as he had recollected his not-quite-forgotten fantasy.
The stock room. Large hands, strong arms. Clothes flying. Flesh on flesh on flesh. Danger. Blue hair, blue eyes. Sharp teeth, white teeth. White light. Consciousness.
Guilt.
"D'you want a lift home?"
"Nah. I'm meeting someone."
"Girlfriend?"
"No."
Ichigo frowned at the floor. He could feel Grimmjow's eyes on him, but he couldn't meet his gaze. They were stood outside now, Ichigo waiting for Grimmjow to leave so he could take his usual seat on the bench. Wait for the call. The older man wasn't leaving, though.
"Boyfriend?"
Wide amber eyes. A slight shake of the hand. Sleeve against nostrils.
"No."
"Hmm. Well, I'll see ya later Ichigo. Thanks for today."
November 1st 2006, 23:00
Ah, fuck.
Why did Ichigo keep finding himself in such awkward situations?
He was currently sat in the middle of one of Karakura's best restaurants at a table full of people - only two of which had ever talked to him. Neliel had forced Ichigo to come out with the Arrancar staff, as he had never done so before. Ichigo probably wouldn't have minded so much, had it not been for the occasion.
Luppi's leaving meal.
The man in question was - thank the Lord - sat quite a way from Ichigo. He was in the corner, ignoring everyone and everything, bar the bottle of wine he was currently emptying into his glass. His eyes were glazed, hand clumsy as he tilted the glass to stained lips. Neliel, who had insisted she sat next to Ichigo, aimed a forceful kick under the table. Her victim quickly growled in his throat, pushing himself out of his seat, piercing blue glare settling on his attacker.
"Fine. I'll fuckin' deal with it, shall I? Che."
Ichigo watched as Grimmjow stomped towards Luppi, his hands in his pockets. He looked thoroughly disinterested. The other staff quieted, watching. A loud slap could be heard as Grimmjow reached out for the smaller man.
"DON'T. Fuckin'. Touch me!"
"Fuckin' stop the dramatics, will ya Lu? C'mon, I'm takin' ya home."
"Don't call me that."
Ichigo was shocked to see a silent tear falling down the effeminate man's face as he rose from his chair, an air of defeat surrounding him. He grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He pushed past Grimmjow, his voice quiet.
"Don't call me that any more."
Grimmjow stood, rooted to the spot, as the other man left the restaurant. The table was now silent. Neliel turned to Ichigo with an exasperated 'oh my…' before loudly declaring to the table that the next round was on her. Various other employees cheered. When she turned back to talk to Ichigo, he was gone.
"You were in there a long time."
Ichigo jumped at the sound of the older man's voice. He had returned from the bathroom to find the table mostly empty - apparently everyone else had left with Nel for the bar. Grimmjow took his seat opposite Ichigo, a small smirk on his lips but a shadow in his eyes.
"Got the shits?"
Ichigo deadpanned. This man really was oblivious.
Ah, well. At least it's working in my favour.
It meant that the older man did not suspect his activities, nor his emotions.
It was at that moment that Neliel decided to resurface, banging down a beer in front of Ichigo. Her arm wound its way around his shoulders, and she rested her head on him heavily.
"Drink up, Ichi-chan!"
Ichigo tried to pry the woman off him without much avail. So he settled for thanking the woman, taking a sip from the cold pint and trying not to spill it as she began to nuzzle against him. She jumped, her head shooting up, as a large hand banged down on the table.
"Oi, Nel! You pissed already? The kid's underage!"
Ichigo shot a deadly glare in Grimmjow's direction, silently pleased when Neliel returned to her seat, her arm releasing him in favour of grasping her drink.
"I'm not a child, you know. I'm seventeen."
"Seventeen is still three years too early to be drinking."
"So when did you start drinking, old man?"
Grimmjow growled in his throat, and for some reason Ichigo found himself returning the action. This guy was starting to piss him off. It was just a beer, for fucks sake. Alcohol, a legal substance deemed relatively harmless. What gave Grimmjow the right to say anything about it, when he couldn't even spot the basic signs of-
"Ha! You're hilarious to wind up, kid."
What.
It had all been a joke. Ichigo should have known that, and yet he had got so angry. He just felt so on edge, especially around this man. Especially since… Since what? Since they'd started talking? Since Grimmjow had taken Ichigo's number, started texting him? Since they had become friends? Since all of these things had happened, none of which quelling the strange feelings Ichigo was struggling to come to terms with?
"I'm going for a cigarette."
Ichigo, for once, had agreed to a ride home. After all, he'd made a call earlier in the day. It should have been enough. It hadn't lasted, though. Ichigo blamed the stress of the night. That, however, didn't change the fact that his hands were shaking, his palms sweating, his heart beating an uneven rhythm beneath his ribs. He didn't know whether that was to blame, though. As far as he knew, it could be because of the man that currently sat in the driver's seat of the dark blue Audi.
Grimmjow, Ichigo had discovered, looked beautiful when driving. His brows furrowed in concentration, his hands gripped the wheel lazily, his tongue dancing across his lips more often. They were talking, Grimmjow's gruff voice explaining amusedly his drunken antics as a teenager, and Ichigo was grateful to have an excuse to look at him. He could look, right? There was no harm in looking. Nothing would happen. This was just a one-sided crush.
Grimmjow pulled up outside Ichigo's family home, the younger man gratefully noting that all of the lights were out. Grimmjow was laughing as he pulled the hand-brake and turned to the younger man. Ichigo was slumped in his seat, his head tilted to face the other against the headrest. He released the seat belt and stretched, absently sniffing before facing the man again.
"Thanks for the lift, Grimmjow."
The older man looked confused, and Ichigo unknowingly mirrored the expression, slumping back in his seat. He was comfortable here, and didn't especially want to return to his family home, but knew it had to be done. Brows furrowed, he tried to catch Grimmjow's eyes, but they weren't focusing back. What was he looking at? Was something wrong?
Blue eyes flickered up to his. Back down, up again. The older man licked his lips and Ichigo couldn't help but stare at the action. Why was it so intriguing? Ichigo was pretty sure that anyone who licked their lips as much as this man must have terribly dry skin. Yet still, that tongue peeked out, ran along those plump plains, retreated again. Ichigo found himself shifting closer to the man. His heart picked up its pace.
Grimmjow leaned forward slightly, his hand moving to the edge of the passenger seat. Ichigo could smell his aftershave, the mint on his breath. Found his heart in his throat as amber eyes raised to meet blue, only then realising how long he had been staring at the older man's mouth. Where had this tension come from? It felt so heavy, pushing down on him, crushing his insides. He couldn't move.
He didn't have to. Grimmjow was leaning, edging slowly closer, and Ichigo found himself wanting him closer still. His scent was intoxicating, his eyes full despite his still-confused expression. Ichigo took a deep, silent breath. Pushed himself forwards - a hand on the driver's seat, another grappling at the edge of his own.
Close the distance. I can't go any further.
Not on my own.
The two men sat nose-to-nose for what felt like an eternity. Hot breath fanning against lips, hands gripping seats. Ichigo's heart was thundering so loudly, he found it a wonder the other man couldn't hear it. Grimmjow licked his lips, and Ichigo almost whimpered. This felt so wrong. Why did he want this? Grimmjow was a man. Ichigo had never kissed a man. He wondered if this was really happening - or would Grimmjow pull away at any moment, act like nothing had happened?
Hot lips met his own. Ichigo, once his shock had subsided, discovered that they were not in fact dry, as he had imagined. They were strangely soft, softer than his last girlfriend's, completely condescending the man's rough exterior. Ichigo felt as though he had suddenly found his strength as he pushed up and forwards, his hand moving from the seat to a muscular thigh. Grimmjow growled, swiping that tongue against Ichigo's lips, and the young man fleetingly wondered if that's why he did it so much.
It felt so good.
Lips parted and Ichigo found himself overpowered as the older man brought an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. Calloused fingers scratched against the fabric of Ichigo's dress shirt, making him shiver. He clawed at the thigh under his grasp. Everything was filled with an incredible heat - Ichigo had never felt anything like it. If this was what kissing a man felt like, he would do it more often.
Preferably with Grimmjow.
Blunt teeth grazed Ichigo's bottom lip as Grimmjow slowly pulled away. Both men's breathing was laboured as they searched each other's faces. Ichigo felt like he should be panicking. He had never done that before. Grimmjow was a lot older. He was his supervisor. Ichigo had only just started to come to terms with the fact that he had feelings other than friendship towards the man - what would happen now? Did Grimmjow like Ichigo like that?
Grimmjow scanned Ichigo's face, trying to meet his eyes. The younger man's teeth worried at his lips before his tongue swept along them, trying to catch the last taste of the other's mouth. Grimmjow couldn't help himself. He grasped the younger man's chin and leaned in again. There was no urgency in this kiss, no rush, less uncertainty. A slow tempo gracefully falling to a stop. Grimmjow ran his thumb along Ichigo's cheekbone, his eyes narrowing slightly before he pulled away from the younger man.
"S'late." He whispered, breaking the silence. He cleared his throat, his voice gaining a little volume, his lips quirking as he spoke again. "Past your bedtime, eh kid?"
Ichigo frowned, but his lips pulled up into a smile, regardless. So this was how the man worked. Ichigo could cope with that - it certainly made things less awkward. He nodded in response, not noticing the quick flicker of worry that passed the older man's face. He straightened his shirt and sniffed, reaching for the door handle.
"I'll text ya, Ichigo."
With his back turned to the man, Ichigo allowed himself to smile a little wider. He turned around briefly as he opened the door.
"See you later, Grimmjow."
January 1st 2007
00:05 - Oi, you still awake?
00:07 - Yeah sorry, I was having a smoke. What did you mean?
00:10 - What d'ya think I meant? I said I'll come get ya.
00:11 - Now?
00:13 - Problem?
Twenty minutes later, Ichigo found himself creeping down the stairs, more paranoid than he had ever been. Sure, he'd sneaked out of the house before. He'd just never sneaked out of the house to stay at another man's house.
Oh my God.
Yes, that was the reality setting in. Grimmjow had come to pick Ichigo up. To take him back to his place. It's not like this was the first time Ichigo would be visiting there - they had been seeing each other for a little over a month - they had even done stuff there… But this was, like, staying over. Ichigo was nervous, yes, hideously so in fact - but he was also excited. Both of these things worried him.
He softly opened the door, quickly leaving and locking it as quietly as he could behind him. Breathing a sigh of relief when he had done so, he walked towards the purring car parked on the pavement. He swung the door open, chucking the small overnight bag he had onto the floor and quickly sitting down afterwards, pulling the seat-belt over and clicking it into position. It was then that he finally dared to look at Grimmjow.
The older man had both hands on the steering wheel, his head tilted towards Ichigo, a smirk eating his face. Ichigo's lips tilted up of their own accord and the older man put the car into gear.
"Got everything?"
This was unlike anything Ichigo had ever experienced.
He was currently lying spread-eagle in the middle of Grimmjow's bed, clothes scattered about the floor, his breathing heavy as he tried to get used to the foreign feeling. He had been reluctant at first, but the older man was extremely persuasive when it came to such situations, and so… He had ended up here.
"Nnn!"
Long, thin fingers tangled in damp blue locks. An amber eye cracked slowly open, unable to refrain from watching what was happening. Ichigo gasped as he saw deep blue eyes staring back up at him. Had he been watching the entire time? Ichigo let out a small whine as Grimmjow picked up his pace, fingers tightening in his hair.
It had started around an hour ago, when the two had arrived at the house, quietly passing through the door and making their way up the stairs. Grimmjow still lived at home, Ichigo had discovered the first time he visited - apparently a supervisor position at Arrancar was not nearly enough to get you your own place.
Grimmjow had led Ichigo to his room. As soon as the young man had passed through the door, he found himself slammed back against it. Grimmjow's mouth was heavy on his, large hands already tracing along his ribs, making quick work of removing his shirt. Within minutes the two had been naked, entangled, laying on their sides on the pillowy bed.
This was nothing new to Ichigo. Although still rather tentative about his feelings towards the older man, he had been rather quick to adapt to the physical aspect of things. Grimmjow was good, more than good, and Ichigo had quickly learnt that the man held a certain power over him.
Like when he had rolled Ichigo onto his back, his hand working a teasing rhythm on his cock, deep voice growling in his ear.
"You want this to feel even better, Ichigo?"
Ichigo nodded, panting, grasping at the short strands at Grimmjow's nape, pulling him in for another heated kiss. When they parted for breath, Grimmjow reached for his bedside table, pulling a small bottle from the top drawer. Ichigo eyed it warily, now knowing what Grimmjow had meant.
Ichigo wasn't stupid, he knew how men had sex. He had also accepted quite quickly that he would not be taking the dominant role in this… Relationship of sorts. But was he ready for this? He watched as Grimmjow leant back, his eyes scraping hungrily over Ichigo's naked form. The large hands that he had become quite obsessed over were roaming his body, leaving trails of heat wherever they went. They ventured lower - across hips, up thighs, up to the rounded flesh of Ichigo's cheeks - pausing between them. Grimmjow licked his lips.
"Can I?"
His voice was rough, gravelly, and it did nothing but turn Ichigo on further. He swept his eyes across the figure above him. Grimmjow's eyes looked as though they saw nothing but him. Slight perspiration could be seen across his brow, his large chest heaving, although his breathing sounded relatively controlled. His arousal stood heavy and proud, and Ichigo found himself wanting to touch the older man.
So he did.
He reached out, curling his hand around the base, watching Grimmjow's face as he slowly slid his hand upwards, twisting around the head, back down. Grimmjow grunted softly in his throat, his eyebrows furrowing, still watching the younger man. He began to move his hands away from Ichigo's ass, but was stopped by the Ichigo's other hand. The younger man licked his drying lips.
"You can."
Grimmjow's face broke out into a feral grin. He swooped down to plant a kiss on the Ichigo's forehead, before popping open the small bottle and coating his fingers. His clean hand swept down Ichigo's stomach, slapping his thigh playfully.
"This'll probably be easier fer you if you turn over."
Grimmjow whispered into the younger man's ear, before nipping at his earlobe. He rose up, pulling away, allowing Ichigo space to move, taking in the sight of the young man rising up on his hands and knees, his head dropping to the pillows. Grimmjow rested atop of Ichigo as he leant over to whisper to him once again.
"If you wanna stop, you say the word."
Ichigo nodded against the pillows. Having Grimmjow on top of him like this felt good, too good, and Ichigo began to feel more excited than nervous. He wondered what it would feel like to have Grimmjow inside him, and his thighs began to shake as he realised that he might not have to wonder much longer. His breath hitched in his throat as Grimmjow grazed his hands down his back, one of them parting his cheeks and the other seeking his entrance.
Ichigo whimpered quietly as he felt a cool, wet fingertip circling, pushing into him slowly. It didn't hurt, he was relieved to realise. It did feel rather weird, though. Was this all it was? Grimmjow's left hand stopped massaging his cheek, slipping over his hip and down to his erection, where he started a slowly increasing pace. Hearing no protest from the younger man, Grimmjow added a second finger. Ichigo hissed as he tried to adjust to the strange sensation, squirming beneath the larger man. It was then that Grimmjow began searching, and it wasn't too long before Ichigo let out a harsh groan, pushing back on the fingers intruding him.
Whatever had just happened, it had felt fucking awesome.
Grimmjow added another finger without hesitation, and Ichigo did nothing but moan back. He felt so hot, so full, he didn't want this to stop, it wasn't enough. He knew only that Grimmjow had not been lying when he said he could make things feel better. This felt better than any high... He could only hope that it didn't end with a comedown.
Grimmjow blew out a heavy breath at the sight and feel of Ichigo beneath him. He pulled his fingers out slowly, reaching for the lube again. This was it, Ichigo realised. No going back, now. Grimmjow positioned himself at Ichigo's entrance.
"You ready?"
Ichigo could no longer speak. He groaned in response, pushing back against Grimmjow. This was it. He had come this far, and he found himself only wanting to go further. He gasped as he was stretched even further by Grimmjow's considerable length, slowly easing into him. Grimmjow only stopped when he was fully seated, his hands gripping Ichigo's hips almost painfully, his breathing harsh.
Grimmjow moved forwards, laying his stomach against Ichigo's back, his large hands moving to cover Ichigo's. His fingers linked over and through the smaller ones beneath them, squeezing slightly. Grimmjow kissed behind Ichigo's ear as he tried to calm himself.
"All good?"
Ichigo nodded, and Grimmjow began moving. His thrusts were slow but deep - tender, even - something Ichigo would never have expected from the older man. Grimmjow began kissing Ichigo's spine, ears, neck. The younger man groaned as he felt blunt teeth sink into his flesh, a hot hand wrapping its way around him, slowly torturing him.
"Nn, Grimm-jow…"
At the sound of the young man's voice Grimmjow increased his pace, changed his angle. His thrusts became harder, faster, the hand on Ichigo's cock quickening. Ichigo cried out, his head flying back when Grimmjow struck his prostate. The room was filled with sounds of passion - moans, pants, the wet slapping sounds that could only be considered arousing in such a situation - as both men raced to their finish.
Ichigo cried out, stiffening as he came harder than he could ever remember doing. Grimmjow followed soon after, his teeth biting into Ichigo's neck harshly, a muffled moan barely escaping his lips. The two collapsed, forming a mess of limbs as they held onto another. Grimmjow planted a kiss on Ichigo's temple and the younger man whined in response, pushing his lips up for the attention they craved from the other.
They kissed languidly, tongues dancing a slow waltz neither wished to end. Grimmjow stroked Ichigo's cheek as he left his mouth, his eyes searching the other's. A smirk formed on those perfect lips as they formed words that the other could not hear, having already fallen into the depths of sleep.
"Happy New Year, Ichigo."