I can tell you now, you will absolutely hate me for the ending of this chapter – let me say, that's nothing compared to the next chapter! Prepare the tissues ladies and gentlemen!
~Chapter 13 – Short-lived~
Ichigo huffed as the small raven-haired girl clamped him around the middle for a hug before dragging him down the street. It was the 15th of July - a day he would rather forget than remember. The orange haired boy had just wanted to spend the night with Shiro seeing as this was also his special day; it was also his first one since waking up. His friends had other plans however which would mostly consist of heavy club music, bright neon lights and alcohol. All of which he hated. What angered him further was that Shiro had been in on this plan. He knew the albino was worried about him but he could handle himself, just like he had been doing for the past four years. Last time I looked I wasn't the one in a coma! Or at least recovered from . . . His mind mumbled to itself as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Ne, Ichigo?"
"What is it Rukia?" he asked, forcing his mind to shut it for just a minute.
"Are you and Grimmjow alright?"
Ichigo forced his body to keep moving instead of freezing up when she mentioned the sexy blunette. "What makes you say that?" he turned to her, forcing a fake smile on his face.
Rukia shifted uncomfortably where she was, clearly not wanting to spell out the obvious. "Well, you have a cut on your cheek and Grimmjow has a bruise on his jaw, so I assumed . . .,"
Ichigo watched as she trailed off and looked at him awkwardly. "Just say it Rukia," he said, trying not to show the frustration that laced his voice - he hated it when people would beat around the bush.
"Did you two have a fight?" she blurted.
Ichigo looked over at the blunette who was a couple of paces in front of them, casually chatting with Renji about something. In all honesty he wasn't sure what to call it – He had certainly not caused that bruise; that he knew for sure but Grimmjow had certainly caused the cut on his cheek. He wasn't even as angry as he made out to be about it, he was more shocked than anything else.
That look in Grimmjow's eyes when he tried to kiss him was the not the look he had come to love; something was troubling the blunette in a big way. Maybe that was what caused him to act differently. He wasn't drunk or on drugs – Ichigo would have seen the symptoms and his breath didn't stink of any alcohol nor were his words slurred. Ichigo turned back to Rukia who was now looking at him with what seemed to be like pity? "We're fine," he mumbled.
If Grimmjow didn't want him to know his problem then that was fine. He obviously just needed time. "Okay Ichigo, but you know you won't resolve anything if you two don't talk," she replied, clearly not satisfied with her friends answer.
She had seen her friend a mess for four years and she wasn't going to let him go back to that. She wasn't as stupid as she made out to be.
"You're too clever for your own good sometimes," he chuckled.
Rukia smiled and tugged him closer making him walk faster. "What's the rush?" he laughed, as she practically ran down the street with him.
"Talk now before you both get drunk."
Ichigo's eyes widened and tried pulling free from her grip; he didn't want to pressurise Grimm so soon. "It's fine you don't have to delve too deep," she said, rolling her eyes – without a doubt she understood the situation more than he did himself.
"What? So you're going to force us to talk to each-other in the middle of a street?" he pouted, thinking that she hadn't thought this through at all.
"Don't be silly – You can talk in that alleyway," she said, pointing at the narrow passage way to the side of them.
"That's going to make us look dodgy!" he protested. "It even looks dodgy I mean, the walls are scraped and . . . is that blood!"
"Probably just animal blood, you pansy,"
Ichigo wrinkled his nose at the rather large patch of dried up gore and glared at Rukia. "Not exactly romantic is it?"
"When in love it doesn't matter," she argued. "Now go get him!"
Ichigo sighed and started walking towards the tall blunette, his heart pumping faster as the feeling of butterflies grew in his stomach. He wanted to know. He wanted to know all his troubles if only to kiss them away and console him just like he had done for him when he was a mess. Before he knew it he was running towards him, craving to be touched and seen by him again. He reached out and grabbed a fistful of his chequered shirt forcing the man to stop dead in his tracks. Anxiously, he watched as Grimmjow turned around and stared at the berry who was panting slightly from running. "What's wrong with you?" the red-head next to him asked, his usual smirk on his face.
Ichigo ignored Renji and stared directly into azure eyes that seemed to be waiting expectantly for him to do something. "I need to talk to you," he managed to say before dragging him off to the secluded space in between the buildings.
He could faintly hear the sound of Rukia telling Renji some cover up story as he moved into the alleyway, Grimmjow close behind before spinning around and facing him. He wasn't at all surprised when Grimmjow made the first move to speak. "Ichi, I'm so sorry. I never mea-,"
Ichigo rushed forward standing on tiptoes to capture the blunette's lips in a passionate kiss stunning him into silence. Grimmjow relaxed into the kiss, pushing him up against the wall as he moved his tongue in between the seam of his lips asking for entrance. Ichigo wound his arms around his thick neck as he granted the blunette permission; god he had missed this. His soft full lips against his, his tongue massaging every inch of his dark cavern were glorious. He loved playing with his blue strands at the back of his head as Grimmjows hands roamed his body searching for every curve. He groaned low in his throat as he moved his thigh in between his crotch spreading his legs. He almost whined at the loss as Grimmjow pulled away gazing into his eyes intensely. "I am sorry," he whispered, lust filling his voice no matter how hard he tried not to. "I love you . . .,"
Ichigo felt his heart swell to double the size and opened his mouth to reply before a curt screech interrupted them. "I see you two! You've made up now let's go!"
The couple glared at Renji who was standing at the entrance of the alley-way glaring down at them – he clearly wanted to get pissed at soon as possible. Ichigo sighed and kissed the blunette quickly again before linking their hands and following the other down the road. "I'll say it one day without interruptions - don't worry," he whispered into Grimmjow's ear before smiling and dragging him along.
Grimmjow grinned back at him and watched as he practically skipped to the door with neon lights above it. Ichigo turned around and gestured for the others to come quickly, a fake smile gracing his lips. Why fake? Because as he looked back at Grimmjow he could tell something was still upsetting him as well as the horrible feeling that was growing in his gut. Was his all never going to be good enough? He turned to the door and stepped through it ignoring the look that was on his lovers face. It wasn't just him; it was the specific day as well. He pushed away the dark memories and walked through the small club door, his mind set on what he was going to do. Bring on the alcohol.
XXX
Grimmjow glanced down at the full glass of whisky and poured it into another glass making sure neither Renji nor that other guy, Kon, were watching. It was never his intention to get pissed tonight for many reasons. Many of those reasons he was regretting already but the only thing that was forcing him to stick to them was Ichigo.
He looked over at the berry who was currently downing another shot, his happy cheer filling the already noisy club. He had no idea what had gotten into him but was betting it was something to do with him! He was overjoyed when Ichigo pulled him over and kissed him like that, forgiving him for the injury he had inflicted on him through his self-induced lust state. But it was that break-taking kiss that had him regretting his plans for later. It was only because they were kissing in the very same spot that he had slaughtered the guy on that was making him regret the decision not stop it. Ironic or what?
They had been here for just over an hour and already his patience level was sky high. He hated seeing his precious Ichigo get so drunk that he couldn't see straight. Well at least he's not making out with some other stranger. He hoped his friends didn't plan this every birthday and let him get drunk out of his face – and even his brother was in on this! Messed up people . . .
He glanced up as someone put down there drink on his table and smiled slightly when he saw it was only Ichigo. He watched, a little surprised, as he sat down on his lap, his mouth immediately going for his neck. "Whatcha doing Ichi?" he asked, resisting the urge to moan as the man nibbled his chin – That was always a sensitive part.
"Ya looked lonely all by ya self," he slurred, his hands wrapping around his neck. "So I came to entertain you~,"
God that last part made him shiver – maybe drunken Ichigo wasn't so bad after all. "So what's up with this bruise?" he asked, his teeth ghosting over his jaw where the purple splotch lay.
Scratch that. "It's nothing," he said, twisting his face away so the berry couldn't see it.
Ichigo pouted slightly, his eyes dilated from the alcohol. "Show me!" he shouted over the music, tangling his hands in his hair massaging his scalp.
"I think ya need to go home," he mumbled moving to pick the berry up before he moved over straddling the man's hips.
"Is this bout the scratch? Forget about it Grimmy," he smiled lazily. "If that violence is part of ya then I can handle it,"
He didn't know why but something inside of him just snapped when he mentioned that and before he knew it he was confessing everything to him. Maybe it was because of the fact that Ichigo was drunk so he wouldn't remember anything. "My violence? You would handle my bloodlust even if one day it could get ya killed!?"
"What ya on 'bout? You wouldn't kill me,"
"That's the thing, I don't know!" he shouted in frustration.
Ichigo looked him in the eye seriously worrying Grimmjow slightly. Crap, he's not sober is he!? "Grimmy," he cooed. "I love you - even with all ya rough edges,"
Grimmjow froze taking in Ichigo's drunken ramble that was unfortunately true. He could have left him easily if he had known that he didn't love him as he did. "You just had to say that," he whispered, his head dropping to rest against his lover's shoulders.
"It's true though – I love you," he repeated lowering his voice so only he could hear it.
Grimmjow gulped forcing his eyes not to water as he made his final decision – he had to stop things before they went out of hand. He placed his arms under Ichigo's thighs and lifted him up relieved when he was met with no resistance. He was also thankful that when Rukia spotted them she let them go with a smile on her face. She wouldn't be smiling if she knew the truth he thought as he walked out of the club.
It had been surprisingly easy to get Ichigo home even if he was drunk. He didn't throw up which was good or try to get down; he just simply went to sleep. Although his sweet face wasn't doing much for his decision. It was when they finally got home that he woke. "Where'd everyone go?" he said yawning.
"We're back home," he explained, carefully lowering him onto the bed and tucking him under the covers.
Ichigo pulled the covers over his chin and looked up sleepily at Grimmjow. "Thanks Grimm,"
Grimmjow wrinkled his nose in confusion. "For what?"
"For loving me," he simply stated before falling asleep, his soft snores the only sound in the room as tears finally slid down the blunette's face.
Never once in his life had he cried – not even when his mother had committed suicide because of him and this guy could get him to do it in less than a second.
Grimmjow got up quietly and kissed Ichigo softly on the lips one last time before stumbling over to the door, his tears blurring his eyes as he got on his motorbike. He turned on the ignition, dropping the helmet to the ground as he looked up at Ichigo's window. Thank you too Ichigo . . .