Unexpected Baggage- 6
Grimmjow and Ichigo spent the remainder of the night exploring each other. The blue haired man thought wearily that it had been a good idea to use the bed instead of the couch. A couple of times, it had turned into an outright wrestling match to see who would be on top. Technically that was always Grimmjow since he'd spent the whole night thrusting himself into the eager and responsive redhead. But the winner got to be the one perched above the other like the bedroom equivalent of King of the Mountain. He nearly laughed and then groaned slightly. He couldn't remember ever being this totally sated. His muscles were lax and watery like he'd run a fifty mile marathon.
Turning his head slightly, he looked over at Ichigo who was sprawled on his stomach with his face turned away from him. The dim light shone over the curves of his back that were still glistening with traces of sweat. It wasn't that he was trying to distance himself by turning away. That's just where he happened to pass out after their final climax. Grimmjow didn't have much more energy and had barely managed to roll off him onto his back. Holy shit, that had been good. And the kid had stamina, meeting him every step of the way until the very end. He had some good moves too. A smirk tugged at his lips. And he fought dirty on occasion. Not so much that it was insulting or bad form. But it was just enough to surprise him.
He wondered idly what he'd be like in a fight with all that fire. Once they'd resumed their activities, all the hesitation and moodiness had faded away to leave only focused determination. And a bit of playfulness. Grimmjow grinned as he rolled onto his side and pulled Ichigo back against him. He spooned up behind him and pulled up the blankets that had been kicked aside earlier. Ichigo burrowed into the pillow as Grimmjow's lips brushed his neck. Sated or not, he was still wanting him. But not right now. Sleep was stubbornly pulling at him and if he didn't give in, it would just drag him down anyway. Closing his eyes, he sighed contentedly.
When he woke much later, he found Ichigo had turned in his sleep and was snuggled up against him. He smiled even as the midmorning sun shone around the window shade right into his eyes. He stretched a little and the redhead shifted slightly, yawning as he blinked up at him. There was a moment of confusion in his gaze before it faded into a sleepy happiness. As if he'd forgotten where he was before remembering. Grimmjow was mildly worried they'd have 'morning after' issues, but he didn't feel awkward for once. With the exception of that first moment after waking, Ichigo didn't seem to feel uncomfortable either which was a relief. In fact, he pulled himself up to give Grimmjow a deep kiss. Then he grinned and got out of bed.
There was a moment when Grimmjow considered hanging on to him and dealing with the building tingle the contact had caused. But as Ichigo gathered up the shirt and shorts, he shot him a mock glare. "I'm not sure whether I should be insulted or take it as a compliment that last night wasn't enough for you." Implying that they'd do it again.
"Compliment definitely. But don't worry, even I need a break." Grimmjow let his smile turn into a leer. "I think I set a personal record last night." He watched Ichigo roll his eyes before smiled and let out a chuckle. Padding out into the main room, he headed out of sight. Grimmjow heard a door shut and then the pipes banging as the water started to run. He didn't feel left out after not being invited to join him. Truth be told, he really did need at least a mild breather before they went at it again. Getting up and pulling on his last night's rumpled jeans again, he went down to put Ichigo's clothes in the wash. They'd need to go out and get him something to wear today if he was going to stay. As much as Grimmjow loved seeing him in his clothes, that would only work around the apartment.
He frowned as he shut the lid and turned the knob. Now that his brain wasn't being blasted by the demands of other parts of his anatomy, he had some thinking to do. They both did really. There were still things that they needed to talk about and some decisions they needed to make. Grimmjow leaned back against the washer and sighed as he felt the thrum of the basin filling. That sounded so responsible and 'grown up' for lack of a better word. A term he wasn't used to associating with himself. He frowned as his stomach gurgled. But first things first.
Upstairs, Ichigo was at the counter pouring a glass of milk, a piece of leftover pizza dangling from his teeth. When he saw Grimmjow, he held up the glass and raised a brow. The other man shook his head and went to grab some clothes before heading into the shower. When he came out, there was a plate and a glass waiting for him anyway. Hmmm. How domestic. But it was kind of nice. He brought them over to the table where Ichigo was already finishing.
"I need to go out and get some things today." Grimmjow grunted an affirmative around a mouthful of bread and cheese. Ichigo frowned for a moment as if a thought just occurred to him. "I've got a couple places I want to go but I, uh, don't know exactly where we are at the moment." Grimmjow blinked. That's right. He hadn't been out of the building since he'd been pulled out of the car. He'd made the attempt several times but never actually made it to the door. Grimmjow gave him the address and he nodded.
"There's a subway station ten blocks away. We can go after your clothes are dry."
"What, we don't get to ride in your fabulous car?"
"Sorry to disappoint you." Grimmjow smirked ruefully. "Aside from the fact that I wouldn't be caught dead driving it, the damn thing doesn't even have an engine under the hood." That had been part of the 'gift.' Only way he'd ever get it out the garage was to have it towed. He shot Ichigo a suggestive look. "But if you really want me to drive, we could take my bike."
"Yeah, wrapping my arms around you from behind with a giant piece of vibrating machinery between my legs? I don't think so. I'd like to arrive without pitching a tent in my jeans. Thanks, but I'll pass for now." Grimmjow swallowed hard at the image and shifted in his seat. There was a glint in Ichigo's eyes and he made a face at him before grinning himself.
"Another time then." He saw Ichigo's lips curl up slightly. Yeah, another time. When he took his dishes to the sink, he heard a sigh behind him.
"You don't have to come with me."
"It's not a problem. I've got a couple places to stop too." And there's no way I'm letting you go by yourself. Not right now anyway. Ichigo came over to stand next to him.
"Look, they're going to be searching for me. It could be dangerous." Ichigo blinked when Grimmjow turned and gave him a dry look.
"You think I can't handle it? I used to be hip deep in the kind of shit you're talking about. I'll manage."
"I don't want you to get involved."
"I already am. I'm sure they noticed he came back empty handed. And I wasn't exactly subtle when I was handing him his ass." At the time, he didn't think he needed to be. It was careless and stupid, but the guy had looked small time. He hadn't been worried about repercussions. Ichigo opened his mouth to argue but stopped when Grimmjow put his hands on his shoulders and squeezed. "Don't start a fight you know you're not going to win." That earned him a frown. He rubbed his thumbs against the fabric of his shirt in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. "I meant it when I said they're not going to mess with you again. You don't have to do this by yourself."
There was something in Ichigo's expression he couldn't quite identify. But before he could figure it out, they both jumped as the buzzer on the washer sounded from downstairs. Ichigo reached up to grip his wrist. He squeezed gently and nodded his head before slipping free and heading down to put his stuff in the dryer. Grimmjow clenched his teeth in mild frustration, wincing as he forgot about the bruise. It was still a little sore. He'd seen the purplish tinge along his jaw in the bathroom mirror. It wasn't bad and nobody would really notice unless they were looking.
Shaking his head, he went to strip off the sheets so they could be washed too. He didn't really know why he felt the need to go with Ichigo. Truthfully, he didn't need to stop anywhere. But there were a couple places they could go since they were going out anyway. He frowned as a thought occurred to him. Maybe he'd ask around about Takuma's new client. That whole thing still didn't sit very well with him. He could ask the guy himself, but he had a feeling he wouldn't answer. Shrugging, he took the armful of fabric downstairs. The lingering scent of the night they'd spent together tickled his nose and brought some choice memories to the surface. Now that was something he didn't mind being reminded of.
Ichigo was on a rolling stool by the car and was busy pulling out the speakers when he came down. He tapped his toes on the floor as he looked back and forth between it and the manual that lay open on the driver's seat. "These didn't come with the car, did they?" He asked without looking up as he finally pulled the unit free.
"Nah, something like that is special order. I heard it coming long before I saw it. I'm surprised you don't have any hearing loss." He inwardly winced, not wanting to remind the younger man of the time he'd spent in the vehicle. But when he looked over, Ichigo had an amused expression on his face. It was okay then. They wouldn't have to dance around the subject if he could laugh about it.
"It wouldn't have been so bad if the music hadn't sucked so much. Why is it that the ones who feel the need to jack up the volume always listen to garbage?" It was good to know he hadn't been traumatized by the event. And Grimmjow completely agreed with his assessment of the music. That would have been a torture in itself. After he finished loading the wash, he came to peer over his shoulder.
"You can put the speakers over there." He indicated one of the benches and Ichigo nodded. It was good to know he could hit the ground running even if he'd stumbled at bit at first. That core of steel Grimmjow had seen earlier was there again and seemingly stronger than before. If Ichigo could deal with it, so could he. It seemed he wouldn't have to shove the car out into traffic after all. Not that it wouldn't have been satisfying on a certain level. He went over to his laptop to see if he'd received any answers to the messages he'd sent the day before.
About forty minutes later, Ichigo was dressed and ready to go. Grimmjow mused that they'd need to stop at the grocery store if nothing else. His pantry wasn't exactly stocked at the moment. Takeout and delivery could only offer so much. After a quick stop at a clothing store, they headed to a small dusty shop that was tucked away in the corner of a nondescript building. Ichigo had been leading the way saying that he needed a new computer. One that didn't come from a chain store. Grimmjow was surprised when he recognized their destination. He eyed Ichigo with a raised brow but didn't say anything.
When they opened the door, a small bell tinkled to herald their arrival. The slim blonde man behind the counter was playing a handheld video game. He glanced at them in the doorway out of the corner of his eye and looked away before nearly doing a double take. Dropping the game into his lap, he watched them with a look of mild disbelief on his face.
"Of all the people I know, you two are the most irritable bastards I've met." Grimmjow and Ichigo shot each other a bewildered look before turning back to the blonde man. "And now you're coming into my store together." He looked up to the ceiling imploringly. "What did I do to deserve this?"
"Get a grip Grantz. I'm not here for anything." Grimmjow would have crossed his arms if he hadn't been holding bags from the other store they'd been to.
"So you're just the pack animal for your little outing then." Ilfort grinned when Grimmjow growled at him and changed the subject.
"I see you still have the fur ball. Damn. Just when I thought you'd folded so I could get rid of that avocado monster that's still haunting my garage."
"A deal's a deal. You keep the car as a token of our friendship. Which is on my utter sufferance by the way. And fluffy here doesn't get to experience the hospitality of the humane society first hand." The large white cat that was curled up on the counter looked at the new arrivals with mild interest before leaping down and coming over to sniff at Grimmjow's jeans. He looked down and curled his lip but it was more for form than anything else.
He and Ilfort had irritated and cajoled each other since the beginning when they were kids. Their current game was no different. Grimmjow knew Ilfort would keep the cat because he'd no doubt become attached to it. And Ilfort knew Grimmjow would keep the car because despite his outer revulsion, he knew it amused him just as much. The cat had wandered into the garage one day and decided to stick around. Grimmjow would have kept the it himself except that it hated the sounds of the tools in the garage. It would howl endlessly until he stopped which had put quite a crimp on his business for a while. Said feline suddenly looked up at him and yawned, showing all the pointy little teeth in its petite maw. Then it promptly rolled back on its tail and started to wash its ass.
"Aww, she remembers you. Isn't that sweet?" There was another mewl from further into the shop and two more smaller white cats came padding out. Grimmjow raised a brow and Ilfort gave him a dry look. "You know, she's just the gift that kept on giving. Until figured out why and had her fixed. Did you know that she was pregnant when you foisted her on me, or was that just an added bonus?" He frowned when Grimmjow let out a short laugh. "I wouldn't laugh if I were you. I special order these just to make up for it. I'd make you put them on your bike if there was a place." He picked up a box and shoved it across the counter before taking off the top. Ichigo went over and eyed the contents and looked like he was trying not to laugh.
"Wow, I didn't know they came in that color." He held up the biggest set of fuzzy dice Grimmjow had ever seen. They were tacky as hell. Ichigo chortled as he swung them back and forth. "What do you know, they match." Grimmjow suppressed a groan and glared at him.
"You needed something here right? Or are you just trying to irritate the hell out of me?"
"Honestly, it's not hard to do sometimes." Ichigo dropped the dice back into the box and turned to the man behind the counter. "I need to use one of your clean units." He pulled a list out of his pocket. "And I need the parts to build one and a grounded station to put it together." Ilfort took the piece of paper and scanned it briefly, his demeanor suddenly all business.
"Yeah, I've got everything but the last one. I can have it here tomorrow if you really want it." Ichigo leaned in to see which item he meant before shaking his head.
"Nah, I just scribbled this down off the top of my head. I won't need it."
"You can use the one in the back while I get this stuff together." Ichigo turned back to look at Grimmjow for a moment as if to make sure he was still there. Then he went through the far door with the large white cat following him. Ilfort flicked his gaze from Ichigo to Grimmjow before raising a brow.
"So, how'd you two meet?"
"None of your damned business. You always were too nosy for your own good." The blonde man raised his hands in surrender.
"Sorry, I just thought you were done with all of that." Grimmjow narrowed his eyes as he came over and set the bags down. Leaning forward and resting his arms on the counter, he fixed Ilfort with a hard stare.
"All of what?"
"Look, if you don't know what Ichigo's into, I shouldn't be the one to tell you." Grimmjow relaxed slightly. So it wasn't something new he had to worry about. He sighed before picking up the pen that was sitting in front of him. He clicked it absently.
"I know. We've talked about it." The blonde considered it for a moment.
"Now that I think about it, you guys fit pretty well." He shrugged when Grimmjow shot him a look. "It's not hard to see. You're both fixated on each other. I can see it just looking at you." He got up from his chair and started poking through the shelves that lined the room. "I wouldn't worry about it though. Other people probably won't notice. It's just because I know both of you pretty well." Ilfort and Grimmjow had grown up together. He wasn't sure how he knew Ichigo.
"How did you meet him?" Ilfort turned at the suspicion in his tone.
"Not like that. I honestly didn't know he liked men." He glanced at the door Ichigo had gone through and smiled quietly. "I might have made an offer if I did." He picked out a couple of items that were enveloped in pink bubble wrap. "No, he and I met at the University."
"You went to school?" There was a derisive snort in reply to Grimmjow's question.
"Hardly. Just patrolling for some possible contacts. Lots of good ones on campus if you know where to look. He's honestly one of the best I've ever seen. And careful too. I almost couldn't find him at first." Strange, Ichigo didn't strike Grimmjow as a computer geek. Ilfort had always been a genius when it came to electronics. He could make them do anything. Grimmjow on the other hand didn't have much interest in them. It made picking cars pretty difficult sometimes. Damn automakers kept putting in more and more circuitry and computer tech in their vehicles. Grimmjow didn't want to bother with the extra effort so he usually chose older models or at least the ones that he knew didn't have as much. His attention snapped back to the present as the other man turned and gave him an serious look.
"There were a couple of guys asking about you yesterday. Wanted to know when I'd last seen you."
"Really." The tone was a little dangerous but Grimmjow wasn't angry. He trusted Ilfort to keep his mouth shut. Mostly anyway.
"Don't worry. As far as they know, you're a complete bastard that I haven't seen in nearly six months." He grinned. "I didn't even have to lie." Grimmjow snorted but was satisfied with his answer. "Seriously though. I'd be careful. I didn't recognize any of them but that doesn't mean they didn't work for him."
"I know. I'll deal with it if it comes to that. Until then, I'm just a lousy, absent bastard. We'll leave it there." Grimmjow brushed off the other man's concern. But it was a little unnerving to here the worry in his voice.
"I know. Just be careful. I might not be able to patch up what's left the next time." Ilfort gave Grimmjow's tattoo a poignant look before turning back to the shelves.