There wasn't really a definitive winner this time, but I took 'More of this plz' as the request ^^; I also have to say I miscounted this fic's updates. I thought I had another chapter, but I had put in Chapter 9 instead of Chapter 8... so you guys get only 7 ;p I'll definitely have more for next time, though! I almost have it finished as far as I can tell =D The pool is down to 2 now! You get to choose between Hunter and Lust! Have at it ;p Once more I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews and assure you I really appreciate them all! You guys are great and I read each and every review as they come to me... on my phone ;p I think this is a lot easier and faster than answering each one seperately... that can take me up to 3 hours a day ^^;

Shiro: Man... that's a long time. )8

Vae: I know! I'd spend all that time on reviews and then only an hour or so on my novel T^T

Ichi: I'm sure they won't mind you answering them here. *pats Vae on back*

Shiro: I would! I feel more special wit a personal thank ya.

Ichi: *kicks Shiro in face* Don't listen to him, he's just being an ass.

Vae: I feel bad, though! ToT

Chapter 7

Ichigo's been locked in lessons with Shiro for the past three days, rarely getting a break to play with Grimmjow. He's learning quickly, however, much more so than Grimmjow. Changing forms comes more naturally to him thanks to his time spent between Shinigami and human, not to mention Shiro's own expertise in the department. Though the ability was sealed off because of his own stress, Ichigo finds the shape shifting rather liberating.

"This is so cool," he comments. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this before?"

"Uh… 'cause ya always yelled at me and tried ta shut me up the hard way."

"Are we almost done with the lessons?"

"We're done. Ya learned fast, aibou, I'm really proud a ya," Shiro grins. "Let's go get somethin' ta eat, 'kay?"

He nods his agreement, exhausted after such a strenuous workout, and follows Shiro to the kitchen. His stomach growls in hunger, the snowy twin laughing in response. When they reach the kitchen, however, they're stopped at the sound of Rukia talking to Grimmjow. Shiro slaps a hand over Ichigo's mouth quickly, pulling him away from the door and against the wall.

"Isn't that great?" Rukia cheers. "I can't wait to tell Ichigo!"

"Yeah, well… hold off on that," Grimmjow murmurs.

"… What do you mean? Aren't you excited? I mean, his ex is in the hospital with amnesia! He doesn't remember a thing about Ichigo! You guys can finally go home."

"It's just… I'm not ready to go home yet."

Ichigo glares in their direction, furious Grimmjow would keep something like this from him. His appetite is gone now, his anger decimating it without thought, and he turns away to storm down the hall toward his bedroom. Shiro is hot on his heels, worry creasing his brow when the door is slammed in his face.

"Ichi, please open the door," he calls.

"No! I want to be alone!"

"I can just get in yer head and show up in the room…"

"I'll beat the shit out of you!"

"Ichi, this ain't real mature of ya."

"Fuck off!"

He sighs and sits down outside the door; pouting at the fact his twin won't let him help. Ichigo, on the other hand, is pacing the room. He doesn't know what to do anymore, everything is just crowding in on him and growing to an overwhelming amount. With his power taking hold, his stress from dealings left behind in the human world, and Grimmjow's inability to compromise… he just wants to scream.

Grimmjow is worried, on a level that transcends anything he's dealt with before. Ichigo had told him he was leaving with or without Grimmjow when this day came, yet the blue haired male didn't think it would be this soon. He didn't even get a chance to think about what he'd do. He loves Ichigo with everything he is, but he's not used to doing as his mate asks. Hueco Mundo is where he belongs, but Ichigo's place is at his side… not in a world he isn't in.

"Problems?"

"Stark! I didn't know you were out here," Grimmjow states in surprise.

"I was with the girls, but… Nelliel was a bit energetic today. I decided this was a better place for a nap," the brunette remarks lazily. "Now… what's the problem?"

"Ichigo's ex has amnesia," the other sighs. "Which means it's okay to go back."

"And?"

"I don't want to go back. I have Ichigo here with my family, in a home I'm familiar with," he points out. "Why should I give that up?"

"Because Ichigo is happy here."

"He'll get used to it."

Stark stands and walks over to his friend, eyeing in a manner that tells the other his answer isn't the right one. He groans, knowing a lecture is likely to be coming. Either that or a comment that'll make him feel like shit.

"Like you got used to the human world?"

Oh yeah, a comment to make him feel like shit. Grimmjow's eyes gaze upon the sands, not willing to meet Stark's eyes. The other knows why, Grimmjow is beginning to see he can't force Ichigo into a world he doesn't feel a part of.

"I don't know what to do," he finally sighs out. "I want to keep him with me, but he doesn't want to stay. I can't leave all of you again; I want my family with me, too."

"We still hunger for souls, Grimmjow," Stark reminds. "It just can't be. You and I both know Ichigo is more important than the rest of us, he's vulnerable without you and we can take care of things here."

"You can't give me an excuse to lock him up here?" Grimmjow whines.

"Absolutely not," Stark frowns. "A temper like his locked up will be far worse on us than Hallibel's when Nnoitra attempted to take away Nell!"

"… Yeah, you're probably right."

"Go talk to him, Grimmjow."

Ichigo is furious, his anger taken out on everything in the room. Within the debris of splintered furniture and tossed objects, the orangette has come to a decision. He yanks the door open, Shiro falling in backward and staring up at him in surprise.

"Open a gateway," he snaps. "I'm going home!"

"Don' ya think ya should wait fer Grimm-kitty?" Shiro wonders from the floor.

"No. He'll just guilt me into staying," Ichigo sighs. "I want to go home, I miss my family. He doesn't want to leave this place."

"Yer sure 'bout this."

"Open the fucking gate!"

Shiro shakes his head, raising his hands and tearing open a Gargantua. Ichigo takes no time at all hurrying through, his twin behind him just in case he needs help. They exit in the park, Ichigo smiling joyously as the sunlight hits his face and the smell of trees mingled with different flower aromas fills his nose. He throws out his arms, twirling within the grass and taking it all in. It pains Shiro to see this, just knowing how much Ichigo gave up for his own safety and Grimmjow's happiness.

"Let's go see Kisuke!" Ichigo states with a smirk. "I feel like bothering someone and I can get away with it when it's him!"

"Are ya sure we shouldn' tell Grimm where yer goin'?"

Ichigo ignores him, running off toward Kisuke shop and leaving Shiro on his own. The snowy twin takes a human form just as Ichigo does, picking up his pace to catch up to his 'little brother' before something bad happens. If anything happens to Ichigo, Grimmjow will have his head.

Grimmjow hurries into his bedroom, searching for his mate eagerly. He's already looked everywhere else, yet his search yielded nothing and he's getting worried. He stops in his tracks at the sight he opens the door to, his breath caught in his lungs as his eyes widen.

"Oh my god," he breaths out. "Ichi was taken!"

"Don' jump the gun," Gin snorts derisively. "He an' Shiro just left a bit ago."

"What! Why?"

"I guess Ichi found out it was safe ta go home," Gin shrugs. "I'll be followin' in a bit, but I wanted ta make sure everyone's 'kay here first."

"Why the hell did Shiro kidnap my mate!"

Gin rolls his eyes, stepping away from Grimmjow just in case he decides to swing. The other is obviously furious, yet Gin can't figure out why. It's not like Ichigo ran off with another mate. He sighs and looks away for just a moment, not wanting to see his friend in such turmoil.

"I'm sorry, Grimm. I didn' know ya weren't 'ware of it," he admits. "Ichi don' normally do shit witout ya knowin'."

"Who told him his ex was taken care of?" Grimmjow murmurs heatedly.

"Shiro said he overheard ya talkin' ta Rukia," the silver haired male shrugs. "Locked himself in his room after that, wouldn' let Shiro in fer a long time."

Grimmjow paces for only a moment, ripping a Gargantua open almost immediately after and storming through. Gin waits a moment, debating whether or not to accompany the other, yet the need to see his mate wins out. He shouts from Grimmjow to wait, rushing after and keeping pace with the blue haired Arrancar.

Kisuke is more than a little surprised to see Ichigo on his doorstep, the orange haired male barging in and sitting at the low table in his tea room. Yorouchi is already there, blinking in stupefaction at the one before her. Last they heard, Ichigo was in Hueco Mundo and waiting for the cost to clear.

"Where's Grimmjow?" the blonde wonders.

"He wanted to keep me in Hueco Mundo," Ichigo frowns sourly. "He wasn't even gonna tell me we could go home, so I left him back there."

"… That's probably not a good idea, Ichigo," Yorouchi states.

"I'm not staying in Hueco Mundo. I told him we would stay until Kai was taken care of… he's been taken care of. I wanted to go home. I'll visit him on the weekends; I'm not worried about it."

The door slams open and Grimmjow marches in, fury written on his face that has Ichigo's determination wilting. Gin scampers after, hurrying to Shiro and making sure to stay out of the way. He says nothing; Grimmjow simply grasping Ichigo's wrist and pulling him back out to the street. The orangette gasps and stumbles after his mate, uncertain whether to say anything or not. Finally, he can't help it.

"Grimmjow, stop," he calls out. "You're hurting me."

"… Sorry," he murmurs as he loosens his hold. "I'm just… What the hell were you thinking?"

"You weren't going to tell me," Ichigo glowers. "You don't care what I want; you're too busy making sure everything goes your way! I thought you were able to compromise, Grimmjow… I can't believe I was wrong."

"I do care what you want, Kitten," he sighs. "I was just going to get you when I found out you left! I thought someone had kidnapped you, I was so worried! You couldn't even leave a fucking note?"

"This isn't because of a note, Grimm," Ichigo snaps. "It's because I did something you didn't want!"

"Ichigo… please," Grimmjow sighs. "Don't do this. I'm trying, okay? I'm really trying. This isn't easy for me, can't you see that? I want what's best for you; I want to keep you safe! I can't do that when you're fighting me every step of the way, you need to talk to me!"

"You're such a fucking hypocrite!" Ichigo hisses. "I need to talk to you? How about you talk to me? You always put everything off until you're ready to talk, but I don't want that! Why can't you deal with problems as they come instead of procrastinating?"

Grimmjow runs a hand through his locks, Ichigo just now noting he's back in his human form. The blue haired man takes his hand loosely, leading him down the sidewalk and toward their home. The walk is quiet, both mulling over their argument. When they finally reach their home, Ichigo realizes something isn't right about it.

"Grimmjow… someone broke into the house!"

"Ah hell," he huffs. "I knew we should've moved."

Ichigo sends Grimmjow the most hostile scowl he gotten since the war, clearly conveying he blames no one but Grimmjow for his bad luck. He hurries up the steps the lead to a wraparound porch, easily pushing open the busted door to his apartment and looking in. Anything of value has been looted, pictures littering the floor in puddles of broken glass, and the furniture is either missing or destroyed. Ichigo can only stare at the warzone that used to be his living room, the orange haired male slowly dropping to his knees.

"I can't believe this," he whispers. "I worked so hard to keep this place nice… I spent so much time and money on it, making it a home and fixing it up. What am I supposed to do now?"

"You'll leave it to me," Grimmjow waves off. "I'm your alpha, I'll deal with it."

"Where are we supposed to stay, Grimmjow?" Ichigo snaps. "This place is completely ruined! I doubt the bed is even inhabitable!"

"I told you I'll handle it, stop freaking out."

"I'm not going back to Hueco Mundo."

Grimmjow sighs and walks through the terrorized living room, moving into the kitchen with a frown at the graffiti littering the walls and countertops. He has to dig for a bit, as people were obviously squatting in the 'abandoned' apartment and left bags of garbage lying around, but soon he locates the phone. Ichigo wanders through the rest of the place as Grimmjow dials the only number he bothered to remember.

"Hey, Kiki? I'm off vacation," he comments. "Unfortunately… I have a bit of a problem. My place is completely trashed and I don't have anywhere to stay, you think you could locate a nice place for my significant other and me?"

Kiki Lynette is Grimmjow's agent and the owner of a modeling agency, she had scouted him for a job modeling which he took to help Ichigo get out of the hellhole he was living in. It seemed like a feasible idea when they were just starting out and he had no clue how long he'd be trapped as a human, but right now he's beginning to see just how smart a move it was. His account should still be untouched, which means he's still got quite a bit of money saved up, so finding a new place shouldn't be difficult. There's also the added bonus that he's now taking care of him mate instead of the other way around.

"Grimmjow? Who are you talking to?" Ichigo wonders.

"Kiki," he shrugs. "She's got everything handled; we just have to wait for her to pick us up."

Ichigo nods and the two head out to sit on the porch, the moon shining brightly above them although it isn't full tonight. The smaller male breathes deeply and looks toward the stars, Grimmjow too busy lost in thought. When he had first become trapped in a human body, he spent a lot of time at the park studying those there. He noticed there were different groups that went there; children, people in pairs that acted lovey with one another, and pairs that had bands of gold on certain fingers. He knew the first pairs were dating, as he listened in on many conversations, but he could never figure out what those bands were for.

"Ichigo… in the park, I saw couples with bands on their fingers. Does that mean something?"

"Yeah," the other answers absently. "They're married. The bands are rings and the woman usually has a diamond on hers, why?"

"… Did you want that?"

Ichigo is startled as he turns his sight to his mate, his mouth slightly agape at the question. He had thought of marriage on some occasions when he was younger, but it never appealed to him… mainly because he had envisioned it between a woman and himself. After a moment, he shakes the shock and chuckles lightly. He realizes this mark he was given is the same thing to Grimmjow, yet the other is offering to give him the human tradition he'd otherwise miss. Ichigo entwines his fingers with Grimmjow's, a happy smile on his lips as he nods in answer.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! XD *fangirl squee* How freaking cute is that? I feel like that little emote on DA that jumps around waving their hands excitedly (Which, coincidentally, is also called 'squee'). So, just to give you guys a heads up, I changed the untitled fic I offered to post... but you all chose Life's a Farce instead, thank heavens. For those of you that miss crossdressing Ichigo, this fic is now for you ;p Unfortunately, you have wait to read it until I finish up Dream. Sorry ^^;

Ichi: Wait... what? Crossdressing Ichigo? I don't like the sound of that! D8

Vae: *tapping pointer fingers together with pout* Look on the bright side, at least it's not preggers Ichigo.

Ichi: Yeah, for right now! *shakes fist*

Vae: Actually, for good ;p This is a college fic of sorts, I can't explain away an mpreg so you don't get knocked up.

Ichi: Fuck yes! You hear that Grimmjow? You're not touching me!

Grimm: She didn't say that. *rolls eyes* You not getting preggers only means I can't guilt you into staying with me.

Ichi: ... Oh. Damn!