CHAPTER 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach...

Onwards...

XOXOXO

Something was wrong with Grimmjow. Ichigo didn't know what it was, but he was hell-bent on finding out. Of course, there were times when his best friend just didn't want to be bothered, but that didn't explain the boy's sudden distance. His sudden avoidance. It was like after the day Shuuhei had come by and Grimmjow had confronted him, everything had gone into the crapper between them. Everything pissed the blue-haired teen off, everything made him snap at Ichigo, when in Ichigo's opinion, none of it was ever that serious. Come on, they argued over his toothbrush being in the wrong hole in the holder. What the fuck was up with that? There was definitely something Grimmjow was keeping inside and that wasn't right. After all the times his best friend had forced him into spilling his guts, the guy had no right not talking about whatever was bothering him. It made Ichigo more than angry just thinking about it.

He sat forward on his bed and pulled his sneakers on before rising and glaring at his best friend's empty bed. Grimmjow hadn't really been sleeping in the room much the past couple of days and that irked him too. He just wished he knew what was going on; that way, he could fix it. As things stood, however, he didn't have a clue where to start. And he'd been so happy about getting that idiot red head to switch rooms with him, thinking he'd be able to spend more time with the blue-haired boy. Now, he was starting to wish he hadn't. He was sure his original roommate wouldn't have been as troublesome, even if he didn't know who the person was.

He grabbed his duffel bag from the bed and started for the door, when it swung open, making him jump back in order to dodge it. Grimmjow paused and stared at him for a beat before stumbling sleepily over to his bed and collapsing onto it.

What the hell?

Ichigo turned to face the boy and frowned. Grimmjow hadn't even said a word to him. Was that how things were going to be between them from now on? Deciding to quit beating around the bush, he went over to the blue-haired asshole and hit his broad shoulder.

"Huhn?" Grimmjow grunted, face buried in his pillows.

"Is there a reason you're not speaking to me?" Ichigo snapped.

Grimmjow sluggishly picked his head up and glared in his direction. "The fuck're you talkin' about?"

"I know you heard me, and there's no mystery to what I said. You don't even sleep in here anymore, let alone talk to me. I thought we were best friends, Grimm? Did that change without me knowin' or somethin'?"

Grimmjow sat up and stared at him, those piercing blue depths softening. He sighed and ran a large hand through his hair.

"It ain't like that, Ichigo. I'm jus' stressed."

Ichigo edged closer, but his frown remained in place. "Well, that's why I'm here. You're supposed to tell me when somethin's botherin' you. Don't you make me do that all the time?"

"Yeah, yer right. Sorry," the other boy mumbled, eyes on his long legs.

"Tch, whatever. I'm leavin'. I'll be back later."

With that, Ichigo left their dorm room, not even taking the time to look back. Did Grimmjow really think that would suffice as an apology? As an excuse? The idiot hadn't even explained why he'd been treating Ichigo of all people so coldly, and it rubbed him the wrong way. Now he didn't feel like talking to the guy. He was halfway down the hall towards the building's exit, when his name was shouted, making him jump and look around for the fool screaming. Of course, when he did turn, he wasn't surprised to find Renji loping towards him. All he could do was inwardly sigh.

"What?" he grumbled, mood sour.

"Well, what the hell did I do ta you?" the red head asked incredulously, tattooed eyebrows hiding beneath the white bandana he wore.

Instantly feeling bad for taking his foul mood out on Renji, he shook his head. "It's not you, Renji."

"Ahhh. A lover's spat, then?"

"Don't say that."

Although Renji did possess an abundance of idiotic tendencies, there were times when the boy was scarily acute. Like now, for instance.

"I noticed the Jolly Blue Giant's been in a nasty mood lately. Somethin' happen?"

Ichigo sighed, but shrugged helplessly. "Of course somethin' happened. Somethin's always happening with us, only this time, he won't even tell me what it is. It's fuckin' annoying."

"Sooo, ya wanna fill me in? Kinda lost here."

"That's what I'm tryna tell you!" Ichigo shouted, frustrated. "I don't even know what the problem is myself, so how the hell am I s'posed ta tell you?"

"This is disappointin'. I was hopin' the two of ya would be paired up by the end of this semester. Guess I was wrong," Renji said dejectedly as he ran a hand through his wild ponytail. Then his face suddenly brightened. "Wait! When did Blue start trippin'?"

Ichigo frowned, lips forming a thin line. He knew, of course. It was only a matter of whether he wanted Renji – the epic fail of a matchmaker – to know about the incident with Shuuhei. Then again, he had to admit, Renji managed to provide little nuggets of wisdom that surprised the hell out of him with their accuracy. Maybe telling the loud red head about that day wouldn't be so bad after all. Ichigo shifted his weight and studied the floor. Where should he start?

"Ya might as well spill it, 'cuz I ain't goin' nowhere 'til ya do."

"Fine," Ichigo mumbled. His eyes darted back and forth from the floor to Renji's scowling face as he decided on a nice beginning point. "Did you know Shuuhei came here a few days ago?"

The other boy's face fell and his shoulders sagged. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, he came here talkin' shit to me and Grimmjow kind of...saw it."

"That doesn' tell me much, ya know?"

Ichigo huffed and looked away defiantly, but Renji's resulting foot tapping made him shake his head and sigh. "Fine! Ya want details. Shuuhei came by when I was moving into the dorm and we talked in the hallway. He said he wanted to say goodbye before he left for Tokyo, but he ended up throwing in my face that he knew about how I feel about Grimmjow."

"How the hell did he find out? I thought ya broke it off wit' him."

"He stole my fuckin' notebook! I had some personal shit in there and he read it. Then, he got all pissed and a bit carried away."

Renji frowned, russet eyes darkening. "Meaning?"

Ichigo had forgotten that even though Renji was a clown, he was also a friend, and his loyalty went above and beyond. If he thought Shuuhei had done something to hurt Ichigo, his reaction wouldn't be far from Grimmjow's. Maybe not as intense, but definitely as scary.

"He, uh...he got mad and kinda hemmed me up against the wall. That's what Grimm saw. He went ape-shit after that."

"Hmm," Renji hummed as he rubbed his hairless chin. "Then what happened?"

"Well, Grimm made Shuuhei leave, but he was shaken up 'cuz he literally almost killed the guy. I got him out of his funk for a second, but then he ran off like he'd seen a ghost or something. It was confusing, but ever since that happened, he's been acting like an asshole."

Renji hummed again and quirked his lips. "I'll ask him what his problem is."

"What? No, don't do that! I don't want him thinkin-"

"Shut up, Ichigo," the red head drawled with a wide, crooked grin. "I got more style than that."

Ichigo didn't really think so, but let the subject drop. It was pointless arguing with Renji when he was in one of his eerily determined moods. Grinding his teeth and hating his predicament, he shrugged, hiding the fact that he was worried out of his mind that his friend would give him away to Grimmjow. That would be disastrous. Then again, he had to give Renji a little bit of leeway. He'd kept Ichigo's secret for this long, so there was no reason to suspect the guy of spilling the beans now.

"Well, I'm off. I'll conduct my interrogation and give ya the results later, Ich," Renji declared before ambling away in the other direction.

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck and grinned, memories swallowing him up. He couldn't help vividly recalling the day Renji had knocked him out of his denial.

Ichigo stared at Renji, heart hammering and chest hurting like someone had stabbed him with a hot poker.

"What'd you just say ta me?"

Renji gave his infamously wicked grin and ran a hand through his ponytail. "I said, you and Blue are in love with each other. It's the loud kind of obvious, Ich."

Ichigo shook his head, unable to digest what he'd just heard. The loud red head had to be mistaken. Right? He stared at the other teen, eyes wide and face slack. The more he thought about it, though, the more it began to make sense to him. Whenever Grimmjow came around him, whenever the blue-haired teen talked to him – hell when the boy talked in general – it almost sent him into cardiac arrest. He felt ridiculously old school, like Grimmjow's presence immediately gave him a case of the vapors. It was ludicrous. But it also made Ichigo's shoulders sag with relief. Even though the thought of being in love with his best friend was scary as hell, it also felt good knowing why he'd been reacting to the boy the way he had.

He turned a curious gaze to his red-haired friend and tilted his head to the side. "When did you know?"

Renji scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. "Soon as I saw the two a'ya tagether. You should see yer faces when ya look at each other. Like I said, it's obvious."

"Uh, w-who else knows?"

"I think Tatsuki knows too, but tha's about it. No, wait. Maybe Chado too."

Ichigo grimaced and looked away. It seemed like he was the only one that hadn't known, which was sad. A sudden thought occurred to him and made him glance at the red head in a panic.

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

All Renji did was arch a tattooed brow in response.

"Please tell me you didn't."

"What if I did?"

Ichigo's face paled as his mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"

The idiot couldn't keep a straight face and ended up bursting into laughter. Ichigo frowned, confused. He didn't catch the joke, but figured remaining silent would get him the answers he wanted.

"I won' give ya away. But ya gotta promise me that yer not gonna be in denial anymore. Do ya admit ya love Blue?"

Ichigo paused and took a deep breath. Thinking it was one thing; admitting it aloud was another. Once he took that leap, there was no going back. He couldn't just reach into the air and return his own words; life didn't work that way. Was he ready for that step? Was he ready to say those words to another person, let alone himself? He stared down at his sneakers, heart positively racing. Yeah, he thought. Whenever he thought about Grimmjow, his body temperature went up a few degrees and his heart would begin clamoring against his ribs. His hands went clammy and everything would start perspiring. Being around his blue-haired best friend meant more to him than anything else at the moment, and had been that way for some time. He'd just been too blind to notice it. Then again, it had been easy to confuse his feelings for a close friendship, considering that was all he and Grimmjow had ever been. Once the other boy had returned from America, however, things had changed. And it hadn't even been gradual, either. It had been like stepping off the sidewalk and getting slammed into by a mack truck: sudden and breathtaking.

"Yeah, I do," he said quietly, confidently meeting Renji's russet gaze.

Renji's lips curled into a strangely warm grin. "Good. An' another thing..."

"What?"

"Ya can't say shit about Tatsuki."

Ichigo frowned, confused at first, until he remembered that Renji had been crushing on the dark-haired girl for some time. Was it the same situation? He cocked his head to the side and gave the red head a devilish grin.

"Oh yeaahhh," he drawled. "I almost forgot about that."

Renji made an "oh shit" face before masking it with a scowl. Ichigo knew what was coming next, but he refused to stick around for it. The red-haired teen had a habit of attacking when he was feeling particularly defensive. Ichigo turned on his heel and fled, unashamed and laughing the entire time. Renji was bigger than him, but he was nowhere near as fast, even if he did play American football. Even though the guy tried to catch up to him, it was futile. Ichigo was proud to say he was the fastest boy in their high school, and no amount of red-haired testosterone was going to take that title from him.

He adjusted the strap of his duffel bag and continued towards the gymnasium, mind still in a whirl. He couldn't understand what was going on with his best friend, and now he had to worry about what Renji was going to say to said best friend. It was enough to cause any normal person to have a stroke.

XOXOXO

"Why the hell didja bring me here again?"

"'Cuz ya needed ta get out and smell some fresh air, 'stead of moping around like the world's comin' ta an end while yer the richest man on Earth."

Grimmjow huffed, but followed his extremely tall friend into the lively American Football Club's house. The football club in University was like an American fraternity; only members and certain guests were given permission to attend any parties and events, and even then, entrance was granted by year. The only reason they were invited as first years was because they happened to be on the football team. Any other first year wouldn't have been allowed entrance unless they knew someone there. The front lawn was littered with students of both genders and empty red and blue plastic cups, indicating the party was already in full swing. Amazingly, the pathway to the porch was clear. He climbed the stairs and trooped through the open door, not enthusiastic in the least bit about being there. He'd had a mind to lounge around in Nnoitra's room like he'd been doing for the couple of days.

After coming to the realization that he was in love with his best friend, there had been no way he could face Ichigo. For one thing, he was embarrassed. For another, he was afraid. What if he lost control of himself and made a move on the orange-haired teen? Even worse, what if he confessed? His life would never be the same. He'd foolishly made the assumption that Ichigo liked him, only to be proven wrong when he'd discovered that his best friend was in love with someone already. He'd mistaken Ichigo's slightly odd behavior for something else. He had his arrogance to blame for that one, though. All the other boy had ever done was be kind to him and try to get used to being around him again. Grimmjow scowled and ran a hand over his face. There had been nothing different about Ichigo's behavior once he took into account that they'd been apart for seven years. A body bumped into him the second he entered the crowded house. When he looked for the offender, Grimmjow found Renji smiling up at him. The bridge of his nose and cheeks were flushed, but eyes devilish.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't the Jolly Blue Giant in the flesh," he stated.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and started to move past the red head. "Beat it, Elmo."

"Wait," Renji hurried on as he gripped Grimmjow's elbow. "I gotta talk ta ya."

"Can't it wait? Now that I'm here, I kinda wanna get drunk."

"Hold that thought."

With that, the tipsy red head swerved his way through the crowd and disappeared into the kitchen. Grimmjow leaned against the wall, slightly annoyed at the delay. At first, he hadn't been in the mood to party, but now that he was here, it didn't make sense to sulk about. He was going to get good and wasted, then maybe find someone that could take his mind off his orange-haired best friend. The more he thought about the situation with Ichigo, the more stupid he felt. Ever since he'd met Ichigo, the boy had been nothing but nice to him, and that included the moments Ichigo felt especially affectionate. It didn't mean anything romantic. It just meant that Ichigo cared a great deal for him...as a best friend. As a brother.

Grimmjow sucked his teeth, tempted to find Renji and make him talk, just so he could get his drink on and shut down his mind. His teammate must have read his thoughts from the other room because he came sliding through the swarm of students, two large, blue plastic cups held above his head. Once he was beside him again, he passed one of the cups over, wide grin hooding his russet eyes.

"Here. Let's go somewhere quieter," he suggested.

Grimmjow shrugged as he accepted the cup and took a healthy swig. He'd gotten what he wanted, so he was agreeable to almost anything at the moment. Still...he wondered what was so important Renji had to pull him to the side to talk about it at a party. Normally, the red head partied hard enough for three people. They slipped through the crowd and headed for the back. There were a bunch of lounge chairs surrounding the long, rectangular pool, so they each grabbed one and took a seat. Even though the loud music followed them, it was lower than inside the house, making conversation more comfortable.

He glanced around, noting the couples making out, some going a little further than that. That's what I need, Grimmjow thought. If I just get laid, I won't have to worry about how I feel for Ichigo. He drained his cup and set it down beside him, back at square one. He glared over at Renji, wondering why the guy was so quiet after urging him outside to talk. He was shocked to find the red head watching him carefully.

"Here ya go. I knew ya were gonna need more than one ta get ya started," Renji said as he handed over the other cup.

"Thanks," Grimmjow grumbled. He drank half of that cup before sighing and turning back to his teammate. "So, what's on yer mind?"

"Well," Renji started, folding his arms over his broad chest. "I'm kinda curious."

"About?"

"Why ya been acting like such a prick lately."

"I'm always a prick."

"That ain't necessarily true, either, JBG. You know that."

"Look, I don't know why everybody's so worried. I go through shit, just like all a'you guys. Right now, I'm going through some shit. Lemme deal with it the way I know how."

Renji cocked a tattooed brow, making it disappear beneath the white bandana he wore. His expression coupled with the way he seemed to stare right through him, made Grimmjow uncomfortable. He shifted on his chair and averted his gaze. Why did it feel like Renji knew something he shouldn't. The guy was too goofy to pay too much attention to the world around him...right?

"Sounds like you've got love issues, JBG."

He jumped and tried to hide the panic that was evident in his eyes, but didn't think he succeeded by the way the red head grinned at him.

"So, I'm right?" Renji continued.

"I dunno what yer talkin' 'bout."

"Ohh? I get it. People think I'm dumb 'cuz I take life a little less seriously than everyone else, but lemme clue ya in, JBG. I ain't dumb. Matta fact, I know more than most people do. For instance, I know that Nnoitra reads sappy romance manga faithfully. I mean the kind where the chicks get all squealy about an indirect kiss, and fall in love in one friggin' day."

Grimmjow's eyebrows hit the sky in shock. Sure, he knew about Nnoitra's secret because he'd been staying in his room the last couple of days. He'd been looking for something interesting to do, when he'd run across one of those sappy romance manga. Nnoitra had been out on a date, so he hadn't witnessed the discovery of his stash. The blue-haired boy had kept the incident to himself, but he would admit, whenever Nnoitra went off or got particularly tough with people, it made him inwardly chuckle. The guy was a closet romantic.

"Uh-huh," Renji went on with a sly smirk. "I also know that Szayel has OCD, which he sees a therapist for twice every week."

"Wha-?"

"Ever notice that he has ta turn the ball three times before he throws it? And that he rubs his hands together four times while he's waiting for the snap? Or even that he has to wash three times whenever he showers?"

He had noticed, but had passed the actions off as weird quirks of the pink-haired quarterback's. It had never crossed his mind that Szayel actually had a disorder.

"Holy shit," he breathed quietly. "I never knew that."

"Yeah. I know somethin' 'bout everyone. People jus' take me for an idiot 'cuz I like ta have fun. But why ya think I took the tight end position? I coulda said no with my skills, but I didn't. I like bein' flexible and bein' in more than one position on the field. Gives me a chance ta observe where everyone is and what everyone's up to, ya know? Plus bein' on the offensive line is pretty fun. Anyway. I got off topic here. The point is: I'm more observant than people gimme credit for. That, and I also like ta think of myself of as a good friend. So when somethin's botherin' one of 'em, I wanna help if I can."

Grimmjow stared at Renji like the red head was a UFO. Unfortunately, he'd been one of those people underestimating the guy, so it struck hard hearing any form of logic coming from him. Especially in an intelligent manner. He licked his lips and glanced away, embarrassed. He hoped Renji wouldn't think any less of him for not being able to see the smart man beneath the clown mask. However...

"As cool as that is, Renji, I don't think you'll be able ta help me with my problem."

"Wanna talk about it at least?"

Did he? Would Renji run his mouth if Grimmjow decided to be honest with him and tell him the reason for his recent attitude? The red head turned in his direction with a serious expression for a change as if he knew what Grimmjow was thinking.

"Fine, but you can't say shit ta Ichigo, or anyone else fer that matter," he blurted. Those tattooed eyebrows went up, but the teen remained silent. He just gave a quick nod of acknowledgment. "So, alright. A little while back in high school, I kinda thought Ichigo liked me. Ya know, like had a crush on me and shit."

"Really? Why was that?"

"I don' know. I guess 'cuz whenever he was around me, he started actin' all shy and blushin' and bein' weird. Like a chick, ya know? I jus' assumed after that."

"Didja change yer mind er somethin'?"

Grimmjow sighed and ran the back of his hand across his mouth before speaking. "Yeah. Couple days ago, that asshole, Shuuhei, showed up at our room-"

"Oh, so you two are roommates?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, we are."

Renji smiled mysteriously and folded his arms behind his head as he leaned back in the lounge seat. "Imagine that."

Grimmjow frowned, but went on with his story. "So, anyway. Shuuhei pops up and starts botherin' Ichigo. I don't know all a'what was said, but I heard somethin' that made me change my mind about Ichigo liking me more than as a best friend."

"Which waaaaas?"

"He said he was already in love with someone."

Renji rolled his head in Grimmjow's direction, wearing a small frown. "Did he mention a name?"

"No. Well, if he did, I didn't hear it."

He was so focused on the cup in his hand, it took him a second to register Renji's exasperated face-palm.

"Idiot," the red head grumbled into his hand. Finally, he removed it and glared at him. "And people have the audacity ta call me stupid? Really?"

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Grimmjow snapped, confused.

"Nothin'. This is one a'those things I like ta sit back and watch unfold on its own. So, what's yer problem? Why's that givin' ya an attitude?"

He was still baffled, but decided to answer Renji's question before he got down to what the red head was referring to. After taking a breath and realizing what his answer would entail, he grimaced.

"You better not say nothin' ta Ichigo, Renji. I swear ta God-"

"Alright! I thought we went over this part already? My lips are sealed, JBG. Now, spill yer guts."

"I...uh...I, um..." he paused and licked his lips. Admitting it aloud was a huge step for him. "I love him," he managed quietly.

Renji stared, then blinked. Then he blinked again. Finally, the idiot grinned hugely. "Woorrrrd?"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, tempted to leave his seat and go back inside, but Renji started cackling and grabbed his arm to keep him in place.

"I'm jus' messin' witcha. Anyway. That's kinda deep, eh? What made ya realize ya felt that way about him?"

"I guess hearin' him say he loved someone else. It made me wonder why hearin' that from him made my stomach hurt."

Again, Renji face-palmed, but this time, his recovery was flawless. "Took ya long enough."

"What's that mean?" Grimmjow snapped uneasily.

He had that eerie feeling of Renji seeing right through him again.

"It means, I had a feelin' that was the case since I first met ya. I mean, the guy comes around and it's like no one else exists except him."

Grimmjow felt his face and ears go hot and knew that he was blushing. "Oh."

"Ha! It's all good, though. I don't think Ichigo knows."

"Well, that's good news. That's the last thing I need right now," he mumbled before draining the rest of his cup.

"Why? Would it be so bad tellin' him how ya feel?" Renji asked.

It was a good question. However, since he already knew that Ichigo was in love with someone, it made no sense confessing to him, only to be instantly rejected. He would be devastated and never able to face the orange-haired teen again. Not to mention, their friendship would be ruined. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"Ren, he don't love me like that. I can't tell him how I feel and fuck up our friendship. At least I still got that."

His red-haired teammate looked away and nodded as he rose to his feet. Grimmjow followed suit, intent on getting more beer, but as he took a step forward, Renji stopped.

He peered at him over his shoulder and said seriously, "I still think ya should tell him. Unrequited love is harsh."

With that, he moved on towards the house, stride lazy. Grimmjow frowned. He understood where the guy was coming from, but he really didn't see how he could tell Ichigo how he felt, knowing there wasn't a chance in hell his feelings would be returned. He trudged into the house, losing sight of Renji almost immediately as he made his way to the kitchen. Once he entered the packed space, he picked his way through the students, eyes glued to the kegs on the opposite side of the room. He finally crossed the floor and grabbed a red plastic cup, then filled it to almost overflowing with ice cold beer. Grinning, he lifted the cup to his lips, only to freeze in his tracks, eyes widening and lips parting in shock. Back across the room where he'd come from, leaning against the wall and wearing a seductive smirk was Ichigo. He had a red cup in his hand as he smiled up into the face of one of Grimmjow's teammates, a third year named Shukuro Tsukishima. The taller, thinner guy was the current quarterback and the sole reason their new coach kept Szayel on the bench, even though the pink-haired teen was a better player than the quietly arrogant Tsukishima.

Never mind all that, though. What the fuck was that asshole doing with Ichigo? He bit the rim of his cup as he watched Tsukishima lean in closer to the orange-haired teen, small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. Tsukishima also held a cup, but Grimmjow had a feeling that both guys had forgotten about their beers. Suddenly, Ichigo's head tilted back as he laughed, deep brown eyes crinkled and dimples flashing. Grimmjow clenched his teeth together and swallowed slowly. His heart was racing as he was forced to watch, helpless, as Tsukishima used his free hand to grip Ichigo's chin and kiss him. He looked away from the scene, abruptly sick to his stomach. Was Tsukishima the prick Ichigo was in love with? God, he hoped not.

But what if he is? his conscience questioned. What will you do?

Grimmjow turned back to the scene and saw Ichigo smiling almost shyly at the older, dark-haired man. He shuddered. What could he do? Ichigo seemed happy and in the long run, that was all Grimmjow ever wanted for him.

Next time.