Chapter Nine – Revelations

Ichigo's POV

When I awoke the next morning, I found that Grimmjow and I had wrapped each other in tight embraces. His arms were wrapped around my waist and mine were around his chest. Smiling, I pulled myself closer to him and kissed his neck. He purred.

I'm not kidding! He purred when he felt my lips against his skin. Grimmjow leaned down and captured my lips with loving nips and licks. We kissed and sucked on his bottom lip. He kissed harder, his tongue begging for entrance. I opened my mouth and was rewarded passionately. When I came up for air Grimmjow pulled – or tried to pull me back but I managed to stop him.

"Shower," I gasp. "Registration next. We can fuck each other blind later tonight."

"Save the best for last huh?" Grimmjow chuckled. His blue eyes sparkled with desire but he relented. "You get cleaned up first. I still have to unpack."

"Call Ulquiorra too." Grimmjow shot a glare at me when he heard me say the pale rider's name. I flinched at bit.

"Fine," he growled. Before going to his room he weaved his fingers into my hair and pulled me into another kiss. Boy he was needy today! He left to unpack and I stood up. My lower back hurt a bit and I limped slightly to the bathroom. I guessed it could have been far worse if Grimmjow hadn't prepared me, massaged my back, and let me sleep it off.

I turned on warm-hot water, stripped out of my boxers and stepped in. The hot water felt good on my skin. I covered myself in soap suds and washed quickly. When I got out I did so gingerly. I toweled off my body and hair before wrapping my towel around my hips. My hair was still a bit damp from the shower and walked out to find clean clothes.

I found black briefs, navy jeans, socks, and tennis shoes. I picked up a red tee and was about to put it on when I distantly remembered my phone had rung late last night. I reached for the electronic leash and opened it to find there weren't any missed calls. I hadn't answered it though. I checked recent calls and found that Renji had called me. I had also called him.

"What the hell?" I whispered. Grimmjow was at the door in a second. He gave me worried look.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It seems an old friend called me. According to my phone I answered his call and also called him back." I frowned. Grimmjow came up to me and held my shoulders in his hands. Fuck. "What. Did. You. Do?"

Grimmjow winced as I spoke. I wanted to cry.

"I didn't want you to wake up so I answered the phone. He said something and it confused me. I called him back. Sorry Ichi."

"You don't sound so sorry," I snarled. "What did he say that confused you?"

Another wince. I couldn't take it. I stood up and called Renji. Grimmjow caught my arm above the brace and I tried to shake it off. He held firm.

"Who are you calling?" he snarled. I kicked at him and was simply pulled into a hug. I struggled as he pulled the phone out of my hand just as Renji said hello. He put the phone to his ear and said: "Sorry! Wrong number." He hung up.

"Grimmjow!"

"Stop it Ichigo!" He shook me violently. "Just, stop it! I was going to leave it alone but you're freaking out too much. Calm down."

"What did he say?"

"He ranted on how he felt you were being an ass. He mentioned Shiro Zangetsu and that you were him." I choked on a sob that I had to hold back. No. This was not happening!

"Ichi," he whispered leaning to kiss me. I pushed him away and tripped over my own feet. He barely caught me before I hit the floor. "Ichigo, shhh. I'm not gonna talk about it. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"No. No. No!" I cried. "Let me go!"

"No."

I kicked and threw punches but none of it did anything to get him off me. He just held me tighter and closer to his broad chest. I found myself sobbing against his skin.

"You're okay Ichi," I hear him say. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

"You had better not you bastard!" I sobbed. "What did you say to him?"

"I told him to leave you alone you idiot."

"What?" I cried.

"You get all upset whenever you get a call from friends from your past. I hate seeing you like it alright! I nearly killed Luppi because you had an accident on his watch! Do you think I'm going to let someone make you feel uncomfortable or unhappy?" I shook my head. "Damn straight!"

"I didn't want that name to come up again in my life," I whispered.

"Obviously," he scoffed. He softened then and petted my hair. "Now relax Ichi. I won't tell anyone else about the whole you being Shiro Zangetsu thing alright?"

I took in a shaky breath and nodded. Something told me he was going to keep the promise the way others – like Rukia and Renji – hadn't. Promises to leave me alone about not riding anymore then bugging me trying to get me to come back that were never kept. Rukia and Renji were the ones who gave me the most crap about it all and now I was being given another promise. One I feel will be kept.

"I'm sorry Grimm," I murmured. Grimmjow chuckled. He rubbed my back again.

"Don't worry about it. I can understand." Grimmjow kissed my neck wetly and sucked. I gasped as he sucked as if he was a vampire and was starved. When he stopped, a string of saliva followed his lips ever connecting them to my neck. He smiled at me and kissed my cheek again. "Love you Ichi."

"Love you too."

Grimmjow's POV/Later that day at Seireitei

Ichigo is nervous. Really nervous. I keep him close to me as we sit with Harribel, Lily, Apache, Sun-Sun, Mila Rose, and Tesla. Luppi sits apart from us and I notice his side long glances at Ichigo. A few women around here – one with long black hair in a braid, one with short silver hair, one with huge boobs with strawberry blonde hair, and a short one with her brown hair in a bun – have all passed by us giving amazed looks at Ichigo's presence.

I'm about to explode.

"Luppi," Harribel says sweetly. "Don't stare. It's rude."

"Sorry!" he squeaked.

I thank her with a smirk and hug Ichigo around the shoulders. He let his head fall onto my shoulder and I kissed his hair. Lily chided me softly saying something about PDOA being illegal in some states. I barked a laugh at her. She pulled Ichigo away from me and sat on his lap happily. Starrk's coming over to sit with us was the only thing that saved her from me.

Hot damn I'm possessive!

A few long minutes passed before Ulquiorra and Nnoitra joined us. Both looked pleased. Ulquiorra claimed everything went off without a hitch. Something told me that he had managed to strong arm them into being a bit more lenient with us considering we were a newer organization. I was fine with it. I just wanted to get Ichigo out of here. He was beginning to look sick.

"Well then," Lily declared from her perch. "Let's go get food and go to bed!"

"Sounds like a plan," Apache said smiling. The other stable hands voiced their agreement aloud and with enthusiastic nodding. It was a good idea. Tomorrow the riders were all going to be given the lists of what events they were in but the stable hands were going to get a tour of the place. I whispered to Ichigo that since he knew the place already I wasn't going to force him to come.

"Let's go," Nel said from behind me. She had opted to take an early tour and had gone to feed her horse a carrot or two. She spoils that damn horse.

We nodded and stood to leave. That was when a midget girl ran into me head on. She yelled at me for being in the way, her violet eyes glaring flames at me. I was about to yell at her when she leaned to the right of me and her eyes widened. She smiled and shoved past me.

"Ichigo!" she cried. Oh fuck! I regained my balance just in time to see the midget leap up and hug Ichigo around the neck. He gasped and the others were wide eyed in shock. Even Ulquiorra was surprised though he showed it less than the others. Luppi's eyes were the widest. I tried to ignore that.

"R-Rukia," Ichigo gapped. I felt my eyes narrow at the sound of her name. One of the names I'd seen him argue with? Fine then. I had a promise to keep.

"Ichigo? You know this chick?" I asked. He glanced at me pleadingly and I gave him my answer with my eyes: Say no.

"No," he said. Rukia stared at him aghast.

"Yes you do! Don't you dare play coy!" she yelled letting him go so she could put her fists on her hips. I strode up and hooked my arm around Ichigo's shoulders.

"Looks like ya got our Ichi confused with someone else," I smirked. The others blinked in horror at me. They knew who I was talking to. So did I. I didn't give a fuck though.

"I don't think so," she snarled at me. "I'd know Ichigo Kurosaki anywhere."

"Funny. This is my cousin," I said. "Dad's side of the family. We don't know anyone by the name of Kurosaki. Right guys?" I gave each of them a hard glare as I spoke the last two words. I nearly smiled as their eyes grew in terror. They shook their heads though. I looked back at Rukia and smirked.

"That's not possible," she whispered. "No! You're lying! Ichigo!" She gave him a pleading look but he just shook his head.

"Sorry miss."

"Can we go?" I asked her. She nodded and I pulled Ichigo out.

"What the hell was that?" Starrk asked outside.

"Ex-girlfriend," I lied. He mouthed 'oh' and let it die. They all did. Luppi however gave me a glare that called me a liar. I nearly hit him when Ichigo pulled me into a kiss.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"No problem. I'm getting sex for this after all."

He laughed.