Mach den Käfig auf
hol mich ins Sternenreich ja
Ichigo woke up in Shinji's walk in closet with the vague thought in his head that he hadn't actually fallen asleep there. And that he was never drinking again. Ichigo groaned as he tried to sit up and gave up halfway through when his stomach lurched painfully. He slowly lowered himself back down to the floor and tried to see if he was alone in the closet or if maybe there was some clue as to why he was in there in the first place but his head was spinning too hard to do anything.
"Ichigo." A soft voice called out to him and he grunted and immediately regretted it. Ichigo heard a quiet giggle and he scowled at the ceiling above him.
"Ichigo. Time to come out of the closet." A lyrical voice sang and Ichigo's scowl deepened into a frown.
"Fuck…."
"Hey! Ichigo! Get the fuck out of my closet!" Nnoi's voice boomed and the door to the closet was flung open.
Ichigo's head felt like it was pulsating and his stomach rolled when his body jerked from the loud noise. Shinji pushed Nnoi out of the way, whispering at him and slapping his chest once for emphasis. Shinji bent down and slowly lifted Ichigo, struggling a bit because Ichigo was about the least cooperative he had ever been since they had known each other. Ichigo hit his forehead on the door frame and tried to stop the manly, yes manly, tears that suddenly wanted to spring to his eyes. Nnoi laughed, a sound akin to a thunderclap in Ichigo's current condition, and stepped back to let Shinji through so he could take Ichigo to the bathroom. It was then that Ichigo realized he was holding on to a little blue stuffed kitten. He stopped moving and looked down at the thing in his hand, squeezing it once to make sure it was actually in his hand before everything from the night before came back to him in a rush. He remembered running into Grimmjow, remembered Grimmjow giving him the kitten. Remembered the mad dash across the street and the heat and hurried blowjob in the very public parking garage. He remembered coming back to Shinji and Nnoi's place and fooling around before things got fuzzy and the only thing Ichigo could see in his head was pale skin and tattoos. Ichigo's stomach rolled once again and he pushed out of Shinji's arms in a mad dash to the bathroom.
Shinji sighed and looked up at Nnoi before he walked to the bathroom door to wait for Ichigo to finish trying to puke up his toes. Nnoi shook his head and laughed, retreating to the living room to smoke a bowl and watch some anime. Shinji tapped on the door.
"Want some water?"
"I want to die." Ichigo said clearly before retching loudly.
Shinji grinned and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back onto the wall.
"Now why would you want to do that?"
Ichigo groaned. "You… you probably know everything an-anyway."
"I don't know why you insisted on sleeping in my closet with your new favorite thing in the world."
Ichigo closed his eyes and rested his head on the toilet bowl. He knew where it had come from but had no idea why he would have ever said something like that to anyone about it. He figured Shinji was just making fun of him for unconsciously sleeping with the stupid thing and cleared his throat.
"Water please?" he said to change the subject.
While Shinji was getting a glass of water for Ichigo, Ichigo flushed the toilet and rinsed his mouth out. He hated the feeling of bile in his mouth and he was starting to get a little upset that he didn't have a toothbrush on him at the moment. Shinji knocked once and opened the door, handing a tall glass of tepid water and two Tylenol. Ichigo didn't think twice before knocking those back but had to sit down afterwards because his head was spinning again.
"Well, by the looks of you I'd say best twenty-first birthday ever." Shinji commented and Ichigo snorted.
"Close."
Shinji smirked. "What could have been better?"
Ichigo shook his head once, very slowly, and groaned. "I'd have a toothbrush right now."
Shinji bent, opened a cupboard and rummaged around for a moment before standing and smiling devilishly.
"Lookie that? I'm the fuckin' Toothbrush Fairy."
Ichigo laughed and then immediately groaned, reaching up and clutching the sides of his head with both hands. Shinji chuckled and put an arm around Ichigo's shoulders, gently guiding Ichigo's head to his own shoulder and patting the back of his head.
"Poor baby."
"Shut up."
Shinji kissed the top of Ichigo's head and pushed him off his shoulder, turning towards the door and looking back over his shoulder.
"Take a shower, brush your teeth and get dressed. We're gonna go out and get tacos for lunch."
Ichigo groaned and Shinji shut the door with a smile.
Grimmjow frowned down at the unending variety of fresh flowers and started to think that he should just get Ichigo chocolates instead. Flowers were so… gay. Grimmjow cocked a hip and scowled at the flowers before taking a step back and sighing.
"Damn it."
"Can I help you, sir?"
Grimmjow looked up sharply at the person who had interrupted his brooding and was about to tell them to get lost when he realized that this person could actually help him.
"Y-yeah. I need to… want to, buy some flowers."
The girl standing in front of him smiled and cocked her head to the side. "Girlfriend."
Grimmjow shook his head and smirked. "Not exactly."
Thin dark orange brows rose over large but slightly dull looking brown eyes and the girl blinked at him.
"Boyfriend?"
Grimmjow shook his head again. "Not yet."
"Oh? What's he like?" The girl clasped her hands in front of her ridiculously large bosom and leaned forward a bit.
Grimmjow chuckled and shook his head. "Frigid. Hot. Sends all kinds of mixed messages but still insists he doesn't like me."
The girl's smile faded a little as Grimmjow spoke but she didn't interrupt him when it seemed like that wasn't everything Grimmjow had to say about the other man.
"He's got this stupidly orange hair and freckles but he's Asian, which totally blows my mind. Like… how does that even happen?" the girl shook her head and Grimmjow continued. "He's strong, nice body, really cute ass." He smirked and licked his lips. "He's got a really weird sense of humor that boarders on cruel which I love about him, and when you point it out he blushes like a girl."
The girl bit her lip and blushed a little herself. "It sounds like you really like him."
Grimmjow's head shot up and he blanched a bit before regaining his composure. He hadn't really been thinking about what he said but when we thought about that was exactly like what it had sounded like.
"No, no. I just want him to let me fuck him."
The girl's face went completely red and her eyes widened as far as they could go when he said that and he laughed loudly.
"I take it you don't have a 'Please let me fuck you' flower section, huh?"
Her head shook from side to side rapidly and Grimmjow continued to laugh as he backed away from the flower shop. God he couldn't do this shit. What was he going to say when he gave them to Ichigo? Here, I got you some daisies. Wanna fuck now? Grimmjow shook his head and grumbled about stupid blond dudes and bad advice. A woman pulled her child closer to her as he passed them but he didn't even notice. You could give chocolates to a guy and not have it be too much, right? Grimmjow wondered to himself as he passed a shop full of confections. He stopped and stared through the window, chewing on his lip a bit before deciding to go inside.
He looked around the small shop and whistled at the variety of handmade candies. A young looking girl was sitting behind the counter and to Grimmjow it looked as though she was staring off into space. She probably wasn't even aware he had stepped inside the store. He snorted and shook his head before slowly walking around the store. Everything looked tasty, Grimmjow had a massive sweet tooth, but nothing jumped up and screamed at him that it was for Ichigo. In the end Grimmjow ended up buying himself an orange sucker before walking back out into the July heat. Grimmjow had no idea how many shops he walked in and out of but when he looked at his watch he realized that he had been looking for something to get for Ichigo that would be romantic for almost four hours. Grimmjow's shoulders sagged a little and he began to feel a little more than ridiculous. Was he really going to do all this just to get into Ichigo's pants without having to be in front of the camera?
Then again this should have just proved to him that he liked Ichigo a little more than he had counted on. Grimmjow let out a tired breath and cursed. When the hell had that happened? He ran a hand back through his slightly damp hair and huffed out another breath.
"Fuck."
Now what?
Now the idea of flowers was actually a good one, but he couldn't go back to the same shop. That girl would never believe that he'd suddenly realized that he actually did like the guy he still really wanted to fuck. He'd already bought something at the candy store so that was out and nothing else had caught his eye in the rest of his shopping. Grimmjow frowned and shoved his hands in his pockets. He supposed that he didn't have to get anything right this moment. He should probably wait until he found just the right thing. Something perfect for Ichigo; something that jumped out and kicked him in the balls and said, "Hey fucker, buy me."
Grimmjow turned and started to head back to his car when something in a shop window caught his eye. Grimmjow stopped and squinted his eyes, pulling his sunglasses down a bit so he could get a better look at what he thought he had seen. He stepped closer to the window and bent forward, his frown morphing into a grin the closer he got. Now this was perfect. Without a second thought in his head, Grimmjow pulled open the door to the shop and bought his very first gift for Ichigo.
Ichigo spent the first two days of his twenty-first year of life, curled up in his bed and watching really bad daytime TV. Though, when he thought about it, it wasn't much better back home. Shinji had been calling him all morning but Ichigo wasn't about to get up to grab his phone. He wasn't mad at the man, he just really wanted to be alone for a while. Ichigo had too many things to think about and he didn't need someone else fucking up his brain any more than it already was at the moment. Most of the reason behind his self-prescribed bed rest and moping time was what had happened with Grimmjow on his birthday. Ichigo almost wished he had forgotten it but he couldn't no matter how hard he tried. And no matter how many times he brushed his teeth he could still feel and taste Grimmjow's cum on his tongue. Ichigo reached up and touched the tips of his fingers to his bottom lip.
The other reason though was hardest for Ichigo to cope with. After he had gone out for tacos with Nnoi and Shinji, Ichigo had gone home to get some rest in his own bed for the first time in what felt like forever. He took another shower, brushed his teeth and crawled into bed, naked and still damp from the shower. But he couldn't sleep at all. He couldn't stop thinking about what he had done with Grimmjow and before he knew it was felt himself stirring. Ichigo sat up abruptly and reached for his bedside table, pulling out a Huslter magazine and opening it to his favorite page. The woman was hot, tiny waist, big tits and hips, long legs spread wide. Ichigo stared… but nothing happened. Ichigo turned the page, this one far more graphic, and still he felt nothing. He had calmly put the magazine away and promptly curled into a ball in the middle of his bed. That was two days ago.
He still needed to think about things, though at this point he should have realized that it was stupid to deny it anymore. He… was attracted to Grimmjow. That was all he was willing to admit to but it was enough for him to start seriously doubting his sexuality and certain choices he had made with his life. Like how it had been so easy to say yes to Shunsui when asked to do gay porn. How he had barely protested at all when Shinji suggested sleeping together for his first time. How he had lost himself so completely for a man he'd never really seen before the first time he ever had sex with him. His first time on screen. How he still barely protested and sometimes even initiated things with Shinji even now when he knew that he really shouldn't.
Ichigo rolled over on his back and started up at the ceiling, face practically expressionless, and he opened his mouth to speak.
"I'm gay."
It made his stomach jump to say it out loud and his voice was gravely because it was the first time he had done so since he had gotten home. He sighed and rolled over again, this time on his stomach and looking over the side of the bed. He spotted the blue kitten where it had landed after he had thrown it the day before and he scowled at it. It was all because of that stupid thing that he had gone with Grimmjow on his birthday to begin with. How the hell had that man known that he wanted that thing? And now, even after having slept with the damn thing in Shinji's closet, every time Ichigo touched it he could smell the light cologne that Grimmjow wore. It made him want to sniff it and flush it down the toilet all at the same time. The bed was close enough to the closet that if Ichigo reached out he'd be able to snatch up the toy but he curled his fingers into a fist instead.
When his cell phone rang again Ichigo saw it out of the corner of his eye and sighed before reaching for it and answering it.
"Yo."
"What the hell? I was worried about you, you jerk." Shinji yelled into the phone and Ichigo rolled over.
"I'm gay."
Shinji was silent a long moment before finally saying, "That… doesn't sound anything like 'I'm sorry'."
Ichigo snorted. "It's your fault."
"Ha! Good then. Maybe I should go turn more hot straight men gay then." he heard Ichigo chuckle quietly and sighed into the phone. "So… how you doin' with that info?"
"I've been naked in my bed for two days watching soap operas."
"Good lord Ichi. How are you just now realizing you're gay?" The both of them laughed quietly before Shinji asked, "So… totally gay?"
"I can't get it up anymore for my favorite magazine Shinji. I think it's safe to say I am no longer able to find women sexually attractive."
"Wow."
Ichigo frowned. "What?"
"Nothing. I just didn't realize that could happen. Ya know, suddenly becoming gay."
Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you used to like girls, right?"
Ichigo frowned and tried to think back on his teen years and his sexual relationships. He'd never really liked any of the girls he'd slept with back home and the only women he'd been with since he had gotten to America were porn stars so he'd had to have an erection. Every time he ever pleasured himself he never so much thought about the woman as he imagined the actual penetration. He'd never cared for breasts really and he was mildly disgusted by going down on a female.
"Not… really."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I think I just slept with girls because that's what guys are supposed to do."
"Huhn."
"Yup."
"Well… go take a shower you stinky faggot, we're going out for dinner."
Ichigo snorted and lifted his free hand to scrub over his face. "How do you know I'm stinky?"
"It's a gay thing. You'll find out as you realize all the perks of being this way."
"Idiot."
"It's like supa powaz."
"I'm hanging up."
"With lasers."
"Goodbye!"
"And boomerangs!"
Ichigo hung up the phone and laughed, holding his sides when it started to hurt. Shinji was so weird but he was glad he'd met him. He accepted Ichigo just the way he was and expected the same in return. It made a situation like this so much easier that he had someone to talk it out with. Someone that was totally okay with it.
Ichigo pushed himself out of bed and stretched, feeling his spine crack in so many places he was surprised he hadn't broken anything. He was reaching for his bedroom door when he heard a knock on the front door and he debated ignoring it. When the knocking turned into pounding Ichigo rolled his eyes, reached for his jeans and slipped them up over his naked body for cover. He didn't bother zipping or buttoning them as he stomped to the front door and threw back the locks before pulling it open. He hadn't known what time it was but he was still surprised at the bright sun that greeted him. He raised his hand to block to sun and squinted at the person standing in front of him that he couldn't quite see.
"Hey Cupcake. Looks like you were expecting me."
Ichigo frowned and he stepped back, now able to see that it was Grimmjow standing in front of him, and he nearly slammed the door in the man's face. Instead he watched Grimmjow's eyes move slowly down his body as if memorizing it. Grimmjow licked his lips a little when he saw all of Ichigo; bare chest with a fine sheen of sweat, loose jeans open and revealing well-manicured, orange pubic hair and riding dangerously low on lean hips, hair wild and obvious that Ichigo had just gotten out of bed.
"I got somethin' for you." Grimmjow said, finally meeting Ichigo's eyes and grinning.
Ichigo frowned. "What?"
"Ya gonna let me in or bake out in this heat?" Grimmjow asked, stepping inside the apartment and past Ichigo. "Fuckin' hot out there."
"You can't just… walk into my house." Ichigo said and he hoped that Grimmjow couldn't tell that his heart was racing at that moment. It was too soon to see someone he was this attracted to after reaching such a huge revelation in regards to his sexuality.
"Shut up, it's hot. And I have something for you."
Ichigo scowled and shut the front door but only because the AC was on. Grimmjow didn't turn his back to Ichigo and that made the slightly older man frown even harder. Grimmjow grinned and pulled his arm out from behind him, handing Ichigo a small gold box with a dainty orange bow on it. Ichigo stared at it but didn't reach for it.
"What the hell is this?"
"It's for you. Just take it." Grimmjow shook the box and pushed it closer to Ichigo.
Ichigo sighed and reached out, pulling it from Grimmjow and shaking his head as he looked down at it. What the hell was this idiot doing getting him anything?
"Ooooooooopen it." Grimmjow said, shoving his hands in his pockets and grinning widely.
Ichigo pulled the top off, turning it over to peer inside and his mouth dropped open at what he saw. It was heavy for what it was, he realized the moment he saw his hand reach for the item. It was a keychain with a heavy enamel strawberry hanging from it. On the strawberry was the number fifteen. Ichigo blinked at it and didn't know what to think about it. He looked up at Grimmjow with a deep scowl on his face.
"What… is this?"
"A keychain, stupid." Grimmjow answered and continued to grin as Ichigo looked back down at it.
"I asked a guy at Shiro's apartment complex if he knew what Ichigo meant and he told me strawberry. But… when I looked it up online I realized it could be other things. Like one," Grimmjow paused and pulled one of his hands from his pockets, lifting a single digit. "Ichi and five, go." He spread his fingers to show all five of them. "There was other stuff I read but that was what really stuck I guess." Grimmjow's voice trailed off and he began to feel a little stupid about the gift and what he had just said.
Ichigo's eyes were wide and slightly horrified looking and his mouth was opened as he listened to Grimmjow speak. Orange brows pulled together and Ichigo inhaled sharply.
"You… looked up the meaning of my name?" Brown eyes met sapphire and Grimmjow looked away, clearing his throat and frowning.
"Yeah so?"
"Why?"
Grimmjow jerked a shoulder and cleared his throat again. "Just did. You want it or what?"
Ichigo looked back down at it and felt a pull at the corner of his mouth. It was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen and he didn't understand why it made him happy.
"Thank you." he mumbled and Grimmjow grunted.
Ichigo frowned and took a step closer to Grimmjow, shoulder bumping against shoulder. He was still looking at the keychain in his hand and he muttered low, "Don't… read anything into this, okay?" before he titled his head up and lightly pressed his lips to Grimmjow's cheek. Grimmjow's eyes went wide and he looked down at Ichigo as the smaller man pulled away. Their eyes locked and two sets of lips parted as they took in a breath at the same moment. The moment was shattered when the front door opened and Shinji walked in as if he lived there. Shinji stopped, took one look at what Ichigo was wearing and how close the two men were before he grinned and stepped back outside again, shutting the door on the two. Ichigo made a weird noise and turned, reaching for the door and pulling it open again to call Shinji back inside. Grimmjow frowned, crossing his arms over his chest and sneering when Ichigo turned back around.
"What? I have plans tonight and I'm late."
Grimmjow snorted. "We were just having a moment. Fuck dinner dates."
Ichigo sighed and looked down for a minute before he bit his lip and spoke in a rush.
"How 'bout we hang out Saturday."
Grimmjow's lips twitched. "Really? Just you and me?"
Ichigo sighed. "Yeah, I guess."
Grimmjow felt his lips stretch to a grin. "Like a date?"
Ichigo's brows pulled together and he glared at the floor for a moment before he looked up at Grimmjow and shook his head.
"Not a date. Just us… hanging out."
"Alone?"
"Yes, Grimmjow. Fine. Whatever."
Grimmjow chuckled and walked forward, grabbing Ichigo's pants with one hand and yanking him close. Just as Shinji popped up behind Ichigo, who was still standing in the doorway at this point, Grimmjow's lips met Ichigo's and pressed. Ichigo stiffened a moment before making a small sound and leaning into the kiss. Ichigo pulled back and breathed against Grimmjow's lips before brushing his own lips against his and initiating another kiss. Grimmjow groaned quietly and reached up with his other hand, placing that one on Ichigo's hip and turning him so that he could pull Ichigo even closer.
"Ichi, I can just go if yer busy."
Ichigo pulled back away from Grimmjow and licked at lips tasting faintly of cremecicles before looking away from the man and turning towards Shinji.
"Sorry. I need to take a shower real quick."
Shinji smirked and stepped inside the apartment, walking directly to the couch to wait for Ichigo to finish up. Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow and looked up at him before clearing his throat and taking a large step backwards.
"Thank you and… I'll see you Saturday."
Grimmjow smirked and licked his lips. "You're welcome and yeah ya will."
With a swift peck to Ichigo's lips Grimmjow walked out of the apartment and started towards his car, very glad that he had gotten the keychain and decided to stop by to give it to Ichigo now instead of waiting. Ichigo shut the door and took a deep breath before turning around to find Shinji grinning like an axe murder directly at him. Ichigo frowned.
"What?"
"So, hot date tomorrow night?" Shinji asked, body poised at the edge of the couch.
Ichigo blushed and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away from Shinji.
"Not a date. Just… us hanging out."
"Alone?"
Fucking déjà vu, Ichigo thought to himself as he closed his eyes. "I'm gonna go take a quick shower. I'll be right out."
In the bathroom Ichigo realized he was still holding the keychain and he set it on the counter, smiling a little stupidly down at it. It was the first time anyone who wasn't a friend or family had given him anything for no reason. He shook his head and closed his eyes before slipping out of his pants and turning on the shower. He was being stupid and girly and he was going to stop it right now. The water was too hot but he stepped inside anyway, quickly soaping up and rinsing. Fifteen minutes later he was ready to go and he grabbed his keys, slipping the new addition on the ring he already had after he had locked the front door behind him. Shinji saw the new keychain and the look on Ichigo's face as he put it on his ring and tried to stifle a grin. So Blue had taken his advice after all.
Neon's most recent party went off without a hitch and the entire night was relatively uneventful. Shiro managed to be on his best behavior even if he did complain too much over the radio about how much he wanted to roll with everyone else. Ilforte still wasn't a daddy yet and Grimmjow was happy that he was going to get to bed and hopefully get a few hours' sleep before he called Ichigo. He only let it bother him a little that Shiro tagged along with him to his house before crashing in the middle of his bed. Grimmjow rolled his eyes at his friend and looked at the clock, reading the time and sighing. It was already nine in the morning. There was no way he was going to get enough sleep before he wanted to meet Ichigo. Pouting, Grimmjow stripped off his shirt and pushed Shiro out of his way so that he could lay on his own bed before lying flat on his stomach and closing his eyes. He had his phone sent to go off at one and he just hoped he heard it. He wasn't going to miss this non-date with Ichigo for anything.
Open the cage
bring me into the realm of stars
A/N Wowza~ *facepalm* This sort kinda happened and... yeah~ Fluff~~ Penny was feeling fluffy today. I love this story so much :D Now I know some of you may be thinking that Ichigo is seriously UNDER reacting here, and I agree. It just hasn't really sunk in yet. Give it time :D Thanks to those that came to the LS today and watched me write this chapter painfully slowly... Anywho~ I hope you all enjoyed it :D More soon~
~Penny