Just want you to know that I'm almost done with 'Game Over' in the next few chapters. Then I'll concentrate on this. After that . . . . I dunno, eat cookies?
Red Light Escape by Boogermeister
Chapter 21- How to Love
"Um, do you need anything to drink, Mister Grimmjow?" muttered Yuzu but Grimmjow shook her head.
"I'm good, and just call me Grimmjow," he replied before the young girl nodded and sat next to Isshin. By now, Tensa was standing and leaning against her long-lost grandfather's knees as he curiously glanced around. "Mr. Kurosaki . . . . we both know that I'm gonna tell Ichigo that I've came here to see you. I was sorry about lying to her, but I didn't want her to feel sad and guilty that she had forced herself away from her family. Maybe she would understand that I was only doing what's best for the kid."
"I know," nodded Isshin. "But she's a naturally stubborn girl, she gets that from me. I assumedly doubt that she would willingly come here even if given a chance. But I don't want to wait . . . . ten years before seeing her again. It's already been painful enough after just a year and a half. She didn't tell you why she left here?"
". . . . It had to do with the father of her child, right?" he said, and Isshin nodded.
"Almost everybody she knew had shunned her because of her affair with him, and she hid in the house for months and months until she suddenly left," he muttered. "I was immediately afraid from her disappearance because she took Tensa with her in the middle of Winter . . . . it was only when she called later that day was I relieved, but that made me even more concerned because I found out that she ran away to the Seireitei and that she was never coming back."
All the while, Tensa rested his head on the older man's knee as he felt the strong fingers combing through his hair. He was a bit confused of why he sounded sad when talking as he glanced up at him. ". . . . Mama . . . .?" he mumbled, catching Isshin's attention.
"Yeah, I'm talking about your mother, Tensa . . . ." he said with a soft smile. "Is she doing okay over there . . . .?"
"Yah . . . ."
"That's good to hear," he sighed as he glanced at Grimmjow. "Tell me, Grimmjow . . . . where did you first meet Ichigo?"
"Oh, uh . . . . at her workplace, sir," he replied. He caught the older man's gaze and he frowned nervously before looking away, he knew that he was lying.
"I can handle the truth," he stated. "She's not a waitress at a diner, is she?"
"She is . . . . just not at an actual diner," he muttered before sighing deeply. "She works at a strip club, sir." Isshin's frown went stiff but said nothing. "B-but her boss is a good friend of mine, and he even insisted that she do the waitress job rather than-"
"Enough, I understand that," he said, while Yuzu frowned sadly at the truth. "So . . . . after everything that had happened to her, if you weren't around, I'd probably have force her back home no matter what. But . . . . is she doing okay with you?"
". . . . Yes, sir," nodded Grimmjow.
"You won't hurt her . . . .?"
"I promised to myself and to her that I wouldn't," he muttered. "I will never hurt her, Mr. Kurosaki, and I'm telling the truth about that." Isshin stared at his honestly filled eyes before nodding his approval.
"Your parents must've raised a decent man like yourself to come here," he remarked.
"Wish I can say that . . . . but my mother died when I was four, my father when I was seventeen," he sighed.
"My condolences, my wife Masaki passed when Ichigo was nine and my younger daughters were four," nodded Isshin.
"Yeah, I saw her picture over there," Grimmjow said before the dull pain twitched within the muscles of his left arm. "You said that you have another daughter? Where is she . . . .?" he asked, successfully ignoring the pain. At that, Isshin cleared his throat before diverting his gaze to Yuzu, who sighed sadly.
". . . . She's out, probably by the river," she mumbled. The businessman sensed her tone and frowned in understanding, as Tensa waddled back to his lap. "She might come back in a little while, though . . . ."
"Oh . . . ."
"Tensa really takes a liking of you, Grimmjow," she said with a small smile.
"Yeah . . . . not many men would want to be in a relationship with a woman with a young child," said her father.
"Well . . . . I'm not one of those men," sighed Grimmjow, pulling Tensa onto his lap. "I should get back soon, Ichigo'd probabaly get suspicious for taking so long, even without the two-hour drive back to the city."
"Wait for a moment, Grimmjow, I think I can give Tensa the shots," nodded Isshin.
"You would?"
"He's my grandson, after all," he smiled lightly as he stood up.
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Ichigo gave out a quivering gasp at the sight of Aizen, who seemed unfazed by her shocked expression as he smirked lightly. She didn't understand this at all, why would her ex-lover be here to find her, in a strip club of all places? But quickly, she mentally assumed that he wasn't here to apologize for what happened two years ago by the look of his face and she scornfully glared at him. ". . . . Why are you here, Sousuke? Are you here to look down on me, like that day after I gave birth to Tensa?" she gritted with her fists clenched by her side.
"Ichigo, if you don't want to see this guy, I'll throw him out-" frowned Renji.
"No, Renji, I'll handle this," she frowned, though her glare barely fazed the man as he glanced around the establishment.
". . . . Who knew that you would stoop so low to work in a place like this, Ichigo," he calmly remarked as he stared back at her, but Ichigo narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I shouldn't blame you for that, considering that you're only doing it to support your child and all."
"Watch it, you bastard!" scoffed Renji.
"Renji . . . . what's going on?" Starrk suddenly spoke as he quietly stepped up to his two workers, with Chad beside him. He noticed the tension between Ichigo and the other man and frowned. "If you don't have any business here, then I need to ask you to leave. My business is closed for the day."
"Oh but I do . . . . and Ichigo here is the reason," Aizen nodded. Starrk narrowed his eyes slightly before looking at Ichigo, who glanced back with a knowing gaze.
". . . . If you wish to talk, then use my office," he muttered. "Is that all right with you, Ichigo?"
". . . . Yeah," she muttered.
"But, Starrk, you're not gonna ask what's going on?" frowned Renji but their boss shook his head a little.
"This isn't our business, Renji," he stated before giving out a low yet sharp whistle. On command, Lobo trotted from the office and settled by his owner. "Go, it's free now . . . ."
"Sorry about this, Starrk . . . ." nodded Ichigo as she went ahead. Aizen smirked and followed, ignoring the red-haired man's glare on him in a haughty manner. It wasn't until the quiet noise of a door shutting did Renji scoff in disbelief.
"You have any idea who that man was, Starrk?" he seethed. "Ichigo said that he's Tensa's father just a minute ago-"
"I heard . . . . but right now, it's her issue to deal with," he frowned. "We can't do anything about it for now until afterwards, anyway."
". . . . I think it's a little worse than that, guys," Rangiku muttered rather somberly, catching the other's attentions. Suprisingly, the strawberry-blonde appeared just as shock as Ichigo was a moment earlier. "I think . . . . I've seen that man before, one time or another."
"Wait, what're you saying, Rangiku . . . .?" Orihime frowned in confusion.
"I remember now . . . . when one time I met Gin in an outdoor cafe," she frowned tensely. "I saw the man seeing across from him and Gin introduced me that it was his boss."
"What . . . .? It can't be right, are you sure about that?" questioned Renji. "Maybe it was a coincidence-"
"But that's not all . . . ." she replied, shaking her head. "That man's . . . . he's the president of Las Noches, that publishing company."
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The young mother simply stood with her arms crossed, as Aizen settled in a chair across the room from her. Her heart thumped with anger and confusion as she glared at his calm but deceiving attitude. The man hadn't changed one bit after all this time, he probably didn't even know that Tensa's birthday was today. ". . . . What is the real reason that you're here, Sousuke?" she bit out. "You wish to torture me even more by denying our son on his second birthday?"
"So he's two today . . . .?" he questioned, as if that was interesting to him. "Then where is he, if it's his birthday?"
"He was taken home, not that it concerns you," scoffed Ichigo.
"And by whom . . . .?"
"Why do you want to know, Sousuke?" she crossed, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I've heard . . . ." he smirked slightly, lifting one leg up to cross over his knee. "You really think that I wouldn't even know of it . . . .? Of your new so-called lover . . . . Grimmjow Jaegerjaques?" Ichigo bristled in shock at his assumption as she glared wide-eyed at him. How could he have known? ". . . .So is it true, Ichigo? You're with Grimmjow Jaegerjaques now?"
". . . . Why do you care?" she scoffed angrily.
"So it's true . . . . to think that you're in another relationship with a man with such wealth and power," he remarked. "Such a pity, though, that you're forcing yourself onto a man who possibly is disgusted with your burden on him."
"What was that?" she frowned.
"It has to be true, Ichigo, he probably thinks of you as a charity case. After all, you're a young single mother supporting her child by working in a despicable establishment." Ichigo scowled at that and her body tensed with abomination for this man. How dare he criticize her for her turn in life, and her relationship with Grimmjow. She inhaled deeply then sighed, her posture still stiff.
"At least Grimmjow takes care of Tensa while I'm working," she muttered. "But he doesn't treat me as a charity case, as you assumed, Sousuke. I'm his girlfriend, he treats me as a human being rather than a object on the side that you needed on a whim. I've never asked him for anything other than a few practical things. I don't even want his money, if that's what you're thinking."
"Oh . . . . so you would be with him if he didn't have any wealth, if he was as pathetic as your friends out there, Ichigo?" he mused.
"Don't you dare insult my friends, you piece of shit," scoffed Ichigo.
"You didn't answer my question directly," sighed Aizen.
". . . . Like I said, I could care less about his money, so of course I'd still be with him," she frowned. "Better to be with a real man than a condescending jackass." At that Aizen frowned lightly as he sat back and his bronze eyes seemed to glint at the insult.
"You were with me for over a year, when you thought you loved me . . . . now you rather be with him after a few months?" he questioned.
"Correct, Sousuke," she frowned. "You threw me away as if I'm trash, but now I'm doing okay with Grimmjow. He's even a better father figure to Tensa than you'll ever be."
"Hmm, if you think so . . . ." he muttered, his hand slipping inside his blazer before taking out a folded piece of paper. "Here . . . . my compensation for your past two years," he stated as he placed the paper onto the desk. Ichigo furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and suspicion at him before reluctantly moving for the desk and picked up the paper. She unfurled it, only to glare in shock when she realized that it was a check.
For $250,000.
But her shock immediately turned into sheer outrage as she glared at the smug expression on Aizen's face. "The fuck is this for . . . .!" she scowled lividly.
"I won't admit about the legitimacy of your son . . . . but since you seem so desperate of getting to your feet, I feel a bit sorry for you-"
"What . . . .? Is that what it is . . . .?" she scoffed bitterly. "You weren't there, Sousuke . . . . you weren't there when I was ostracized from my own peers because of my pregnancy. I was forced to leave my hometown and lived in a shelter for several months. Even with a new place, it wasn't fucking any better when I had to worry about bugs crawling on Tensa whenever we slept at night. Or when he was sick everytime the ice-cold air seeped in, and I had to stay home to make sure that he's okay for the next day. You weren't fucking there to even feel a remote sense of concern of what happened to me or him all these times. And now . . . . you're here to stomp on my feelings with this shit!"
"Ichigo-"
"No, I don't want your shitty excuse of a pity . . . .!" she scoffed, immediately ripping up the check in two halves before tossing it to the floor. Yet from that act, Aizen didn't seem fazed. "I will never accept anything from you, Sousuke! The moment you turn your back on me and your child, I won't take anything from you . . . .! I don't give a damn about your reputation and power-"
"But you should, Ichigo . . . . at least for your new lover's sake," he coolly stated, and Ichigo blinked at that.
"What was that?"
"By the look on your face, it appears that Grimmjow didn't tell you about his company's current predicament," he smirked. "You see . . . . when his father unexpectedly passed away years ago, Grind Publishing couldn't function without a president. With Grimmjow being too young then to run, the other higher-ups had to resort to sell shares to keep the company running. And that was when I stepped in . . . ." Ichigo stiffened when he stood up suddenly and took a few long strides towards. "You're still a very naive girl, Ichigo . . . ." he muttered and the young mother gasped slightly when she felt his fingers gripping at her chin as she glared up at him.
"You've forgotten that I also run a publishing company, so it shouldn't be a coincidence that Grimmjow and I know of each other . . . ." he stated. "But I suppose that it's some sort of fate that we happen to meet once again, Ichigo."
"You bastard . . . ." she gritted.
"Will you tell him, though . . . .? That I, who happened to own a part of his company, was in an affair with you prior to your pregnancy?" he questioned, only to smirk again when Ichigo's expression twitched into a hurtful one. "It might hurt his reputation, though, if . . . . someone in his social class would know about his relationship with a worker from a strip club and leaked it to the press. Who knows . . . .? Maybe the public would probably blame the woman for his immoral choice . . . ." At that, Ichigo's eyes narrowed at his assumptions and gritted her teeth.
"Is that what the check was about . . . .? You're trying to bribe me to leave Grimmjow, just so you can try to get his company?" she spat.
"Correct, Ichigo," replied Aizen. "I could give you a replacement check, in case you want to reconsider-"
"No," she scoffed, and the man's lips twitched into a surprised frown. "For once in my life . . . . there's someone who's willing to take my burden no matter what. Like I said, Sousuke, I'd rather be with a man who would never hurt me . . . . unlike some person who wasn't even that good in bed."
". . . . So you've slept with him," he commented without a hint of emotion. "Who knew you would lay with any man after me?"
"Grimmjow's the second man I've slept with . . . ." she scoffed lowly. "That doesn't make me a whore if I've done nothing except taking care of my son before meeting him."
"But it does, you want him to be tied down to your problems and right now, it's him finding out about us . . . ." Before Ichigo could retort, she felt a pair of his lips abruptly against hers. She gasped sharply at the sudden but unwanted kiss. She hadn't expected this, she didn't even this as Aizen attempted to force his tongue through her lips.
"Mmh! S-stop it . . . .!" she gritted feebly when she twisted her face away but the older man quickly pinned her against the wall as he tried to force another kiss on her. She pushed against him, but that only seemed to rile him further when she felt his growing arousal pressing against her thigh. "Get off me, you fucking bastard . . . .!" she scowled, twisting her wrist free from his grip and instantly gave him a sharp hook across the man's face.
Aizen inhaled painfully from the impact and stumbled back, as a tint of deep red bruised his cheek and he tasted blood in his mouth. He reached up to gingerly touch his cheek before his bronze eyes narrowed at Ichigo, who glowered heatedly at him. "You . . . . you dare to hit me . . . .!" he seethed lowly. Ichigo didn't realize how quickly the man moved towards her, only to feel a sharp backhand suddenly across her face.
"Agh . . . .!" she yelped out loudly just before Aizen pinned her again, her once angered eyes now were filled with fright and panic as he glared down at her.
"Goddamn whore . . . .!" he hissed. "You deserve far worse than this once I'm through with you . . . .!"
Click.
Aizen stiffened at the unfamiliar sound behind him and glared over his shoulder, only to freeze at the sight of a gun barrel aimed at his face. Ichigo gasped shakily in surprise and relief at the sight of her boss; Starrk was in an unusually angered mood, his narrowed slate eyes seemed to glow with his dark silver gun in his hand. "Let go of her now . . . ." he muttered lowly, his finger twitching around the trigger. Aizen frowned but knew that the threat was real as he stepped away from Ichigo.
"You're willing to kill a man who's worth far more than your measly establishment . . . .?" he questioned.
"No one hurts one of my girls, no matter who it is . . . ." he muttered. "But unless you wish to have a hole in your head, I suggest that you leave now." Aizen narrowed his eyes before moving away, as Starrk moved in front of the frightened girl.
". . . . You've chosen your fate, Ichigo, but I doubt you can face the consequences that are to come," scoffed the man when he glared at her before finally leaving the office. Starrk clicked the safety back before slipping his weapon at the waistband of his pants, listening to at last that the man had left the club.
". . . . Are you all right, Ichigo?" he frowned in concern when he turned to her, seeing the deep bruise on her cheek as Ichigo couldn't stop the warm tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "It's okay, everything's okay now . . . ." he sighed, pulling her into a light hug.
"N-no . . . . Grimmjow'll hate me for this," she sobbded meekly. "He knows Sousuke . . . . that was my child's father . . . ."
"No, I know my friend better than that, Ichigo," he muttered. "He won't hate you . . . ."
". . . . Ichigo?" Ichigo glanced up to see Nel, looking confused yet concerned, standing by the doorway. "Ichigo . . . . what happened?" she frowned as she stepped forward. "Does . . . . does it have to do with Sousuke Aizen I just saw leaving out of here a second ago?" Ichigo's saddened frown etched in her face before reluctantly nodding. "Oh . . . . oh my goodness . . . .!" she gasped softly with widened eyes.
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Tensa whimpered at the dull pain on his arm after getting the shots, despite that Isshin rubbed at his shoulder in consulation. "Geh-Geh . . . ." he whimpered when he was given back to Grimmjow and instantly clung onto his shirt.
"He really likes you, huh?" sighed Isshin, taking off his doctor's coat.
"Since he first saw me," Grimmjow smirked a little. "Don't know why, but I like the kid back. He's an early bird, though, waking up even before me."
"But . . . . if you and Ichigo were to break up, would he might not see you again . . . .?" he inquired seriously but Grimmjow shook his head.
"Don't think I can never do that since I got . . . . feelings for her, Mr. Kurosaki," he sighed. Isshin glanced him for a moment before nodding at his answer.
"You love her, don't you?" he asked, as they left the now closed clinic. Grimmjow blinked at that and frowned nervously. "If you didn't love her, you wouldn't have done this for her, Grimmjow . . . . you could have stayed away from her because that she had a young child. But you didn't, you care about her enough to drive over two hours just to let me see my grandson."
"So . . . . you're not suspicious of any motive I might have?" he asked quietly.
"What motive you might have aside from trying to get my family together?" Isshin sighed as they went back into the house. Grimmjow blinked at his words and sighed deeply, guess that would count as a motive after all.
". . . . I can't, I just can't . . . . what good would it do if he sees me?" The man blinked at the new voice coming from the living room before realizing who it could be.
"Maybe he doesn't remember you like that . . . . please, just do for Ichigo's sake-"
"Why? I was the reason that she left in the first place . . . ." Grimmjow stepped into the living room, and stared in surprise at the sight of a new teenage girl in front of Yuzu. The girl stiffened and turned around, her silky black hair held in a ponytail swayed from the movement as her dark eyes widened at the sight of him. Her gaze quickly turned to Tensa in his arms before stepping back with her expression contorted with hurt and guilt. "I'm sorry . . . . I can't do this," she whimpered softly.
"Karin . . . ." Isshin called out but the teenager quickly rushed for upstairs. "Karin . . . . sorry about that, Grimmjow. She's . . . ."
"She's been blaming herself for Ichigo's running away?" he questioned, and the older man nodded somberly. ". . . . Do you mind if I go and talk to her, Mr. Kurosaki?"
"If you want to," he sighed. Grimmjow nodded and went for the stairs. He quietly walked upstairs, the toddler babbled when he glanced around once they reached the second floor. The door with the badge reading '15' was the first thing he saw, and Grimmjow noticed how Tensa was reacting by the way he was suddenly reaching for it.
"You think she's in there . . . .?" he muttered as he stepped towards it and opened it. He blinked and realized what was in the bedroom as he stepped in. He saw a made crib next to the foot of the bed, which looked untouched with a lion plushie on top of the pillow. He looked around to see a desk next to the bed, papers yellowed from time with organized books lightly filmed with dust. So this was Ichigo's old bedroom. ". . . . No wonder you knew of this room," he muttered sadly.
"Mama . . . ." mumbled Tensa.
"Yeah, this is your mother's room," he sighed.
". . . . I'm sorry, for running away." Grimmjow turned to see the black-haired teenager standing by the doorway, a grieving expression etched in her face when she glanced down. ". . . . You . . . . you brought him here? For what . . . .?" she mumbled.
"Today's Tensa's second birthday . . . . just thought that I should take him to see his family," he replied straight to the point.
". . . . I don't deserve to have him see me," muttered Karin. "Ichigo was right for running away because of me, all because I was acting so selfish and cruel for what happened to her . . . ."
"Hmm . . . . Ichigo had told me about something like that . . . ." he muttered, sitting onto the edge of the bed. "She told me that . . . . you didn't want to acknowledge that you have a nephew. That you blamed her and an innocent kid for the problems she didn't mean to cause."
"I know . . . ."
". . . . You're very lucky to even have siblings," Grimmjow said as he glanced at her. "I'm an only child my whole life, so I don't know what's it like to have a sister or a brother to play with or to confine with. But during the time when she needed her family the most, you turned her back on her from what she had told me-"
"Don't you think I know that . . . .?" she muttered, her voice cracked with bubbling emotions when she looked up at him, tears trickling from her eyes. "When we found out that she ran away, Yuzu immediately blamed me for the reason. She was right . . . . she said that Mom would be disappointed in me for how I was acting all those times. I . . . . I've never cried since my mother's death, but when Ichigo left . . . . I cried for over a week. I don't . . . . I don't believe that she wanted to come back because of me, no matter how much Dad had begged her to. The guilt would never go away as long as she's away from us."
". . . . I don't believe that she really wanted to stay away because of you," he muttered softly, and Karin blinked at him in confusion. "She's mostly afraid of coming back because of what other people here think of her. That bastard who left her . . . . you should've been mad at him for doing that all that time. Maybe then, she probably would've stayed at Karakura if she didn't believe that you hated her."
"Yeah . . . . I was an idiot," she snifled before wiping her tears away. She looked up only when she felt Grimmjow's hand patting her on the head. The man put up a small smirk before pulling away.
"It's never too late to catch up . . . . but I won't rush you, girl," he sighed. "You think you can do that for Ichigo's sake, that you two can patch up after the ordeal?"
"I . . . . I want to, I don't want to feel guilty about her leaving us anymore," she muttered. She glanced up when Tensa babbled, and frowned sadly as she sniffed. "Tensa . . . . I'm so sorry for what I did . . . . to you and to Ichigo. I know you probably don't remember but I was acting distant when I should've been a very good aunt for you."
"Ahh . . . ." mumbled Tensa before grinning a little, which made Karin smiled briefly.
"Next time, I'll bring Ichigo here . . . . if I can," sighed Ichigo. "Do you like of the idea?"
"Yes, I'd love that . . . ." she smiled.
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"W-wait a minute . . . .!" Grimmjow blinked when Karin called to him while he was placing Tensa in the back seat and he stood up to see her jogging out of the house. "Um, you think that you give her this . . . .?" she asked as she held out the lion plushie that the man saw in Ichigo's old room earlier. "It belongs to Ichigo, she had since she was a baby. I figured, you know . . . ."
"Okay, I'll give it to her," he nodded and took the old toy.
"And one more thing . . . ." Karin said as she held out a slightly scuffed up soccer ball. "Tensa should have a present, even this is not much." Grimmjow blinked at that and smiled as he took the ball.
"Thanks a lot," he nodded, and placed the toys near the now drowsy toddler. "I guess I can see you guys soon, huh?"
"Promise us on that?" she requested.
"I've never turned down a promise in my life," he smirked as he went to the driver's door and stepped in. "I'll call your father later, okay?" The dark-haired teen smiled lightly and nodded. Starting up the engine, Grimmjow gave a quick wave before slowly driving off. The fleeting vision of suburban homes changed into taller buildings and shops in the matter of moments as he drove through the streets. Grimmjow huffed out a deep sigh of relief, that actually came out better than expected. He glanced at Tensa, who was now sound asleep with his head slumped against his shoulder, and smiled a little.
He turned for the freeway with the deep gold light of the setting sun briefly glared in his vision. He hoped that Ichigo doesn't feel offended at the fact that he took her son to see the rest of the family. He wanted to believe that she would be estactic at his plan.
But his thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone rang. He couldn't use the device while driving, instead he pressed the speaker button when he placed it on the dashboard. "Yeah, what is it?" he answered.
"Grimmjow . . . ." came Nel's shocked yet concerned voice, and he frowned.
"Nel, what happened . . . .? You went to Lilynette's to pick up Ichigo, right?" he frowned.
"Yes, but I got terrible news, Grimmjow," she replied. "Ichigo was met by her son's father . . . ."
"What?" he scoffed in surprise, luckily he was sane enough to keep his eyes on the road. "Did he do something to her? Is she okay?"
"Yes, she is . . . . but that's not the worse part."
"Then what?"
". . . . The child's father happens to be . . . . Sousuke Aizen," she admitted. Suprisingly, even to himself, Grimmjow hadn't screeched his vehicle to the halt at the revealing statement. But it shocked him nonetheless throughout his body with the pain in his left arm intensified suddenly. How could that be . . . .? He knew of the older man for years, yet he had never heard of him having any child out of wedlock. Unless . . . . "Grimmjow . . . .? Grimmjow, are you there?" Nel questioned.
". . . . Y-yeah, I-I'm just shocked about that," he mumbled. "Are you sure that it was Aizen . . . .? He really fathered the kid?"
"Yes, I saw him leaving the club, there was no mistake . . . ." she replied. "Ichigo's a complete mess now, Grimmjow. She's been crying for some time now, she wanted to know where are you."
"Oh . . . . I'm halfway home on the freeway," he muttered. "I'll try to get there as soon as I can. In the meantime, you take her back, Nel. Do anything to calm her down, okay?"
"All right . . . . hurry, though," she sighed.
"I'll try." Nel sighed heavily before hanging up. She wasn't sure what to think about what happened in the past hour as she turned to Ichigo, who was sitting in a chair in the bar area with her tear-covered face buried in her hands. Even with much consuling from her friends, it wasn't enough to take away the emotional pain she had hidden for over the past two years. Now that it had flooded out, there was no way to take it back in now.
"Ichigo . . . . Grimmjow's on his way," she muttered, leaning to pat her on the shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay now, all right?" But Ichigo shook her head before glancing up, the darkened bruise on her cheek was still there as she snifled.
"I ruined him, Nel . . . . If I knew that he knew Sousuke, then I wouldn't have been with him," she mumbled with her voice cracked.
"He doesn't care about that, he just wanted to know if you're all right," she said.
"But . . . . but now everybody will know since I didn't want to take Sousuke's bribe," she sobbed softly as she vainly wiped away her never-ending tears. "He had done this before . . . . when I didn't use his money for the abortion, he used his influence to have my friends turn against me. I can't do that to Grimmjow . . . . he'd hate me for this."
"Then why not break up with him now and spare him the embarrassment?" Renji questioned scornfully.
"Renji . . . ." scolded Rangiku.
"It's true, don't you guys see that?" he scoffed. "If that fucker said that he could ruin your relationship with Grimmjow, then break it off now before both of you get hurt."
"Renji, you're just saying that because you only care about Ichigo," frowned the strawberry-blonde.
"Of course I do . . . .! I had a feeling that something might happen that would make her miserable!" scoffed Renji. "And if that bastard Grimmjow doesn't do anything about it, then he's not man enough for her . . . .!"
"Quit it, Renji! You're not making it any better for Ichigo . . . .!" frowned Orihime. Renji scowled before staring at Ichigo, she was still sobbing as she kept wiping away her tears.
"Fine, then Grimmjow better do something about it . . . .!" he huffed as he stormed out of the club. His sudden absence soon adverted to the young mother's attention, as Nel tugged at her hands.
"Come on, Ichigo . . . . we should go now," she sighed as she pulled her to her feet. "Grimmjow will be home soon, so the both of you can talk. It's gonna be all right, okay . . . .?"
"It won't be all right . . . . he'll hate me for this," she whimpered.
"No, he won't, Ichigo, I promise you that."
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"Ichigo . . . .! Ichigo . . . .!" Grimmjow called out as he finally reached home, with the sleeping toddler in one arm and the toys in the other before tossing the latter onto the living room couch. "Ichigo, I'm here . . . .! Where are you . . . .?" he called again just when Nel rushed out of the master bedroom.
"Finally, Grimmjow . . . .! I was so worried, what took you so long?" she muttered.
"I know, I know, but right now I got to see Ichigo," he frowned in concern. "Is she all right?"
"No, it's not getting better, you have to see for yourself," sighed Nel before glancing up at her cousin. "What're you going to do about this, Grimmjow . . . .? I mean, how did she even come across Aizen before the pregnancy?"
"I don't care about that . . . . I just want to know why that fucker left her in the first place," he muttered lowly, and Nel blinked at that. "You know that I could care less about him and his company, so why I think about his business? . . . . I think I can handle this one, Nel. You should get home."
"All right, talk to me later . . . ." she noded before leaving the penthouse. Grimmjow exhaled as he walked into the hallway then into the dimmed bedroom. He could see her on the bed, her sobs muffled into the bedsheets with her body quivering, as he walked up to her. It was heart-wrenching to see her like this again, last time was when her so-called home was burglarized.
". . . . Ichigo, I'm here . . . ." he muttered softly as he sat down. Ichigo glanced up and saw him, only to see his initial concerned expression morphing into a heated one. ". . . . Did he hit you, Ichigo?" he questioned, seeing the bruise on her face. Ichigo whimpered but nodded as she slowly sat up to face him.
"I-I'm . . . . I-I'm so sorry, Grimmjow," she whimpered softly. "I didn't tell you about Tensa's father because . . . . I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me-"
"I would have . . . ." he cut her off, and she blinked in slight surprise at that. "Now that I think about it . . . . Tensa bears a resemblance to him, after what Nel had told me."
"But . . . . aren't you mad at me?" she sobbed.
"For what?"
"He told me that . . . ." she whimpered, pausing when she sniffed. "He said that he owns a part of your company, and that he could use his powers to ruin your reputation if I continue being with you. That he'll reveal your relationship with a worker from a strip club to the press."
". . . . Let him," he frowned.
"Wh-what . . . .?" she snifled.
"I've never liked that bastard in the first place, he's been after my company since my father's death," he said. "Now . . . . I got another reason to hate him, for leaving you and then showing up just to hurt you."
"But, what about your status? People will blame me for being with you-"
"I don't give a shit about that . . . .!" he scoffed before his free arm pulling her into a tight embrace. Through teary eyes, she blinked and stared up at him in total surprise yet confusion. "I could care less about my class or reputation . . . . if I know that some fucker had hurt the one that I loved . . . .!" Ichigo stiffened at that and her sobbing suddenly ceased.
Did he say that he love . . . . her?
"Y-you . . . . you love me, Grimmjow?" she mumbled with widened eyes. Grimmjow blinked in realization and glanced down at her, her surprised expression soon turned into a saddened one. "You can't love, Grimmjow, you shouldn't . . . ." she frowned, shaking her head. "I'm not the one that you can love . . . . I'm the one who had an affair with a man like Sousuke."
"No, I'm not lying to you, Ichigo . . . ." he sighed deeply. "It's true, I feel something for you that I never have felt before. That's probably it . . . . I have to be in love with you."
"But . . . . I'm alone with a young child, can you really love me for me?"
"I already do," he nodded, hugging her tighter. "It's too bad that Aizen had missed a great girl like you . . . ." Ichigo sniffed again and clenched at his shirt. After everything she had done . . . . Grimmjow was willing to care for her regardless. And on top of that, he said that he loves her. But does she love him back? "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to stop it. It was my fault that I took Tensa somewhere," he sighed.
"Huh . . . .? Didn't you say that you took him to the doctor?" muttered Ichigo.
". . . . I'm sorry, but I lied about that," he sighed before taking a deep breath. "I actually . . . . took the kid to see your family, in Karakura." Ichigo felt the air rushing out of her lungs and stared wide-eyed at him.
"You . . . . you actually did that?" she gasped. "Why? Did they ask for me? Do they want me back after what I did-"
"Ichigo," he frowned, and she immediately silenced herself. "Ichigo . . . . I told your father that we're a couple and that we're living together. He now knows about what happened to you these past few months, and he didn't question it. Instead, he was just simply happy that he got to see the kid after so long."
"So . . . . he knew about my lies, huh?" she muttered.
"He understood why you lied . . . . but he was only sad that you didn't come by," he replied quietly. "He only wished for you to see him and your sisters just so they can rest with a clear mind."
"My sisters . . . .?"
"Yeah, I talked to that girl, Karin . . . . she was the most heartbroken, thinking that it was her fault that you left," he muttered quietly. "It would help that you do stop by, for your sake as well as theirs."
"I . . . . I don't know," frowned Ichigo, pulling away from his embrace. She wiped away the drying tears as she felt a headache throbbing dully. "I'm a bit afraid about seeing them again, we won't be the same family as we used to . . . ." Grimmjow nodded a little before placing the sleeping toddler onto the bed.
"Stay here . . . ." he said before getting up and leaving out of the room. Less than thirty seconds later, he came back, and much to Ichigo's shock, with the lion plushie she had cherished for so long. "Karin said that you should have it . . . . it was given to you by your Mom, right?"
The tears came back again when Ichigo took it and gazed at the long untouched toy. The yellow felt was still bright in color and the dangling limbs were still in tact, as well as the glistening beady eyes and the round button on its belly. She sniffed and nodded as she glanced up at him. "Yeah . . . . my mother gave this to me when I turned one, from what my Dad told me," she snifled. "He once said that the reason she brought this for me because I was strong-willed and courageous like a lion, but I was also kind and determined. That's why I kept it all this time . . . . before I left."
". . . . You are like that, Ichigo," sighed Grimmjow. "That's one of the reason why I love you." Ichigo glanced up at him but wasn't sure what to say about that, and the blunet seemed to notice that. ". . . . You don't have to say it, but I know that you love me. We all have flaws, but that's what makes us perfect, right?"
". . . . Yeah," she nodded, moving closer to hug him and he hugged back. She believed it . . . . she once thought that she loved Sousuke but this time it was different with Grimmjow. She felt it within her heart but for some reason she couldn't say it back as easily as she wanted to. But he already knew, as he kissed the top of her head.
"I'm sorry, Grimmjow . . . ." she mumbled.
"Don't be . . . ." he muttered softly.
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. . . . I'm hungry. Think I'm gonna eat some cereal.
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I'll update ASAP!