Chapter Eight

Shinji sat in one of the lounge chairs in Ichigo's backyard, a glass of white wine in one hand and his other curled gently in his lap. He was alone for the moment, Nnoitra had wandered off to go grumble with that asshole Ichigo was still living with, and Ichigo was checking on the roast he'd decided to make for the family dinner tonight. It'd take a while, but everyone had come early because anytime they did things like this it turned into an all-day sort of event.

But he wasn't focused on that at the moment. Instead, Shinji's eyes were narrowed on his daughter sitting with a very thin Taichi, speaking softly to each other and ignoring the world around them. Yayoi's hand would periodically reach up and pet Taichi's hair, and the boy was refusing to look her in the eyes. If Shinji didn't know better he'd have thought the two would make an adorable couple, but there was too much maternal affection in Yayoi's eyes. And there was too much reluctance to accept it in Taichi's body language. For the millionth time in the past few months, Shinji wanted to kill Grimmjow. This was all his fault, that look on Taichi's face, that sweet, beautiful boy; it was all Grimmjow's intolerance's fault. He hated him.

"Why are you glaring at my son and your daughter?"

Ichigo's voice reached Shinji, startling him from his thoughts, and his head snapped up just in time to see the man take a seat in the lounge chair next to his; beer in hand and tired bruises under his eyes. Shinji huffed and took a sip of his wine.

"I was imagining all the ways I could kill yer stupid boyfriend." He replied and Ichigo simply sighed, leaning back against the cushion as his eyes, too, traveled to Yayoi and Taichi.

"It's getting worse between them." He muttered, running a hand over his face and then back through his hair. Shinji grunted and Ichigo continued.

"I really don't know what to do about it anymore, Shin. They're both idiots, but… it's tearing this family apart. And I don't have the time, unfortunately, to fix it."

"It's not on you to fix it, Ichi. That asshole needs to stand up and have a real talk with his son and not be an intolerant assfuck about it."

It was Ichigo's turn to grunt and he took a drink from his bottle of beer. "I don't think he's capable of that anymore. At dinner last night, no one even spoke. It was horrible. Between the two of them, it's like everyone's afraid to say anything that might set them off. I just…." He sighed, a look of abject defeat washing over his face. "I don't know what to do anymore. I really don't, Shin."

"Divorce the bastard and hug your babies." Shinji suggested tersely and Ichigo smirked, but there was a sadness that lingered in his soft brown eyes. He'd already kicked Grimmjow out of bed, they hadn't been able to talk much themselves lately. Everything turned into a fight about Taichi anymore, and it was making him sick.

Ichigo's eyes lifted and followed Shinji's to Taichi and Yayoi just in time to see the girl reach up and brush away a tear that slid down the young man's face. It broke his heart and made him feel like a shit parent. Something had to change. And it had to change now.

"Shh, don't cry, Taichi." Yayoi whispered and Taichi sniffed hard, looking up before he wiped furiously at his cheeks and took a deep breath. He was so sick of this. Sick of everything; of feeling like he was less than human because of who he was. Like he'd fucked up so bad there was no going back. Like he was some worthless piece of shit in his father's eyes.

"Let's talk about something else then." He said, trying to not let his voice crack, but failing because his throat was so dry.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw his father standing near his uncle, Sorin close by as the three of them chatted. Grimmjow's hand raised and patted Sorin's shoulder, and there was a wide, proud grin on his face. His stomach rolled and he looked quickly away. Running away again seemed so much better than staying; moreso every passing day. Dying seemed so much more preferable at this point. Maybe he should have let those men beat him to death in that hotel room when they'd finished using his body.

"Oto-chan got me another of those stuffed ducks the other day. This one is blue with a pink beak and it's all fat and round." She tried, she really did, to make Taichi smile, to get his mind off the bad things, but when his eyes met hers again she knew her attempts were woefully lacking. She sighed.

"I… Oh! Sora and I are going to try and write up a proposal for oto-chan's host club, a formal way to show him the changes I'd implement to make the business even better." Her wide smile encompassed most of her face and Taichi's lips twitched in an attempt at a half smile.

"That's cool." Who was Sora again? He frowned and tried to remember, but no face popped into his head and after a few attempts he simply gave up.

"What sorts of changes?"

Smile still in place, Yayoi began to list all the things she would do once she was in charge, and Taichi's mind wandered as she spoke. He was so proud of her, she was so smart and driven, encouraged by both Shinji and Nnoitra, even if Nnoitra wasn't one bit pleased with the idea of Yayoi moving into Shinji's line of work. Was it really so hard for some people to just be okay with what their children wanted to do with themselves? It wasn't like Taichi had quit swimming to focus on, say, stripping or his short-lived prostitution career. He sighed and his vision refocused, noticing that Yayoi was just staring at him with a small frown on her face.

"Sorry." He mumbled and she patted his shoulder.

"It's okay. You have a lot on your mind I guess."

"Tai." Taichi's head lifted when he heard Ichigo's voice call out his name and he pushed to his feet, shuffling closer so his father didn't have to yell at him.

"Yes, Chichi?" his voice was so soft the two older men barely hear him and Shinji frowned deeply at the beaten puppy look in the boy's expression.

"Why don't you go finish up in the kitchen for me, please? It would be very helpful and I could use a bit more…." Ichigo trailed off and Taichi nodded his head.

"Sure thing, chichi." He said, shoving both hands in his pockets as he turned and made his way back into the house.

There wasn't much left to do, the roast was nearly done, Ichigo had gone a more Western route tonight so there was a steaming pot of boiled potatoes still to mash, and a salad with all sorts of vegetables had been set aside. With a sigh, Taichi took a masher from one of the drawers and pulled the still warm pot closer. For a millionth time since he'd been caught, Taichi found himself trying to push out all thought from his head so he could focus on simple tasks. Each of those times he'd found the best way to do it was when he was putting all his attention on preparing food. It almost brought a smile to his face as he did these sorts of things; it was the only time his heart ever felt a hint of the lightness it had in the past.

It wasn't long after Taichi had disappeared into the kitchen before Grimmjow realized that their beer bottles were empty, and he gathered the extras before he turned to make his way into the house to get more out of the fridge. Sorin, who'd noticed his brother having gone the same way, frowned and offered to grab a couple for his father, but Grimmjow shook his head and stepped into the house.

Grimmjow walked into the kitchen moments later and saw Taichi stirring a pot on the stove. His jaw ticked and he set his empty beer bottle on the island heavily. Taichi's head snapped up and back, catching sight of his father moving towards the fridge and he looked quickly away again. Grimmjow's lip curled back over his teeth before his mouth opened and words leapt out before he could even think to stop them.

"Quit your crying, your mascara will start running."

It was stupid, made his blood race with irritation at himself for even saying it.

Taichi stiffened and turned away to return to stirring the pot.

"Of course I have waterproof." He shot back in a snotty tone and Grimmjow yanked the door open.

"Did you get yourself all whored out before you disgraced your entire family, too?" Grimmjow's voice crackled with disgust and

Taichi dropped the spoon and spun around, nostrils flaring at his father and lip curling right back at him. He'd tried too hard to keep quiet, and he'd done as best he could, but he was done now.

"Oh yes, dad, I even dressed like a woman too. Short school girl skirts, stuffed bra, the works. I even tucked my dick back so no one could tell!"

Grimmjow slammed the door as fire burned in his gut, and turned to Taichi.

"Disgusting, worthless piece of shit."

"A million times better than being a fifty year old yakuza puppet."

"So you became a yakuza whore?"

"I did it to make myself feel better!"

"Oh yeah? How'd that work out for you?!"

A tight, evil looking grin pulled Taichi's lips, but there was a darkness in his eyes that Grimmjow had been trying to ignore for too long. He lifted a hand and placed it over his chest, running it downward to the waist of his jeans.

"Oh it worked out great, dad. I made so much money, I was the best they had. Yammy didn't want to let me go. He fought to keep me, offered me more money, more men, rich men that would have kept me as a pet, fed me and fucked me well, given me presents: cars, trips around the world, jewelry. Anything I wanted." His eyes narrowed and his heart pounded harder in his chest. "Aizen loved me." It was like slipping a knife between Grimmjow's ribs, those words. "Loved it when I laid back and spread my legs for him an—"

There was a loud crack the filled the kitchen as Grimmjow's open hand connected with Taichi's cheek before he grabbed a handful of the young man's shirt and yanked him closer. Grimmjow's lips pulled back from his teeth and he growled at his son, his voice the most angry and deadly that Taichi had ever heard.

"Shut your goddamned mouth you little shit or I'll kill you myself."

Taichi trembled in Grimmjow's grasp, but he was done trying to hold anything inside him. "He called me his little blue kitty."

Revulsion made Grimmjow push Taichi from him, and he stumbled back just as Sorin entered the room, hitting his head on the stove and tipping the heavy pot with partially mashed potatoes over. It fell, the handle clipping Taichi's cheek and the pot itself falling directly on his right hand. Grimmjow didn't seem to notice his other son because he went for Taichi on the floor, rage in his eyes even as Taichi rolled and tried to get away. Sorin saw this as if he weren't standing inside his own body but floating beside it, without the ability to react in any way. But it was seconds later that he was rushing forward, grabbing two handfuls of Grimmjow's shirt, not realizing that he'd yelled, alerting everyone in the backyard. They all rushed in just in time to see a furious Sorin swing his fist at his father that connected harshly with Grimmjow's stubborn chin.

Grimmjow's head snapped back and he fell against the counter as everyone, including Sorin himself, stared with wide eyes full of shock. Sorin's mouth fell open as he realized what he'd done, and he suddenly felt the stinging pain in his hand. He'd just punched his father.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Ichigo roared and Yayoi rushed forward to help Taichi up off the floor.

Many pairs of eyes flicked between the boys and the man glaring at both of them, but no one spoke as the tension crackled and snapped around them. Finally, Grimmjow pushed away from the counter and left the kitchen. Moments later the front door slammed closed hard enough to shake the glass on the sliding glass doors in that opened the house to the backyard.

Sorin's heart was twisting in his chest with shame, and he felt heat prick behind his eyes as he blinked quickly at the spot that Grimmjow had fallen against.

"That's it." Shinji's voice finally broke the silence. "Taichi, go pack a bag, you're coming to stay with us for a while."

"Shinji…." Ichigo started but one look at Shinji's face and he knew it'd only make this situation worse if he fought him on this. Maybe it was best if Taichi were somewhere else when Grimmjow came home. Ichigo knew it wasn't going to be a pretty scene when he finally got ahold of his lover. This was bullshit and he was done with all of it.

"Yo-chan, go help him." Yayoi nodded and helped Taichi towards his room, the entire time fussing over him and his now throbbing hand. He should probably get it looked at.

"Chichi, I…." Sorin's voice broke and he stopped, his head moving jerkily so he could look at Ichigo, tears threatening to fall but staying in place for now.

Ichigo's heart twisted. "Go to your room, Sorin." He spoke softly and Sorin nodded his head, looking to the floor and turning to leave. None of them missed the tears that broke free before his face was hidden.

"Sorry… I think dinner's canceled tonight." Ichigo spoke and Nnoitra, uncomfortable but surprisingly quite, grunted and simply left the kitchen to go wait in the car.

Tomoe, who'd been shut up in her room finishing up some studying for an assignment that was due on Monday, left her room in time to catch Sorin walking down the hall like a dead man. She frowned at him and asked him what his problem was, but he passed her; not even seeing her standing there before he disappeared into his room. The door shut quietly behind him and Tomoe's frown deepened. By the time she made it to the kitchen, Ichigo was alone, and she could see her uncle Shinji in the back yard grabbing up the empty beer bottles and cups from other drinks.

"What's wrong with Sorin?" She asked Ichigo, wondering what it was he was doing on his hands and knees near the stove. She'd had her ear buds in, music up loud, and hadn't heard a thing of the fight just steps away from her.

Ichigo only sighed and stood, taking the dirty rag in his hands to the sink to rinse out. "Nothing. We're not doing dinner tonight with everyone though, so go ahead and grab what you want and go back to your room."

Something was wrong, Tomoe could almost taste it in the air, but she only pressed her lips together and set about grabbing herself a plate of food. She was hungry and she didn't want to deal with the drama that had apparently happened. She didn't want to even know anymore. Before she left the kitchen, though, she gave Ichigo a kiss on the cheek and told him she loved him.

Ichigo remained in the kitchen after she left, his head hanging, his eyes closed, and his thoughts in disarray. What the hell had gone wrong here?

Taichi set his bag on the guest bed at Shinji and Nnoitra's house, and looked around the small, cluttered room. It was also Shinji's home office, and there wasn't much room for Taichi to do anything other than sleep. It smelled like sandalwood and something else he couldn't place, but it didn't smell like his room. He swallowed and sat, sighing deeply and letting it out loudly. Shinji had insisted they stop by the emergency room to get Taichi's hand looked at, and it was thankfully only bruised. He'd be sore for a while, but he was to wear an Ace bandage around it for a bit for the next few days, ice it for swelling and take simple over-the-counter pain medicine as needed for pain.

He was hungry, but the thought of food made his stomach roll. He knew nothing would stay down, so he didn't even bother. The strangest thing about all of this was that Taichi couldn't figure out if he was upset with Grimmjow's violent, visceral reaction to what he'd said, or the fact he'd said all of it just to piss Grimmjow off. Taichi had never met Aizen, but he'd heard plenty about him. He knew that Grimmjow worked for him, or once had. He knew they had a past. Taichi also knew the old nickname that Grimmjow had had when he was a child, and in his anger he'd connected to two, knowing that Grimmjow hated the man. He'd said it to hurt him, to make it sting just as bad as every word Grimmjow had said to him did. From the turnout, Taichi had hit his mark and then some.

And now it was broken completely; severed and unfixable. He'd lost his father tonight and he knew it, but he felt numb to it. It didn't matter anymore. Maybe uncle Shinji would let him stay until he was out of school. Maybe he'd get a scholarship and move to go to university. Maybe he'd never have to look at Grimmjow again.

Taichi's jaw tightened and he laid out on the bed, rolling to his side to face the wall and bringing his knees up to his chest. He shivered and closed his eyes, but dreams refused to take him that night. Instead, Taichi lay awake, reliving every detail of every interaction with Grimmjow since that day when he was fourteen. When everything had begun to unravel.

A/N *drops this off... backs out of the 'nets.*

3

~Miss P.