The Way Things Are

Ichigo was a little tipsy, having actually been convinced that since it was a holiday he should at least drink "something", "something" for Renji being a lot more than Ichigo could really handle. However, Shuuhei thought that Ichigo was a cute drunk and it happened so rarely that he enjoyed when it did. Ichigo was curled up under his arm at the moment, tracing designs on his chest. Truth be told, it was turning on Shuuhei a bit, but he could hold out for a while longer. He spent his time thinking of things to do to Ichigo to get him to sober up. Maybe a shower that he would sneak in on? Shuuhei had a thing for shower sex. He loved Ichigo wet and lathered up. It had never been a thing for him before, but with Ichigo he loved to see him dripping and naked. He still had his heterosexual tendencies; a pair of breasts in tight clothes would definitely get his attention, but nothing really quite got his attention like Ichigo bending over "innocently" and showing off his ass. He particularly loved when they went to the world of the living to visit Ichigo's family and Ichigo pranced around in those ridiculously tight jeans he favored and t-shirts that pulled tightly across his chest and arms.

The world of the living also had things called "clubs" that Ichigo had dragged Shuuhei to. The first time they both had left the place feeling a little disgruntled, both having received more than what each other thought was the appropriate amount of attention from admirers, but that was Ichigo's fault for picking a wild gay club. The next time they went knowing what to expect and instantly lost themselves in each other on the dance floor. Shuuhei really couldn't believe what was considered "dancing" in the world of the living. He thought what he had done before had been provocative, but he had nothing on Ichigo when he was getting into it. Ichigo practically had sex on the dance floor, almost undressing Shuuhei and rubbing on him in the most erotic ways. The first time they had really danced together like that, Shuuhei had wound up dragging Ichigo to the roof in his spirit form and having sex right there. Of course when they got back their bodies were up to no good, having been aggressively hit on by anyone within twenty yards. He had learned his lesson after pulling his gigai off of some skanky blond chick, not that it hadn't been worth it to be with Ichigo that way.

Ichigo pulled away from Shuuhei to munch on some food that Renji had ordered.

"Hey guys," Ikkaku greeted them, coming in with Yumichika and Grimmjow.

"Heeeeey!" Ichigo responded, waving a piece of celery at them.

Ikkaku snorted at that.

"What the hell is that?" Grimmjow asked, looking at the vegetable with interest.

"Oh, it's called celery. I actually hate it," Ichigo said, calmly chewing on the end.

"Then don't eat it, you spaz," Grimmjow grinned at him, taking away the uneaten part. He glanced at it hesitantly before putting it in his mouth. "It's not that bad," he said. "Seems like it would be better with other stuff though."

"I like mine in a Bloody Mary," Yumichika said. "But considering I haven't found a place that serves them in the Soul Society, I guess maybe it would be best in some sort of dip."

Grimmjow stick the end in one of the sake glasses and took another bite after soaking it. "Still no good," he claimed.

"You know, we should totally open a bar," Ichigo said drunkenly to Yumichika. "We could serve all sorts of world of the living drinks. I bet ya that Kisuke could get his shop to send supplies to us, he goes back all the time."

"That is actually a great idea," Yumichika said. "I've been wanting a vodka and redbull for months."

"You and your sissy drinks," Ikkaku said with a wave.

"Ok, I like lots of sissy drinks, but vodka and redbull is not one of them," Yumichika responded.

"Who do we know that's rich?" Ichigo tried to think. "Byakuya! We could hit Byakuya up for money and start a…a…coffeehouse and bar…because I miss cappuccinos!" Ichigo explained.

"I'm so very sure he would go for that," Ikkaku rolled his eyes.

"Oh my god I miss coffee!" Renji said, jumping in all of sudden. "We definitely need to have a…coffeehouse, bar, and exotic dancing place!"

"Yes, your boyfriend will definitely want to fund a stripping place," Ikkaku joked. "What is it that you guys have been drinking, because I want some."

"What's a stripping place?" Grimmjow asked.

"Women…and men, depending…they got on a stage with a pole and take off their clothes and dance erotically and you throw money at them," Ichigo explained.

"Oh yeah, definitely get one of those here," Grimmjow agreed.

"The more types of booze, the better!" Rangiku said, joining them from another table.

"Hi Rangiku!" Ichigo said cheerily.

"What do you want?" Ikkaku said darkly. He had had a disagreement with Rangiku not too long ago about her keeping her damn hands off of his captain. Whenever she got the tiniest bit wasted she all of sudden was trying to sit in his lap.

"I heard something about stripping so I came over!" she said. "I went to one of those places when we visited the world of the living. It's way better than a geisha house. It was all male! It was fantastic!"

"I bet," Ikkaku replied.

"Lieutenant Kurosaki!" someone said, walking up to the table.

"Hi…er…," Ichigo tried to focus.

"It's ok if you don't remember me. My name is Sasha!" the girl said.

"Er, I'm just a little…under right now. I'm sure I'll remember you later," Ichigo explained.

"Just imagine meeting you here!" Sasha said with a coy smile. "I was so glad to see you…"

Why does this always happen? Shuuhei wondered. People don't hit on me in front of Ichigo. Of course, if I bring it up later he'll say it's nothing.

"Back away, sister," Grimmjow said, forcibly dragging her off by the collar.

She looked flustered.

"Bye," Grimmjow said meaningfully, his voice going in a low growl. She turned and left, looking a little paler.

Well gee, maybe I should try that next time, Shuuhei thought to himself.

"What was that for?" Ichigo looked confused.

Shuuhei wrapped his arm around Ichigo. "You're too cute," he said to his boyfriend.

Ichigo had no idea where that came from but he enjoyed it, snuggling into his boyfriend again. Across the table Grimmjow averted his eyes, deciding to glower at the girl who had tried to flirt with his Ichigo. No doubt in his mind, Ichigo was still his, even if he was in someone else's arm this very second. Grimmjow looked up and found himself meeting Shuuhei's eyes. Yeah, he knows what I'm thinking, Grimmjow thought, looking away and taking a sip of sake.

"H-h-hi," someone said to Grimmjow.

"What?" he asked, looking over the smaller male.

"I-I just…" the man fidgeted, looking at Grimmjow intently.

"He probably wants to know if you're really a hollow and if you have a hollow hole and if you have a pulse and if you breath and eat and etc," Yumichika sighed. It was something they got a lot. On the one hand he couldn't really blame people for being curious, but he was definitely over having to deal with it. He was surprised that Grimmjow was as good about it as he had been. If it had been Ikkaku coming under such questions all the time, there would have been a trail of unconscious shinigami leading to his quarters. He wondered if it was because of the restrictions placed on him, or if Grimmjow had just mellowed out in the last year. He doubted that though, he had seen Grimmjow and his captain fight. After the first couple of buildings got destroyed, Head Captain Yamamoto had ordered all fighting to be done in a special training ground that Captain Kurotsuchi had set up that blocked a lot of their spiritual pressure from leaking out and practically killing people like it was before. Mayuri had been more than happy to set up the structure, burying layers and layers of recording equipment in it, which Kenpachi had found out about fairly quickly but hadn't cared enough to remove. Grimmjow hadn't cared either. If the crazy scientist could get his data without chopping him into bits and drugging him, it was fine by him.

"Yes," the man replied quietly, looking at Grimmjow.

Honestly, Grimmjow was impressed that the man had even had the courage to come over here and talk to him since it looked like he was about to keel over from sheer fear. So he sighed and untied his kimono, pulling it open to reveal his hollow hole.

"Wow," the man said. A small crowd drew around him, looking over his shoulders at the former espada. "Does it…I mean, can you put your hand through it and everything?"

"Yeah," Grimmjow replied, showing him.

"It is sensitive?" the man asked.

Well now, that was getting a little personal. "Yes," Grimmjow answered simply. Now if the guy asked to touch him he was going to pound him into the floor and leave him a bloody mash of bones and flesh for his friends to pick up.

Ikkaku got the vibe off of Grimmjow and looked over at the group crowded around the end of their booth. "Piss off or I'll kill you all," he said. "Or I'll kill you all" was becoming a catch phrase with him really, but the group took him seriously and dispersed without pissing off Grimmjow. "You should probably just walk around naked," he joked to Grimmjow, thinking about how often he had to take his shirt off every week to show off his hollow hole.

"I wouldn't mind that," Grimmjow said with a wide grin.

"Bad kitty!" Ichigo said drunkenly.

Now that was just adorable. Grimmjow would have hated anyone else saying those words, but from Ichigo's mouth they just turned him on. He longed to show him what a truly bad kitty he was. He almost said so but saw the fire in Shuuhei's eyes as he opened his mouth and decided against it. Not that he had any problem wailing on Shuuhei, but Ichigo would definitely get pissed off at him. He knew that from past experience. He had actually been shocked at what a hard hitter Shuuhei could be when he actually got into it, but there was never any doubt in his mind as to what would happen if he were to ever go against Ichigo's boyfriend in earnest. After that he at least respected Shuuhei more though. He could see why Ichigo felt something for him, but that didn't mean he was ever going to stop trying.

"We should probably go home," Shuuhei said, scooping up Ichigo and helping him up.

"Mmm," Ichigo said, nuzzling Shuuhei's neck and then grabbing his ass. "Yup, time to go."

Shuuhei just smiled and waved to their friends as they left the bar.

"One of these days," Ikkaku said, looking over at Grimmjow's strained face, "you're gonna give him up."

"Oh really?" Grimmjow said. "Just like you'd give Yumichika up if he went after someone else?"

Ikkaku sighed. Grimmjow really was impossible sometimes. "Wanna start a bar fight?" he asked.

"Hell yeah," Grimmjow said, standing up.

"No!" Yumichika yelled, not really paying attention up until that point. "Quick, Rangiku, flash them your boobs and distract them!"

"What?" Rangiku asked.

Grimmjow and Ikkaku looked at her expectantly. "It's one or the other," Ikkaku said with a shrug.

"I love you," Shuuhei whispered into Ichigo's ear as he was sleeping.

"I love you too, Shuuhei," Ichigo said, snuggling closer.

"You're supposed to be asleep," Shuuhei teased him.

"And you're supposed to be up early working on reports, and I'm not bothering you about it," Ichigo said. "In fact," he said, beginning to rub his hands along Shuuhei's chest. "In fact, I think I'm going to distract you from it." He kissed along Shuuhei neck, feeling Shuuhei sleepily press into him.

"Naughty Ichigo," Shuuhei claimed.

"It's like you looked into my mind," Ichigo said with an evil chuckle. "Because I have some very bad things planned for you."

Shuuhei pulled Ichigo towards him. "I'm not sure how I lived without you before," he breathed.

"I'm sure it was very boring," Ichigo laughed.

A/N: So there we are, all set up for the sequel! Poor Grimmjow is still pining after Ichigo, but I'll be nicer to him in the next fic. And for some of the people being worried, I'm not going to be mean to Shuuhei either, or make Ichigo slutty all of a sudden.

Thanks to all of you for reading this story, especially those of you who followed it from beginning to end! I'm not sure what I'll call the next series, but I'll probably go with some simple like "Lost Cause: Sequel" of Lost Cause II" just to make it easier to find for those of your not subscribed to me as an author.