New Chapter! :D No extravagant warnings.

Chapter 10: Misunderstood

Ichigo was furious with the world. She couldn't believe how many things had blown up in her face. First her boyfriend was having some kind of love affair with some beautiful hussy and now she had been fired. She frowned as she drove towards the home she and Grimmjow shared. What the hell did she do to deserve all this? Was she seriously not allowed to be happy? Was she meant to spend the rest of her life sad and alone?

She chuckled dryly, gripping the steering wheel in her car. Today was just a load of bullshit. She had lost the job that she worked her ass off at for years. Those bitches couldn't keep themselves out of her business. And Grimmjow couldn't even keep his dick in his pants. And that wasn't even the sour thing about it. Ichigo scowled at the fact that Grimmjow had just said that he loved her. He loved her! But now she thought it was load of utter crap. The blue haired man had to be lying to her about the love he claimed to have.

Ichigo bit her bottom lip, wanting to practically gnaw it off. She didn't understand why things had to always be taken from her. She didn't understand why love seemed to never work out for her. She was lucky with Renji. Even though the man was her first, it never took a turn for the worst. They were still good friends till' this day and she wouldn't have that any other way. Ishida had been the love of her life, she thought. She had wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She wanted to have a family and grow old, something she had never thought about until she started dating him. She thought it would be perfect, but it had turned into a complete nightmare.

But from it she met Grimmjow. From the five and a half months they had been together, everything seemed to be going fine. Of course she had her doubts, but he had been the perfect boyfriend. He cherished her and gave her everything she could possibly want. But in the end, he was cheating on her. Okay, she didn't know that for a fact, but all the signs pointed to a love affair. She should probably just ask him, but she was scared of the answer she would get. She was scared that Grimmjow would say that he loved that other woman and would leave her.

She whined in frustration over her situation. She didn't know what she should do. Pulling into the underground garage, she drove her car into the designated spot. Putting the car into park, she turned off the car and leaned back in the seat. She saw the box of belongings in the back seat and frowned. She would have to find another job soon. She doubted Grimmjow would let her stay at his place without money coming in, but she didn't think she could even do such a thing. Though she loved to cook and clean up after Grimmjow's itsy bitsy messes, she wasn't the housewife type.

She glanced over to the side and frowned when she saw Grimmjow's car parked in the spot next to hers. The man was supposed to be at work, so why was he home? She quickly exited her car, completely forgetting her belongings and stormed towards the elevators. Jabbing the button with her thumb, she could feel herself getting angrier and angrier as the time flew by.

She stepped into the lift and pressed the button that went to her floor. Finally making it up, she listened as the bell dinged and she stepped out. She quickly walked to he door, pulling out her key-card and slipping it into the slot. She pushed open the door and peeked around it, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She scowled at the quietness in the apartment and slipped inside. She quietly walked down the small hallway, passing the bedroom. She didn't notice anything in the open room and continued to make her way into the living area.

She stopped dead when she saw the brown haired woman sitting on the couch. Ichigo could feel her blood boiling just at the sight of her.

"Ichi?" The orange haired woman glared over her shoulder, not caring if she was giving Grimmjow a murderous look. "Wh-what are you doing home so early?"

"I should be asking you that, Jeagerjaques." Ichigo's anger seemed to grow when Grimmjow gulped. "Who the hell is that on our couch?"

"No one. Just…just a friend."

"Oh?" Ichigo arched her brow, turning her attention back to the living room and made her way over to stand in front of the women. She was even prettier up close and her body was practically on display in the figure hugging dress. "Hello," Ichigo greeted. "I don't think we've met. I'm Ichigo, Grimmjow's girlfriend. Who might you be?"

Ichigo made herself comfortable on the couch next to the woman and reveled in the bewildered expression. "Uh…" The woman glanced over to see Grimmjow seating himself on the chair across from them. "I'm Mila Rose, a friend of Grimmjow's from high school."

"High school? I never knew." Ichigo glared over towards her boyfriend. "I wonder why I never knew that." Turning her attention back towards the woman, she smiled politely. "So, what brings you here? To our home, when Grimmjow is supposed to be at his job, working, instead of being here."

"Ichigo. It's not what it looks like."

"Oh? It's not. Because it looks like you are sneaking behind my back to see some woman I know nothing about. Is that not what's going on?" Ichigo was livid and she knew she wasn't acting her normal "don't give a damn" self. Today just wasn't her day and she would let everyone know that.

"Ichigo…"

"I saw you, Grimmjow!" The man quickly shut his mouth and frowned at his girlfriend. "I saw you earlier today. At lunch with…this!"

"Excuse me-"

Ichigo pointed her finger at the woman, her body throbbing with anger. "You aren't allowed to talk. This has nothing to do with you. I want to hear what Grimmjow has to say in his defense," Ichigo said, glaring at the woman. Mila Rose's face quickly pale and she quickly became quiet. Ichigo looked over to see Grimmjow scowling at her. "…I'm waiting."

"I think it's time for you to leave, Mila. I'll call you later." Grimmjow rose from the chair and escorted the woman out. Ichigo sat there with her face buried in her hands. She didn't need this right now. She didn't enjoy feeling like her life was falling apart. She started to hyperventilate, trying to understand what was going on. "Ichigo, what the fuck is your problem today?

Grimmjow froze when he saw his girlfriend rocking back and forth on the couch, her face buried in her palms. He could hear the soft sobbing and sighed before making his way over and sitting next to her. "Ichigo…" She quickly pushed herself against Grimmjow, burying her face into his chest. "What the hell is going on?"

"I-I know that…that you-you're cheating on me," Ichigo sobbed.

"Cheating on you? What the hell gave you that idea?" Ichigo pushed herself closer to Grimmjow and the man couldn't help but wrap his arms around her. "Ichi, I'm not cheating on you."

"Then who the hell was she!" Ichigo's muffled voice sounded.

"A friend."

"Why were you keeping her a secret?"

"So this wouldn't happen. Misunderstandings. I just didn't want to deal with it."

"Then you should have just said something about her from the beginning."

"If I did, you would have been asking all sorts of questions and I didn't want to ruin the surprise." Ichigo pulled away and looked up at Grimmjow with teary mocha eyes.

"Surprise? What surprise? The fact that you've been going around town with her?" Grimmjow sighed and pulled away from Ichigo. She watched him leave them room and frowned, listening to what he was doing. "Grimmjow?"

"I was supposed to give you this on Christmas, but it wasn't completed yet. I had to get the finishing touches put on it today. During lunch." Ichigo watched Grimmjow seat back on the couch, holding a square black case.

"Wh-what is it?" Grimmjow gave a lop-sided grin and held it out to her.

"Open it and see." Ichigo slowly reached for the box and held it in her shaky hands. "I wasn't really sure what to get, but I guessed it would suit you." She stared at it for a moment before cautiously opening it. She could feel tears start to roll down her face as she gazed at what was in the box. "Mila-Rose was a friend from high school, but she also owns a few high-end jewelry stores. When I was in New York I was getting this made for you. Since I had to leave before it was finished, she shipped it and came down here so that she could help me with the finishing touches to it."

Ichigo sniffled, trying to get her tears to stop falling. She had the wrong idea about what was going on the whole time. She let her doubt get the better of her and started to think that maybe she wasn't even good enough for Grimmjow anymore. All she did was doubt his love and tried to make it seem as if he was really out to hurt her intentionally.

In the box sat a white gold charm bracelet. Ichigo didn't care much for jewelry because she knew she would always lose really expensive things. Most of the jewelry she wore was fake, bought at clothing boutiques. Her engagement and weeding ring had been the only thing she had that was close to expensive and that didn't even have diamonds in it. She let her fingers ghost over the sparkling bracelet. Picking it up, she looked at the different charms, all made of diamonds. A small strawberry was made out of red and green gems, while there was a black diamond crescent moon. Next was a piece of chocolate and Ichigo chuckled at it. The numbers 1 and 5 came next encrusted in diamonds as well and the last charm was a small sitting blue panther.

Ichigo leaned over, pressing the side of her head against Grimmjow's shoulder. "Thank you. It's beautiful." Ichigo felt ashamed with herself. She couldn't believe how she acted in front of that woman. She watched Grimmjow's long fingers wrap around the bracelet and she let it go. She watched him unlock it and slip it around her wrist before locking it again. "I feel bad for what I said in front of that woman. Maybe I should…apologize."

"Don't worry about it. I'll tell her what you said." Grimmjow looked down at Ichigo and see how she was gazing at the bracelet. "So I guess you really like it."

"I love it. It's perfect. I didn't really get you anything, though."

"I don't need anything. I got everything I want." Ichigo looked up and smiled at Grimmjow. She leaned over and pressed her lips against his.

"…I love you."

"Love you, too." Ichigo could feel her face heat up at the already known confession. She still hadn't gotten used to hearing the words come from his mouth. "So…what are you doing home so early, anyway?"

"Oh…I got fired today."

"…Oh." Grimmjow stared out in front of him before frowning and looking back towards Ichigo with large sapphire eyes. "You were what!" Ichigo giggled at his reaction. She knew it wasn't funny news, but the man's reactions to things lately were just priceless.

Ichigo sighed, setting her cell phone down for the seventh time that day. Call after call and she still couldn't find any place that was hiring. No one needed a secretary or assistant and she wasn't sure she could even do any other kind of job. She had been at her job for years, ever since she graduated high school.

She leaned back in the booth at the small cafe she was sitting at. It had been a few days since she lost her job and the days seemed to have dragged on. It was hard when she was so used to getting up early in the morning. She had been seeing Grimmjow off and the blunet didn't seem to mind it one bit. In fact he seemed ecstatic that Ichigo wasn't going to be at work all day. He said it would give him a chance to sneak home at lunch for some much-needed strawberry. Ichigo smiled at that. The man was truly a pervert.

She looked down at the charm bracelet that now adorned her wrist. Ever since Grimmjow placed it there, she had yet to take it off, unless she was in the shower. It was as if it was a part of her now. It was a piece of Grimmjow that she could take around with her. She reached for the little blue panther, thumping it and smiled. She knew it was to represent her blue haired boyfriend. It was actually her favorite charm, other than the chocolate.

She was so happy about how things had turned out with him. She was glad that she didn't have to worry about him cheating on her. She was glad that she didn't have to doubt the love he had for her, because he did in fact love only her. She wondered what would be the next step in their relationship. They had already dated for a little over five months. Grimmjow had already met her family and they were living together. They were comfortable around each other. They could share their problems and even though they had arguments, they seemed to always get passed them.

Ichigo didn't even want to think about marriage now. She wanted her relationship with him to stay fresh for as long as possible. She had made the mistake of a quick marriage before and it didn't turn out to well. She was still young and in her prime and she would enjoy their honeymoon phase for as long as she could. She wondered if she could spice things up with their love life or if it was even needed. Now that she was out of a job for a while, she figured she could put most of her time into her relationship with Grimmjow. It wasn't like she needed the money. She had saved up plenty and living with Grimmjow was more than what you would call privileged.

Ichigo stared down at her half eaten chocolate cake and started to pick at it. She sometimes even wondered about kids. She didn't know how Grimmjow felt about them, but she absolutely adored children. She guessed it was something passed down from her mother or just a woman thing. She looked down at her stomach, wondering what it would be like to have something of Grimmjow's growing inside of her. She knew they had been having a lot of unprotected sex and even though she was using a type of contraceptive she still knew there was a possibility of her getting pregnant. She had always wondered about that since they first met. The man hadn't even used a condom the first time. They were both clean of diseases, getting checked at least once a month, but she wondered if Grimmjow thought about getting her pregnant.

He knew that she was on the pill and even if there was a risk of her getting pregnant he still let loose inside her. She wondered if that was a sign that Grimmjow was actually ready for children. She smiled at the thought of actually being a mother. She thought about the sounds of small feet running around their home and seeing a small head of blue or orange hair. She wondered how good of a father Grimmjow would be.

Ichigo scowled to herself. She was turning into such a girl. "Ichigo?" The orange haired woman looked over her shoulder to see a man she hadn't seen a long time.

"…Ishida?" She wasn't even sure if it was the same man. He seemed taller and his shoulders seemed broader than she remembered. He was clad in a gray pinstriped suit with a deep blue tie and Ichigo could see just how filled out he had gotten. His hair had grown a little longer and framed his now more defined face. Ichigo found herself staring before she cleared her throat. She had always thought Ishida was cute, but when did he turn into a total heartthrob? "I-it's been a long time. You look…different." He smirked and Ichigo felt herself blush.

"Yeah, I guess I grew a bit," he said as he walked over to her booth. "How are you? You still look as beautiful as ever." Ichigo coughed into her hand and watched Ishida sit across from her.

"Uhm, thank you. And I'm fine, I guess." Ichigo frowned when she realized that the classifieds were sitting on the tabletop for all to see. "…Looking for a job," she mumbled.

"A job? What happened to your job with Urahara-san?"

"I, uhm, I was fired." The Quincy's eyes enlarged slightly at the surprising news. He had known that Ichigo loved that job dearly and had been at it for the longest.

"I apologize. That's very unsettling for you, I'm sure." Ichigo just shrugged and went back to picking at her dessert.

"I'm okay with it, I guess. I should have known it would happen eventually. Most of the people there didn't like me anyway. They were just waiting for me to screw up so they could throw me out." Ichigo looked up to see Ishida gazing at her with an unreadable expression. "Uhm, how are you? It's really been a long time."

"I'm doing great. Work is going great as usual. I moved to a place much closer to the hospital. It was too much of a hassle to drive so far away."

"So you finally sold the apartment." The dark haired man nodded and Ichigo seemed a little sad about that. She knew it was no longer her place of residence, but she did love that apartment. "Well that's good. How is your love life?"

"Do you really want to know?" Ichigo frowned; gazing at the man she once called her husband. Did she really want to know about the women he was with now? She had a right to know, right? He knew about Grimmjow, so couldn't she be nosey as well. She nodded and waited for him to speak. "Well, if you must know. I am dating someone. …It's Tatsuki."

Ichigo narrowed her eyes, trying to remember that name. She really was bad with names. Her eyes went wide and Uryu could practically see the gold flecks in them. "You're dating Tatsuki! Holy hell!" Ichigo was more than surprised. She quickly remembered the brash, brawny and smart girl that she went to high school with. "H-how is she doing these days?" Ichigo was actually excited about that. It meant that Arisawa could keep the Quincy in check. She knew that dark haired woman was totally dominating the relationship.

"She's doing well. She's traveling for a while. She's competing in the International Women's Boxing Tournament, so you know how dedicated she always was about her fighting." Ichigo nodded. She could understand that, but she was surprised about was the fact that Ishida was talking so highly about Tatsuki. She couldn't remember the Quincy ever talking about her in such a way. She frowned, this was getting really depressing. She guessed she couldn't complain though. She had Grimmjow and that was all that really mattered.

"Well, I'm glad you found someone for you, Uryu. You seem genuinely happy now."

"Just like you." Ichigo smiled at him and nodded. She was happy now, so she guessed he was allowed happiness as well. Ishida looked down at his watch and sighed. "Well, I should get going. I have a shift tonight and I really just came in to get some coffee." He rose up from the table and Ichigo watched him with sepia eyes.

"It was nice seeing you again, Uryu."

"You too, Ichigo." She watched him leave before tuning her attention towards the large glass window. She guessed it was time for her to get going as well.

Ichigo sighed as she walked down the sidewalk. She really wasn't ready to go home yet. She felt like she should be doing something important. She passed by a few shops, looking into the windows. She saw the cute outfits in varieties of different colors, but it wasn't what she was looking for. She saw shoes on display and purses, but it still wasn't what she wanted. She stopped in front of a hair salon and gazed at the women inside. Frowning, she reached her hand up and ran it through her orange locks. She looked down at the straight pieces and wondered if it was time for something new. She smirked big and made her way into the salon.

She asked if someone could fill her in today ad she was lucky to be able to get an appointment. After sitting in the chair for what felt like hours it was finally her turn and she felt a little more nervous.

"So, what can I do for you today? Wash? Color? A Trim?"

Ichigo stared at herself in the large mirror. She gulped and breathed out slowly. "I want it all off."

"All of it?" Ichigo opened the book she had been looking at and pointed to a hairstyle. "Are you sure?"

"…Yes." Ichigo watched as the stylist started to snip away at her hair. Long locks of orange fell to the floor and Ichigo thought she would have a heart attack. She had been growing the hair since she was a little girl. It was the same hair her mother used to braid, the same hair Yuzu used to play with, but now it was gone. Ichigo thought she would have a conniption the moment the stylist stopped cutting. She didn't realize how short it was being cut.

She slowly and shaky reached her hand up and ran it through short limp locks. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God!"

"Calm down, honey. It will look cute once I'm finish." Ichigo swallowed before nodding slowly. She just hoped it would come out all right.

Ichigo tried to keep her mind off of her hair. She thought that making dinner before Grimmjow got home would do the trick, but she found herself pulling at the short locks. It was just so short and she wondered if Grimmjow would even like it. She frowned as she looked down at the rice in the cooker. She knew she would have to distract him, so after leaving the salon she had went to buy something sexy to put on. Not being able to find anything, she realized she still had the outfit she had bought when she went Christmas shopping.

She quickly finished preparing the food, making sure to turn the stove onto simmer so she wouldn't burn the food she had been cooking. She quickly stepped into the shower and washed up; making sure everything was smooth as a baby's bottom. The hair the normal adorned her hot box was clean and free of orange curls. She wanted to look like a new woman when that man of hers came home.

After finishing, she quickly stepped out and dried off. Wrapping the towel around her body, she headed back into the bedroom and straight towards the closet.

"Ichigo, I'm home!" Ichigo cursed and ran into the closet and quickly started looking for the powder blue baby doll and matching panties.

"I'll be out in a moment! Help yourself to dinner!" She quickly threw the towel off and slipped into the lacy underwear before sliding the top over her and down her torso. She fixed her chest into the top and walked out. She went to her draw and grabbed a pair of gray shorts, slipping them on. She grabbed the lotion sitting on top of the dresser and quickly made her legs and arms glisten with the unscented moisturizer. She looked in the mirror to fix her hair and make sure it looked decent. "Okay Ichigo." She took a deep breath. "You can do this." She posed in front of the mirror before throwing her hands in the air and walking back out towards the kitchen area.

Ichigo saw Grimmjow making a plate of food, still clad in his immaculate and expensive suit pants. His light blue silk shirt was unbuttoned and she could see a peek of pectoral muscles. Ichigo licked her lips and casually made her way towards the table.

"How was work?" Ichigo asked in her normal voice.

"Same as it always is. Nothing new to report. How was the job hunting?" Ichigo pouted at the fact that Grimmjow hadn't looked over at her yet.

"It was okay, but I still haven't found one."

"Don't worry, Ichigo. You will find a new job," he responded, grabbing the fork that was sitting by his plate. "Besides, you have all the…time…in…the…" Grimmjow's eyes locked onto Ichigo's hair and his brows creased in confusion. "Ichigo?"

"…Yes?" She continued to gaze at him, seeing a variety of emotions run through his eyes. She started to pull on the edge of the baby doll in nervousness.

"…" Grimmjow was stunned to silence as he gazed at Ichigo's hair.

"Gr-Grimmjow?" She started to walk closer to him and she could see that his eyes really were glued to her hair. "D-does it look bad?" She started to pull at one of the spiky strands. She looked up at him with her big expressive brown eyes. She stepped closer and reached for his plate, setting it back down on the counter. She pressed up close to him, letting her breasts rub up against his chest.

"Wha-What did you do to your…hair?"

"I cut it. You don't like it?" Grimmjow gulped and his eyes lowered to gaze into Ichigo's eyes before looking back up. He wasn't exactly sure of what to say. Ichigo had been beautiful with the long flowing apricot hair, but now. Now she was just…

"Sexy…" Ichigo's eyes went large and she saw Grimmjow hands rise from the corner of her eye. She felt it slowly run through her now short locks and wondered if he really thought it was sexy.

"R-Really?" Grimmjow continued to let his hands run through the still soft orange locks. Ichigo did in fact look sexy. Her angular face was perfect for the short spikes. They were chaotic and seemed to have a mind of their own. He let his eyes trail down further and saw the see through fabric wrapped around her curvy breasts. He could actually feel the nipples pushing against his chest and wondered how he hadn't felt them before.

"Yeah, really. What, uh, were you thinking when you decided to get it cut?" Ichigo shrugged and looked away.

"Just was thinking it's time for a change is all. I think it's time for a new me."

"As long as you stay the Ichigo I fell in love with." Ichigo looked up, her cheeks blushing and a small smile starting to show on her lips.

"…Of course."

Grimmjow smirked and leaned over, brushing his lips against hers. "That a girl."

:DD OH YEAH! So no cheating drama anymore... So I've been wondering, if anyone wants to see Grimmjow and Ichigo go through something during this story. Or if you have any ideas of things you want to see in this story. I am welcome to ideas as long as they aren't over the top. This will be a long ongoing story as it will talk about Grimmjow and Ichigo's relationship and how they can keep it going. So ideas are welcomed for this story.

So if you have any, you can review with them and I hope to see you guys next chapter.