Disclaimer: I can never hope to be the genius man that is Kubo-sensei I can only play around with his boys or more accurately make them play with each other.
A/N I have no decent excuse for the large gap between up dates but those of you who have stepped into the world of Drunken SeaHorse I hope that you will stick around because no this is not abandoned and yes it is going somewhere.
For Ane-chan: In honor of the month in which our bond was solidified.
Warnings: AU, OOC, Spelling, language, grammar, punctuation, crack, drama, fluff, run-on's, flashbacks, sprinklings of nudity and citrus, switching views, etc
Pairings: GrimmIchi, ShiroQuiorra, RukiHime, SzaRen, mentions of OthersIchi, mentions GrimmOthers, TBA
Quick recap: Consumed by thoughts of his long lost forgotten rival, Ichigo does not register that he has been stripped of his clothes until his shameless and perverted cousin pinches his bare behind and snickers at his predicament. And later that night not too far away on the other side of town… haunted by a not so pleasant memory in his past, Grimmjow storms off in order to clear his head and get his whirling emotions under control…
Drunken SeaHorse
CHAPTER FIVE
SIDE A
(Grimmjow)
Alcohol. Ah the sure-fire cure for the pain. Grimmjow can almost taste it on his tongue, making his lips and the roof of his mouth tingle.
It is perhaps not the best but it is indeed the most effective way to forget.
Forget the humiliation-completely losing face in front of not just his roommate, not just his acquaintances but his former rival's-Kurosaki's fucking sisters-which was almost as bad as losing face in front of the not so little orange haired bastard himself.
Grimmjow would like to punch a wall but that would require stopping.
Stopping is not an option. It is not even something to remotely consider.
With the wind at his back he runs and runs and runs like he hasn't in years.
His electric blue eyes set straight ahead. There is no looking back-no dwelling on the past. Forward is the only way to go.
There is not much light on this side of town but for Grimmjow it is no different than if he were running during the day.
He does not feel hindered or crippled in anyway. If anything his sight as well as the rest of his senses have heightened further.
And he is no longer a man but a creature of the night.
The King of Panthers.
If he dared to jump a fence-scale the side of a building-climb a lamp post-throw his head back and release a primal roar-a mating call.
Grimmjow knows that he would sooner find himself being carried off to the nearest mental institution than have his long lost rival appear before him-all burning eyes and fierce scowl.
The screeching of tires hauls Grimmjow back into the present-into reality-the headlights on the vehicle momentarily blinding him-making the blue eyed male hiss violently.
Grimmjow may not have fangs or claws but it damn sure won't stop him from ripping the door off and beating the shitty little bastard/stupid bitch with in an inch of their pathetic little lives it won't stop him from...
"Well, well Grimmjow Jeagerjaques fancy running into you," familiar light semi-mocking laughter reaches his ears making the slightly pointed appendages twitch "-almost literally."
The window is rolled down.
And Grimmjow can feel bile rise up in his throat.
Clenching and unclenching his fist-his lips curling into a snarl as he takes in those rich, dark glossy raven-colored locks, that pale heart shaped face and wide silver blue eyes.
She hasn't changed much since he last saw her.
"Kuchiki, Rukia."
The door opened and the slim raven-haired woman stepped out of the car, carefully shutting it.
"My what a scary snarl. I'd almost think you didn't like me."
Was she fucking serious? Of course he couldn't stand her. She was part of the reason he never got to speak to Kurosaki again. Kuchiki and that fucking big breasted cheerleader constantly clinging to the other boy like fucking leaches!
Grimmjow had tried to shrug it off-jealous ha as fucking if he had ever been jealous!
Damn. He really could go for that drink now but before Grimmjow could continue on towards his intended destination he had to figure out what the little raven wanted from him.
Obviously she wanted something since she had reached out and taken hold of his arm when he made a move to turn and leave.
Grimmjow considered breaking said fucking hand that had taken told of his arm-could imagine crushing the tiny bones with his much larger hand but there was only so much his former rival could let him get away with before he made good on his promise and buried him six feet under and then some.
Grimmjow grinned as a more appealing image came to mind-wrestling the other boy (nope man-yes because they were older now) wrestling the other man on top of the fresh soil in a graveyard during a summer night just like this one, the moonlight shining on their half naked forms-yes a simple pair of boxers or briefs would be more than enough.
Sure graveyards could be a little bit creepy at times but…
The chances of an angry spirit or spirits coming out and attacking them was pretty slim-especially in such a peaceful town like Karakura.
The most appealing part of this new fantasy playing out in his mind now was getting his rival nice and dirty.
Grimmjow could recall now even while he had been watching/stalking Kurosaki during their highschool years the guy was never dirty-even when he was covered in sweat his strawberry smelled fresh and slightly sweet putting the most hygienic of chicks and the cleanest of babies to shame-not that babies were all that clean most of the time.
He scratched his hairless chin in thought trying to recall if his rival ever actually produced sweat-surely he must have right?
But as Grimmjow raked his brain he couldn't remember seeing a single sweat stain on those too tight tees the orange-haired boy insisted on wearing underneath his uniform or during his free time. And it was the same with the ass tight blue jeans too-every one else grumbled about the heat and how uncomfortable it was and yet his rival had never seemed the least bit fazed.
Even during their most violent fist fights and rough encounters something about Kurosaki seemed so fucking pure. So untainted-damn near untouchable.
It was one of Grimmjow's missions in life-he vowed to get his rival not just dirty but down right FLITHY!
It wouldn't end with mud or blood not it would go beyond that point if he had his way.
And he would damn sure have his way!
Maybe once their relationship was reestablished and all apologies and confessions were made he could convince Ichigo-yes he would probably call Kurosaki by his first name by that point-to play around in a morgue or a hospital.
They'd both would have to be careful of course what with deadly diseases and infections and all that but…
Negative and gross thoughts aside on to more pleasant things maybe he could get his strawberry to put on a little nurses uniform?
It wasn't an original concept exactly but a nice little fantasy all the same.
Not that the "costume" would stay on long or the rest of his former rival's clothes for that matter.
Maybe they could get a little kinky with the ex-ray machine while they were there and he could keep a copy, put it in a frame and hang it up in their bedroom as a reminder.
Then when they turned old and gray and Grimmjow could not longer get it up with out Viagra or some other magical drug he could look at the ex-ray of their skeletal forms and-
"I always wondered what Ichigo would say if he found out that you daydream almost as much as he does."
Bitch! Way to spoil his little fantasy session.
Not that Grimmjow had forgotten that the raven was there or anything-not with the way she was digging her fucking nails into his left bicep!'
Still he felt a little off guard and mentally cursed himself.
Electric blues narrowed to thin slits "Is there something you wanted Kuchiki cuz if not I'd like you to take your fucking claws out of my damn arm now!"
"Oh what's the matter Jeagerjaques? I thought you liked a little bit of pain to go along with pleasure, it makes you feel alive isn't that what you always used to tell Ichigo?"
Grimmjow chewed on the inside of his cheek hard enough to puncture the skin and taste the tang of his own blood.
What went on between him and his former rivals should have stayed between them-it pissed him off royally that Kuchiki knew something so…well not personal perse but special…something that made their rivalry what it was.
Defined their connection.
If Grimmjow was the fire than Kurosaki was the water-good ole opposites attract and all that jazz-course there were other times when his rival would act more like an inferno…blazing wildly like a fucking…
"Hey you could at least answer my question before you start spacing out again."
FUCK!
"Alright Kuchiki, talk fast what the hell do you want? What are you doing here? I know your type," a sneer "You didn't just almost turn me into fucking road kill on a whim so what the hell do you want?"
"…"
"If you've come here to lecture me about what a stupid ass idea it is to go to Kurosaki's coming out party, then you might as well hold your breath because nothin' can stop me from going-hell even in death I would still come for him because he's MINE!"
Grimmjow's neck snapped to the left when a curled fist met his face-he licked his bottom lip almost impressed with the little raven but then he remembered that he'd seen her get into brawl a time or to back during highschool-no bitch slaps or hair pulling from this dark hellion-Kuchiki fought like a warrior-not that he'd tell the bitch this.
She was no longer wearing a playful smile on her face "You can hate me, glare at me as much as you want but you will NOT talk to me like I'm one of your brainless whores!" A pause for breath "Ichigo is practically like a brother to me and I'm sure even a cocky jerk like you can remember just how important family is to him-you fuck with his loved ones you're gonna get burned!"
Grimmjow spat a small glob of blood just missing the lil woman's overpriced boots by a quarter of an inch.
"And stop snarling so damn much! We're going to be seeing a lot of each other soon so you might as well get used to it."
What the f-
What the hell was Kuchiki talking about?
The dancing light was back in her silver-blue orbs
"Did you have a question? You'll get your answer all in good time Grimmjow." She flicked a lash off of her otherwise flawless cheek and rubbed her belly (he raised a brow at this and tempting though the idea was he wasn't sure he'd survive if he made a crack about how she seemed to be a little bit curvier compared to the last time he saw her-course this would be a lie but women were always overly sensitive about their weight and he thought maybe he could end this little reunion because surely she'd have no interest in harassing him if he insulted her right?)
"I don't know about you but I think this getting reacquainted session calls for a drink."
She couldn't be fuckin' serious she didn't honestly expect him to-
"Listen Kuchiki-
"It wasn't a request you WILL go to the bar with me even if I have to drag you there."
A snort "As if you could."
Silver-blues flashed "You'd be surprised of what Kuchiki's are capable of, don't let this angelic face fool you."
Angelic? HA!
"I doubt angels run over innocent pedestrians."
The familiar mocking laughter that he so was not fond of reached his ears "Innocent? Ha, ha, ha that's a good one!" Rukia stepped further into Grimmjow's face and poked him in the ribs "Nah I'd say you were the type who probably watched your first porno before you even reached puberty and I'm betting you received your first blow job before you even really knew what it meant to "cum" and if I had to guess I'd say you lost your virginity at 13 or 14-probably 13 since you were already a dick by the time you set foot in Karakura Town."
"I don't know why the fuck you're so damn interested in my sex life or whatever Kuchiki but if we're going to the damn bar, you're buying."
"Surely you jest Grimmjow," the woman unlocked the doors and motioned for him to get in and then went around to the other side. "Unless there's something you forgot to mention-should Ichigo be informed? He'll be so disappointed to hear that his number one rival is really a chick popped up on steroids," silver-blues raked over his form "Just how much do you bench press these days?"
What the fuck was this? Grimmjow was not only pissed he was feeling out right fucking confused which only increased his anger.
And then it dawned on him.
This was a test. A trial...Kuchiki was fucking with him because she was feeling him out-seeing if he was truly worthy.
For the first time that night since almost getting run over Grimmjow cracked a smile now knowing that somehow-everything would work out just as he wanted it to.
Friday couldn't get here soon enough in his opinion.
"Keys, Kuchiki."
A raised brow "You expect me to give you my keys?"
"Hey you said it yourself. I'm the man and if I'm paying then I'm also driving. Now keys."
()()
Surely Kuchiki had to be joking. She didn't honestly expect him to go into a bar with bunch of uncouth buffoons who scratched their balls and grabbed their junk did she?
Grimmjow didn't even want to know why Kuchiki had picked such a place-the bar was jam-packed with American tourists-not that he hated American tourists perse he just didn't care for them much.
"We're not drinking here, Kuchiki."
"Yes we are, now name your poison!"
()()
"A big strong man like you pouting in a bar? I almost wish I brought my videocamera."
Grimmjow downed his coke and rum before snapping his fingers and ordering another fully intending to ignore the little annoying raven woman at his side.
"So you want to know the reason for my asking you to sit and drink with me?"
He shot her a glare "I really could care less."
Rukia's laughter was as mocking as ever and although far from loud in volume because of Grimmjow's oversensitive ears, Kuchiki's voice was seemed like it practically drowned out the awful music that was playing in the bar.
She continued "I'm here because when I spoke to Renji earlier he seemed very upset and confused and although he didn't give me all the details it doesn't exactly take a genius to figure it out."
A snort and Grimmjow downed his second glass of coke and rum "Nothing new there," an eye roll "Abarai has always been over emotional about everything. Sometimes I'm convinced he's with Szayel because it makes it a little easier to forget."
Rukia raised a brow "Forget what exactly? As far as I know you and Renji were never really all that close-hell you could barely stand one another and yet- she paused a took a sip from her cranberry vodka (what kind of idiot sipped their fucking alcohol and with a damn straw?) "Renji told me that you and him hang out at least 2 or 3 times a week. Told me that you've crashed on his couch a number of times-told me that even though you're an asshole you're not such a bad guy. Now the first thought to cross my mind when I heard all of this was Renji is crushing on you HARD-FUCKING-CORE. But then I saw the way he looked at those pictures of Ichigo and-
Why was Kuchiki telling him something that he already knew?
What the hell was she expecting him to say?
"Abarai is a sap. Even if Kurosaki had ever looked his way their relationship would have never lasted-more to the point Kurosaki would have only agreed to date the dumb gorilla out of obligation because that's the kind of guy Kurosaki is."
Rukia slammed her hand on top of the bar and her voice dropped to a chilling degree "Ichigo would never do something selfish and cruel and the fact that you would even suggest such a thing proves that you haven't really grown up much at all."
Grimmjow watched as the little raven got up from the bar and walked over to the one of the pool tables.
Kuchiki didn't seem intimidated or uncomfortable in the least even though she was surrounded by sweaty tobacco spitting foul-mouthed American tourists who looked like they could easily chew her to pieces.
Americans-the fuckers-could be a bit too touchy feely when they had alcohol in their systems.
As Grimmjow moved towards the group with the intention to save Kuchiki, something caught his eye-something all too familiar dangling around the woman's' neck.
A thin chain with a skull shaped pendant.
He ground his teeth together barely suppressing the growl which was threatening to rise up in him
Why the fuck was Kuchiki wearing Kurosaki's necklace?!
FLASHBACK
Kurosaki was often surrounded by both guys and girls-comrades and rivals alike seemed to flock to the boy like flies on shit. Only if Kurosaki was shit then he was by far the single most sweetest smelling shit Grimmjow had ever encountered.
IT wasn't like the Kurosaki doused himself in cologne or bath products-it was more like a scent that was sweet but not sickening with a hint of powder-like freshness. Grimmjow tried not to think too much on it. Still not quite ready to come to terms with the dreams he's been having lately as well as the unnatural desire to do a hell of a lot more than verbally taunt his rival.
Grimmjow found himself seething with anger and the beginning of what he believed might very well be jealousy at the sight of all the laughing idiots crowding closely around Kurosaki.
The orange haired boy had taken a weekend trip up to some old abandoned tombs in the sands or mountains or something with his family and his friends and fanclub were anxious to hear all about it.
Hell they were so damn closely huddled-the fuckers-they could probably smell (almost taste) what the person next to them ate for breakfast that same morning-with Kurosaki in the center and Kuchiki-
Grimmjow bit back a snarl fucking Kuchiki and her triple ass (she didn't have an ounce of fat on her body but it made him feel a little bit better about the situation) sitting in Kurosaki's lap-her arms wrapped around Kurosaki's neck as she laughed and pinched his cheeks in a playful manner every couple of minutes.
Once again Grimmjow felt something in him stir and quickly stomped it down when Szayel and Ilfort shot him questioning looks.
Kurosaki certainly didn't seem to be having any objections to having his space so heavily crowded by his adoring fanbase but he also made no move or motion to pull the raven-haired girl closer or even touch her back-still…just because Kurosaki didn't appear to be touching Kuchiki didn't mean that he wasn't since afterall who said he had to touch the girl with his hands?
Grimmjow dug his nails into his palms nearly drawing blood as the image of Kurosaki's clothed hard-on pressing into Kuchiki's bubble butt entered his mind just then.
He could feel his banana pudding starting to come back up and decided to look away.
Although it wasn't long before he was looking in his rivals direction once again and much to his annoyance (that was putting it lightly) Kuchiki decided to take her playful petting one step further-slipping her hand underneath the orange haired youth's collar and-
Grimmjow had picked up lip reading at an early age. Back when he was just a toddler actually and it stuck with him…he watched lavender tinted lips move and form the words
"Jewelry is meant to be seen, Ichigo. What's the point in wearing it if you're not going to show it off?"
Kurosaki responded by telling the girl
"I wish you wouldn't touch me so casually all the time Rukia," he hissed "You're going to give everyone the wrong idea."
Kuchiki scoffed "Then their even bigger idiots then you are," and then she slipped off Kurosaki's lap and moved down by the big breasted cheerleader.
Grimmjow felt a moment of triumph until he noted that despite the strawberry's grumbles of protest he made no move or motion to tuck the item back inside his collared shirt-in addition seemed Kuchiki's actions had attracted the boys' fanbase once more.
Each one of them anxious to get a look at the shiny necklace.
Grimmjow decided that this would be the ideal opportunity to make his move!
()()
"Only bitches and queens wear necklaces so I guess that only leaves one question: Which one are you?"
Grimmjow unfortunately didn't get the immediate response he had been hoping for-hell his damn rival hadn't even taken notice of him-rather the other boy was deeply engaged in conversation with some little puke!
The youngest of the fanboys-the smallest damn freshman in the school! Damn kid was probably a prodigy or something-hell he could barely pass for 10 let alone 13 or 14.
Grimmjow chewed on the inside of his cheek.
Right. On to plan B then.
Demanding that his rival pay attention to him even if it meant getting physical.
A grin. Actually plan B was always more satisfying.
He examined the necklace for a moment-the chain didn't look very heavy it would be all too easy to snap it right off Kurosaki's neck-probably would leave pretty little red welts on his peach toned-wait don't finish that thought! Right fuck it just snatch it and…
"BASTARD WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
Once again Grimmjow did not get the reaction he had been hoping for-or it would be more accurate to say the reaction was about right however the person reacting was not Kurosaki but that fucking redheaded overgrown gorilla.
Electric blues narrowed "MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS ABARAI, GO BRAID YOUR FUCKIN' PUBES OR SOMETHIN!"
The tattooed redheads' cheeks puffed up and he narrowed his beady reddish brown eyes and crackled his knuckles-foolishly sizing Grimmjow up-didn't matter if the fucker had an inch or two on him Grimmjow wasn't intimidated in the least!
It was true that Abarai was tall for a Japanese male but back in Canada pre-teens looked like fucking full-grown mountain men! NO COMPARISON!
"THE HELL I WILL-YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST COME OVER HERE AND-
Grimmjow stuck a finger in his ear "What's that buzzing noise? Oh yeah its you." And then he shoved the redhead none-too-gently.
Course this didn't stop Abarai from attempting to take a swing at him-Grimmjow easily dodged this blow as well as the ones that followed.
But of course the gorilla didn't down back then either-only came back for more.
Grimmjow was growing bored at this time and decided to shut the redhead up with a solid punch to the face.
A few brows were raised but no one made any move to defend Abarai-wait no there was one-Kurosaki's obedient shaggy dog Yasutora-
Truthfully Grimmjow didn't have a problem with the guy since there was actually nothing puppish about his appearance or his personality at all…the nickname actually came from his hair and the fact that he and Kurosaki were best friends and he went out of his way to defend the smaller boy at all costs.
Necklace still grasped firmly between his fingers he decided to ignore the usually quiet teen in favor of redirecting his attention to his rival.
Grimmjow decided he was just going to stand behind Kurosaki-say nothing-do nothing-just stand there like looming a shadow and then dangle the necklace in front of the boys' face.
There's wasn't a single doubt in his mind. No way could Kurosaki ignore him now.
"You really should be more careful with your treasures, Kurosaki."
Well a few words wouldn't hurt could it?
There was only mild irritation in the orange haired youths' tone as he turned and FINALLY acknowledged him.
"Is there something you wanted Grimmjow? Or have you added kleptomania to your daily routine along with harassment and physical assaults?"
It wasn't the reaction he was looking for at all. In fact it was so unexpected Grimmjow felt positively baffled for a moment and when he felt his face go flush at being caught off guard-feeling completely out of his element he scowled, stomped it down and snapped back to his senses.
'What the hell is-?'
FLASH END
()()
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU-LET GO OF ME! SOMEBODY PLEASE SAVE ME!"
A high pitched and exaggerated yell snapped the blue-haired male from his little trip down memory lane.
He didn't even remember reaching the lil raven woman but now he was practically on top of her-okay bad image-bad image-he wasn't on top of Kuchiki but he had taken hold of the chain around her neck-noticed the red mark forming around her neck from where he was pulling-noticed her silver-blues tearing up as she attempted to dig her claws into his hands in order to get him to release his hold.
A bit reluctantly and with 20 or more pairs of eyes watching him Grimmjow let go and stepped back letting Kuchiki catch her breath.
The woman coughed dramatically for a few minutes and then smirked at him "You should at least warn a girl before-
"Shut up Kuchiki and tell me what the hell you're doing with-why the fuck are you wearing that?"
Rukia played with the necklace and acted coy "Whatever do you mean Grimmjow what else would I be doing with it?"
Damn if only she were born with a dick he could beat the shit of her!
"Because it doesn't belong to you."
"True but I'm burrowing it for a short time and Ichigo never has to know."
"Aren't you a little too old to be playing games Kuchiki?"
The raven haired woman didn't answer but turned and headed towards the bar once more.
Rolling his eyes Grimmjow followed her even though he'd had his fill of alcohol for the evening. All he wanted to do now was go home but of course he wouldn't tell Kuchiki this-couldn't let her know that she irritated him to such a degree.
For now Grimmjow decided he would ignore the jewelry still dangling from her neck and then repeated one of his earlier questions "Why are you here?"
Rukia shrugged.
So he asked her a different question.
"Are you the one who sent me the invitation?"
She smirked into her glass of cranberry vodka "Nope."
"Then who sent it?"
"Hmm, someone, two people actually-you saw them just a short while ago actually."
"Kurosaki's sisters?"
"Mmm hmmm Yuzu and Karin-chan care a great deal about Ichigo-he's there dearest onii-chan after all and they want what's best for him," she looked up and pinned him with a stare "The question I have for you is do you think you're worthy enough?"
Was he worthy enough? What kind of asinine question was that? Being with his long lost rival had nothing to do with worth-the bond-the connection they shared far surpassed pointless things like that.
Grimmjow snorted not really surprised that Kuchiki didn't get it-no one seemed to fucking get it!
And maybe it was better that way since no one mattered but his rival anyway.
"Contrary to whatever you might be thinking right now this is not an attack Grimmjow."
Another snort "I don't really care one way or another."
"Sure you act like you don't care-being nonchalant has always been one of your favorite weapons to use but deep down much as it pains you to hear it/think it/feel you know you are just like the rest of us. You're not just some heartless arrogant bastard from overseas."
"Is there a point to all this babbling Kuchiki?"
"If you'd learn to shut your mouth and just listen for once then you would know that this is not just "babbling" as you call it."
Maybe he should go ahead and order another drink after all.
A humorless smirk "Fine, Kuchiki go ahead tell me all about myself. I'm all ears."
Grimmjow had no real intention of listening of course-he should have gone ahead with his first plan and just tuned her out. Ah well better late then never.
"You weren't the only one watching that day you know? I saw you, much like always skulking in the shadows-hiding behind that old tree. I didn't miss the way your eyes narrowed and darkened with a myriad of emotions swirling in each iris-jealousy being only the tip of the iceberg-I saw the way your jaw clenched-the way your whole body tensed up and shook with rage.
Sure you tried to mask it over because you knew that it would be foolish to drop all of your defenses but you never were as clever as you thought yourself to be. I considered my options-considered everything that had happened with in the past few months and in the end I decided that you deserved to be punished. Ichigo and his family firmly believe in forgiveness and second chances-multiple chances really-Kuchiki's on the other hand…" a pause
"We are not as forgiving in fact sometimes we can hold grudges for decades but that is neither here nor there. Despite everything that happened-every thing you did-every last fucking lie or ill spoken word that passed from your lips he still wanted you-no scratch that-he still WANTS YOU! Yes even now-after all this time has passed you are the one who dominates his thoughts-his dreams-his very existence and I hate it-I hate that my best friend can be such an idiotic love sick fool but my desire to see Ichigo happy overrides my hatred."
Well it was kind of hard to ignore a speech like that especially when it greatly concerned his rival as well as confirming some of his previous suspicions about the raven-haired woman.
"Are you giving me like your official blessing or something Kuchiki?"
Silver blues narrowed "Don't test me."
"You really should talk to someone about all that anger Kuchiki it's not healthy for a woman your age you know?"
"This isn't a game Grimmjow if you break Ichigo's heart a second time I will rip you apart limb from limb!"
Grimmjow didn't give a flying fuck who the person was he abso-fucking-lutely loathed being lectured! What right did this bitch have to tell him anything-she was just as much to blame for his falling out with Kurosaki as he was!
"Anyway enough with the drama what do you say we go get a cup of coffee and you can finish telling me about your afternoon with Renji?"
The hell?
"What are you bi-polar all of a sudden?"
Rukia tossed her head back and laughed, "Call it what you will either way you're buying me a cup of coffee."
()()
"A western inspired café?"
Rukia nodded "All of the tea houses are closed at this hour and neither of us are dressed appropriately for a nightclub and you can't come back to my place for obvious reasons (really what were these so called obvious reasons? Wait! Who cares?) so a western inspired café it is…well technically its more like a diner but same difference."
Was the lil raven on something because her behavior was beyond strange-she was all over the fucking place!
()()
"I think I'll start with a glass of orange juice and the maybe a southwestern skillet-how bout' you?"
Wait a minute how did a cup of coffee suddenly transform into a late night breakfast?
More importantly why the hell was he still sitting here?
Maybe because he was a tinsy bit curious to find out other useful information Kuchiki might have or know about his long lost rival.
Grimmjow shrugged not feeling all that hungry "Maybe I'll get a slice of pie or peach cobbler or something."
He couldn't really explain it nor did he wish to but something about diners always screamed 'Have some pie!'
It all started years ago back when he was still in his homeland…he'd met a group of European tourists-two brothers-one was 10 years old like him and the other was 8-he couldn't remember much about the duo outside of their love for science, all things strange and unusual and apple pie.
Why Girmmjow was thinking of something so pointless at a time like this he honestly didn't know. Kuchiki's randomness and weirdness was rubbing off on him-that could be the only explanation.
Kuchiki was putting her hand on him again-next time he ran into her he vowed to tie or chain her hands to the nearest surface like a table or a steering wheel maybe then she'd learn to keep said hands to herself.
He narrowed electric blues at her "Kuchiki if you don't remove your hand right this minute I might just have to bite it off!"
Rather than flinching or pulling her hand back the raven-haired woman simply smirked before calmly retracting her hand "Now then I must admit I still feel rather confused about a few things."
"What things?"
Maybe if he hurried up and answered her annoying questions she'd let him leave. Oh how fucking grand that would be.
"Well the relationship between you and Renji for one-when did you guys become so friendly?"
A snort. Again with the moronic gorilla. This was getting real stale real fast.
"We're not friends," Just pathetic bastards who share the same obsession only Abarai has decided to settle for second best whereas I will never settle for second anything. "We simply share common interests so don't read into it any deeper than that."
"Hmm," Rukia put her finger to her lips looking decidedly thoughtful "Would it be better to say that you and Renji are bed-bunnies then?"
Bed Bunnies.
"What the fuck is that?"
The smirk returned to the raven's face "Bed. Couch. Futon. Rug. It's pretty much the same in the end isn't it-or gets the job done."
"Do you want me to inflict bodily pain on you Kuchiki because you are really pushing it?"
Rukia reached for the sugar and poured some into her glass of orange juice "Not at all," a smile "I reserve all masochistic like tendencies for my Hime and my Hime alone but perhaps we could arrange something one day where you could come and watch."
Grimmjow nearly choked on his first bite of pie.
"No thanks."
"Suit yourself."
"…"
"…"
"I don't have time to sit here and stare at you all night Kuchiki hurry up and finish asking your stupid questions!"
"Now Grimmjow why would I ask you more questions when you haven't even properly answered my first one."
Letting out an aggravated growl Grimmjow downed his first cup of coffee-(not giving a shit if it was too hot and burned his throat on the way down) and then slammed the cup back down and began his story…
()()
FLASH BACK
"Alright now that we've all had our fill of greasy goodness let's get down to the real reason we have asked you to join us on this lovely afternoon shall we?"
Szayel was grinning too fucking bright-what the hell was he up to?
Electric blues flicked over to Ilfort who really hadn't paid the group any attention the entire time they were there-in fact the blond didn't even seem to care about what his twin wished to announce-much rather continue fiddling around with his I phone.
Grimmjow shrugged not really giving a damn about banana boy anyway-he looked to Abarai who was glaring down at his empty water glass.
He took note of the lopsided ponytail and a book of some sort clutched beneath the redheads' arms.
"You can glare at the empty glass all you wanna Abarai it won't instantly produce more water."
The tattooed males head shot up and he glared at Grimmjow.
Something that the blue haired male was getting quite fucking sick of!
"Alright what the fuck is going on?"
A pause and then "Just answer me one question: When you went to Ichigo's house the other day did you see him?"
"No."
Reddish-brown eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you."
"I don't care if you believe me or not Abarai, I didn't see him."
The redhead still looked doubtful and Grimmjow resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"But you must have seen him I mean you peeked into his window right?"
Well that was the original plan but it had quickly been thrown out when Masaki appeared.
"I didn't get that far."
"What do you mean you didn't get that far? What did you fall asleep or something?"
"I know it might come as a great challenge for you but could you possibly try not being such a fucking dumbass for once?"
Renji crossed his arms "I'm not an idiot!"
Szayel patted the redhead consolingly "Of course not Ren, you merely act idiotic from time to time but it doesn't make me love you any less. You're perfect just the way you are."
Grimmjow already felt like gagging at the sight of the couple but the urge to do so increased ten fold when pepto-haired male started playing with his lovers' hair-calmly undoing the lopsided braid.
He was a bit surprised that the redheaded gorilla wasn't protesting or slapping Szayel's hands away since Abarai's hair was like a fucking priceless treasure to him. He dimly recalled that back in highschool the tattooed male practically shit bricks if anyone even dared to touch his hair-hell sometimes the guy screamed like a girl when someone merely brushed past it on accident.
'Heh, guess some things change.'
"If you did not see Kurosaki- then why did you let almost an entire day without returning any of my texts or calls?"
Grimmjow stabbed a piece of shrimp with his fork imagining that it was Szayel's head and grinned nastily before saying "You're not my damn mother I don't have to answer the fuckin' phone if I don't fuckin' feel like it."
Abarai looked up again. This time the expression on his face was pathetic and pleading "Please, what happened when you went to see Ichigo, just tell me!"
Grimmjow dipped the piece of shrimp into the tartar sauce and then popped it in his mouth chewing it slowly before giving the redhead an answer by way of a careless shrug and a few simple words. "I went there. He wasn't home. So I left. That's it!"
"You're lying Grimmjow and you aren't even remotely attractive when you lie so please stop doing it."
Who the fuck was Szayel to lecture him?
Sometimes he didn't know why he kept the bastard around-or hell why he called the pepto-haired prince a friend!
"I'm not lying. I went there and spoke to his mother for a few minutes, she informed me that he wasn't there and so I left."
"His mother? You spoke to Masaki-san?"
Well that was one way to put it…
"Grimmjow?"
Let's see now what would be the best way to answer this with out looking like a total and complete spaz?
"Grimmjow!"
When Szayel didn't receive a quick enough response apparently the pink-haired fucker thought it gave him the right to resort to childish antics and kick him-Grimmjow retaliated by slamming his boot clad foot on the other males' pinky toe-not caring in the least if he broke or bruised the bone!
Illfort was too enraptured in his cellphone and didn't even spare his twin a glance even though Szayel was practically howling now and as for Abarai?
The dumbass just continued to sit there with that pitiful/pleading/expectant look on his face-if he noticed that his lover was in pain he had a funny way of showing it.
Grimmjow's grin widened and he speared another piece of shrimp "Long story short good ole' Masaki told me to stay away from her darling baby boy if I wasn't serious about starting a relationship, then we went out for coffee and scones and she dropped me off at home."
Renji glared at him now "Details, give me details."
"Details," a snort "I ordered a strawberry scone with hazelnut cream coffee and she ordered a chocolate scone with-
"Not those kinds of details. I mean Ichigo-what did she have to say about Ichigo? What's he look like? What is he doing? Does he ever talk about me? Will he ever forgive me? What can I do to get him to forgive me? Tell me please!"
This was becoming more and more pathetic and annoying with each passing minute.
Grimmjow slammed his fist on the table. "Shut the hell up Abarai-stop acting like a bitch for two fucking minutes and listen to what I'm gonna say cuz I never like to fuckin' repeat myself!"
The redhead flinched and then bowed his head obediently, mumbling an apology.
"Save your fucking sorry's for someone who needs em' because I don't!"
Again with another apology.
And then
"I just…I miss him you know? I mean of course you know-well you sort of know but you were never his-I mean yeah you were his rival and stuff but I was his best fucking friend man I mean he was and I was and we were and-
Grimmjow took pity on the poor fool for a minute and handed him a napkin "Wipe your face-there's no way even Szayel will wanna kiss you when you've got snot running down it."
The redhead flushed crimson and then muttered an angry/embarrassed "Shut up."
Simply because Grimmjow could-simply because Grimmjow was who he was and sometimes he couldn't resist reverting back to his old ways he dropped his voice to a seductive purr and leaned over the table "We both know one way you can shut me up don't we Renji?"
This only caused the redhead to flush even more "Shut up you idiot-you promised you-you'd never-for fucksakes man Szayel is right here and-
"You insult me Ren, you honestly think I'm unaware of what transpired between you and Grimmjow on that night?"
If Renji turned any brighter he would match the tacky tablecloth.
He waved his hands wildly as he tried to explain himself "It wasn't like that-we were just-I mean I was-yeah it was really me but it didn't start out that way-he tricked me! Well okay to be fair he didn't exactly trick me since I'm the one who-and then he-listen it was never like that-I never had any feelings or some shit for him-I mean look at him he's an asshole and a pervert and so totally and completely not my type which I know what you're thinking why then would I-why did I? Alcohol it fucks with your brain you know? Makes you think all kinds of things-it was just going to be like a harmless prank-things got out of hand and-we just wanted-I just wanted-Ichigo said he didn't want me that way-he didn't like me that way but I thought maybe just maybe he was confused or nervous-the party and everything was-well too be honest I still don't really get why the hell all those damn redheads were there-something to do with jealousy-this bastard he didn't even and I-
"Enough Ren what's in the past is in the past. We mustn't dwell on such things but move forward."
"Good idea so what's with the book, Abarai?"
"Well all this talk about reunions got me thinking about the past and stuff so I went rummaging through my closet and found my old-
()()
FLASH BACK END
"Yearbook? So Renji expected you to what reminisce about the past or something?"
"That's pretty much the gist of it Kuchiki, yeah."
"Okay and?"
"And what?"
"And nothin' we chatted a bit more-made fun off random students, called it a day and went our separate ways."
Grimmjow finished off the last of his pie and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "So if you've had your entertainment for the night I'm getting the hell out of here."
"Not so fast. I want to hear more. For example did looking at those old pictures make you feel warm and bubbly inside?"
"Don't compare me to some sort of love sick puppy Kuchiki! What Kurosaki and I had no cheesy photographs or trips down memory lane can properly express it!"
Rukia wiped her mouth and then reapplied her lipstick "Nothin can properly express it you say?" She closed the her compact mirror and tucked her hands beneath her chin "Please do tell me some more I'd really like to know just what was going through your head back then."
The hell he was going to explain his thoughts/his feelings/his fantasies/his heated interactions with his number one rival-especially not to this lil raven woman.
"You're smart Kuchiki I'm sure you can reach your own conclusions-nah scratch that you already did reach em' a long time ago."
"Well I can be wr-
"You don't like me much I get that and believe me there's no love loss here that's for sure but you're not all that bad-hell I might even say it wasn't a complete nightmare practicing my lines with you-don't let it go to your head though."
The woman blinked "I'd almost forgotten all about that," a raised brow "Why is it you remember something like that?"
Grimmjow grinned, "Because I remember the bet that we made on that one afternoon."
"What bet?" the raven prompted him to elaborate since she still felt confused.
"Oh surely you haven't forgotten about such an unforgettable bet Kuchiki?"
"If you're referring to first or second year of highschool, then yes I forget-care to refresh my memory?"
"There's no fun in telling you but I'll give you a hint: Cheerleading outfit."
There was a moments pause and then the raven was snickering "Of course hahaha how could I have-that was quite the bet wasn't it?"
"Bet your ass it was!"
"Yeah its too bad neither of us won in the end though."
"Yeah."
"…"
"So what now?"
"Now I'm calling it a night." Grimmjow stood up and pulled out a small wad of cash and set it on the table. "See you 'round, Kuchiki."
"See you Friday, Grimmjow."
()()
A few hours later after flipping absentmindedly through channel after channel and finding nothing worth watching on the television Grimmjow felt his eyes become heavy-he pulled a thin sheet over his ankles-it was the only part of his body that was ever cold during the summer months-and drifted off to sleep…not at all surprised that he was once again dreaming of the past…
END CHAPTER FIVE SIDE A…STAY TUNED FOR SIDE B