Thank you to everyone for your support, and to all of you that have been looking out for me.
Weekend Getaway- 37
Ichigo puttered around the bookstore for a while before calling Sosuke's office. They'd just been together last night and he had a another moment of worry that he was being clingy. He'd never been in a serious relationship before and he was making it all up as he went along. Of course, he had a feeling that being with Sosuke wasn't like being with anybody else so any past experience probably wouldn't mean much anyway. But he dismissed his mild anxiety relatively easily. From the way they'd lingered over that last kiss in the car yesterday, he didn't think the other man would mind. When he dialed, Gin picked up on the second ring and Ichigo realized he'd called the office and not Sosuke's personal number like he intended.
"Morning, Ichi."
"Hey, Gin." Ichigo could practically hear the other man grinning over the phone. Since he had him on the line, he might as well ask him a couple things while he had the chance. He was starting to get a couple of ideas and leaned back against the counter as he drummed his fingers on the glass top. "I've got a question for you."
"Oh?" Gin's voice was bright and full of humor. "About what?"
"When does Sosuke take his lunch break?"
"Anytime he wants to." There was a quiet chuckle. "But usually it's around one in the afternoon. Why?" He managed to make that last word sound incredibly lecherous. Like he assumed Ichigo was asking if Sosuke was free for a nooner.
"I was just wondering if I could get together with him for lunch."
"Hmm. You wanna go out or order in?"
"Actually, I was thinking about making him something. But I don't know if he'll have the time." And Ichigo wasn't sure where he'd do it since he didn't have a place of his own. He couldn't just take over someone else's kitchen and invite Sosuke in. After a moment, he started to think it was a stupid idea.
"Yer such a sweetie." Gin's voice suddenly got quieter as if he'd pulled the phone away from his mouth. "I wasn't talking to you. No. Go disapprove of me somewhere else, I'm busy." There was a pause. "Well, while you're down there could you get me some more staples?" he asked sweetly. After a moment, Gin returned to the phone. "Sorry. Had to dodge the nanny patrol. Tosen really needs to get laid," he muttered. "Anyway, Grimmjow should be over there somewhere keeping an eye on you. Go commandeer his vehicle and come on over. I'll have Ulqui sneak you into Aizen's apartment."
"I didn't mean. . ."
"It'll be fine. He's got a serious thing for you and this'll make him get all gooey. That's so much fun to see." Gin laughed again as if was enjoying some private joke. "What do you think you'll need?"
"That's okay. I'll bring some stuff with me."
"No matter what it is, I'm pretty sure we have it. And if not, we can get it."
"Well, I'm not sure what I'm going to make yet and I'll probably get an idea in the store." Ichigo took a breath. "Thanks, Gin."
"No problem. Honestly, the last couple of weeks have been the most fun I've had in a while." When he hung up, Ichigo just stared at the phone for a few moments before putting it back in his pocket. Fun wasn't the word he'd use to describe recent events but Gin had always struck him as kind of weird. Now to the task at hand. Commandeering Grimmjow's car. Right. Hopefully, the blue haired man wouldn't give him a hard time.
After letting Ukitake know he'd be closing up shop, Ichigo went outside and scanned the street. Grimmjow was apparently being a little more stealthy this time and it took a few minutes to spot him. He scowled when Ichigo came over and knocked on the window but he rolled it down anyway.
"What?"
Ichigo frowned before answering. Something was obviously bothering Grimmjow but he wasn't sure what it was. "I need a ride to your building."
The locks snicked open and Grimmjow sat back in the seat. "Get in."
There was no argument, no threat. Just a weariness that Ichigo didn't quite understand. He was curious but almost hesitant to ask. "Do you mind if we make a stop on the way there?"
"Sure." Again, not even a sarcastic remark.
"Are you okay?"
Grimmjow didn't answer immediately as he pulled away from the curb. "Don't worry about it," he said after a few minutes.
"Why not?"
Grimmjow eyed him as he drove and seemed to be having some sort of internal debate. He seemed struck by the honesty of Ichigo's question, like he was surprised he really gave a damn. "I'm sorry," he said finally.
"For what?" For the life of him, Ichigo couldn't think of what he might have done to feel that he'd need to apologize. Grimmjow seemed just as perplexed by his confusion.
"I didn't mean to upset you. Back at the house." He opened his mouth to say something else but closed it again.
That's right, the whole deal at the shooting range. They hadn't really talked about it. "It's alright," Ichigo said. He wasn't going to let it bother him now, he could deal with it because he had to.
"No it's not, but whatever," Grimmjow muttered.
"Are you always this moody or is it just me?"
"What?"
"I mean, I haven't seen you mope this much since I met you. Did Ulquiorra kick you out or something?"
"You've got a smart mouth, kid," Grimmjow growled as he tightened his hands on the wheel. But whatever was hovering over him seemed to clear a little in the wake of his ire.
Ichigo barely suppressed the smirk that pulled at his mouth. Okay, so apparently the best way to drag Grimmjow out of his moodiness was to piss him off. A dangerous proposition but better than seeing him depressed. "What can I say? I guess you just bring out the smartass in me."
"Keep it up and you'll be walking."
"Seriously though, is everything okay?"
"Persistent little bastard too." Grimmjow sighed. "Let's just say I've got some of my own issues that keep coming up. But don't worry about it. I can handle my own shit." He straightened his shoulders and continued driving.
"Alright. Let's stop up here." Ichigo pointed to a store up the street. "I've got a couple things I want to get before we get there."
Grimmjow chuckled quietly. "So are you doing something special, or have I just become your personal errand boy?"
"If you were my errand boy, I'd give you a list and shoo you off to the store by yourself," Ichigo said sweetly.
The dry look Grimmjow gave him was more than worth it. "Says you. It'd be hard to read that list after I made you eat it."
Ichigo laughed and settled in the seat. "I want to make lunch for Sosuke and I need to get a couple of things."
"Hn." It was hard to tell what Grimmjow was thinking as they walked into the store. He got out and came inside without further comment, only balking for a moment before carrying the bags back out to the car and then up to Sosuke's apartment when they got there. And even then it seemed like it was only for form's sake. Ulquiorra met them at the elevator, his gaze impassive as ever but he seemed oddly pleased for some reason.
"Is there anything I can get for you?" Ulquiorra asked.
"No thanks, I've got it. But don't say anything to anybody. I'll give him a call when I'm ready." Ichigo went into the kitchen and set his bags on the counter.
Ulquiorra nodded and headed back toward the elevator. After giving the redhead a considering look, Grimmjow followed him. Ichigo started pulling things out of the bags before going through cabinets to find what he needed. He was early so he had time to prepare. He'd chosen one of Yuzu's recipes and he supposed he could have come over and cooked dinner instead of lunch. But he was a little anxious about the whole thing still and didn't think he could wait that long. Finally things were almost ready and he pulled out his phone to call Sosuke's number.
"Hello, Ichigo. What can I do for you?" Sosuke's voice was warm but if Ichigo wasn't mistaken, there was an edge of fatigue to it that was a little surprising. It made him want to fix it somehow.
"Actually, I'd like to do something for you. Have you had lunch yet?"
"Not yet. What did you have in mind?"
"Come up to the apartment. I've got it taken care of."
"Alright, I'll be up in twenty minutes."
Ichigo grinned and felt a small wash of relief. "Okay. See you in a little bit." He'd been momentarily worried that Sosuke wouldn't be able to make the time but he'd agreed readily enough. Turning to the stove, he took care of some last minute things and turned the burners off.
A little while later, Sosuke stood in the kitchen doorway watching Ichigo fiddle nervously with dishes and silverware. He could tell the moment his presence was noticed as the redhead straightened and turned to give him a smile. Sosuke had been intrigued by the call and then surprised when he got off the elevator. The warm scent of food coming from the kitchen was an oddly personal touch, especially when he came in to see that Ichigo had cooked himself. Right now, the redhead was smiling sheepishly for some reason.
"What's that look for?" Sosuke asked as he came over and brushed his fingers over his hair.
"Nothing really." The redhead leaned up to peck him on the lips before going over to spoon food onto the plates. It was all so very domestic and Sosuke found himself smiling as he followed him to the table.
"Is there some special occasion that's slipped my mind?"
"No. I just wanted to is all." Ichigo narrowed his eyes a little. "Why is it such a big deal? Ulquiorra cooks for you all the time."
"Yes, but he's paid to do so. This is. . .just unexpected." Sosuke inwardly frowned, not liking his own hesitation. There was something intimate about having the young man prepare a meal for him and he wasn't sure why it would bother him. "Thank you," he said finally. Ichigo still looked a little suspicious but he nodded after a moment and came to sit with him. The food was actually quite good and Sosuke found himself enjoying it more than he thought he might.
"You sounded a little tired when I called. Is everything okay?"
Sosuke took a sip of his drink before answering. He didn't like that he was becoming so transparent to others. It didn't matter that Ichigo was more observant than most and was more likely to pick up on any stray emotion. "Things are more tenuous than I'd like at the moment and they seem to be getting worse."
"That sucks."
The simple observation made Sosuke smile a little. "Indeed it does."
"Do you have any clue as to why it's happening? I mean, is it normal? All recent weirdness aside, I know the economy has been bad lately."
If only it were as simple as a downturn in the market. "No, it's not normal and I'm still working on figuring it out. Don't worry. I'm not going to go bankrupt overnight."
"I wasn't worried about that," Ichigo said with a frown. He eyed Sosuke with a look of mild exasperation before turning back to his plate. His voice was a little aloof when he spoke again, as if he were trying to make ignore that particular subject. "I talked to Renji yesterday. I asked him to see if I could get a job with Seireitei."
Sosuke took a breath and watched him before saying anything. Ichigo sounded just a little guilty for some reason and he had trouble finding a response. The words that came weren't exactly what he wanted to say. "I didn't realize you had a desire to be overworked, underpaid and underappreciated."
Ichigo's eyes flicked up to his, his expression becoming guarded. "I don't. But I want to help figure out what's going on. I don't like having all this stuff happen around me without being able to do anything about it."
"And you think that letting yourself be swallowed by a traditionalist, bureaucratic dinosaur of an organization will give you that chance." Sosuke's tone was drier than he intended and the comment wasn't received well.
Ichigo frowned into his plate and seemed disappointed. "So you don't like them any more than they like you."
"It's not a matter of dislike necessarily. They're corrupt and so mired in protocol that they can barely function."
"Corrupt?"
"Don't mistake their investigative firm as being altruistic in any way. They have ulterior motives and everything is done for their own best interests. I don't like the idea of you being caught up in their foolishness."
"I got caught up in yours easily enough." Ichigo's accusation was reminiscent of his initial attitude when they first met. Surly and difficult. Sosuke didn't like that either and found himself responding in kind.
"They don't accept newcomers easily. What was their price to let you into their exclusive club? Information perhaps?"
Now Ichigo stilled, his whole body going rigid. He'd flinched momentarily, meaning there had been a kernel of truth in there somewhere. But the redhead's gaze turned hard. "You don't think I could get the job with just my own skills? That they'd only want me because of my connection to the infamous Aizen?"
"It's common practice take every advantage of potential assets."
"That's pretty self centered even for you."
Aizen felt a chill in his gut despite the heat in the redhead's voice and hated the way the conversation had turned. He felt his usual brisk calm come over him again and sat back in his chair with his glass, his expression relatively blank. "Do you honestly think that they won't use you?"
Ichigo set down his fork with a snap. "And do you honestly think that I'd give them any information without at least discussing it with you first? What kind of person do you think I am?"
Aizen had no easy answer for that so he said nothing for few moments. He was on unsteady ground here. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a small breath. "That was uncalled for." He wouldn't have bothered to apologize to anyone else but it seemed so horribly important now.
"You're damned right. I don't work for them yet and I haven't told them anything. I wanted to talk to you about it first because I was afraid it might be a problem. Apparently, I was right."
Aizen found himself at a loss for words. He had no idea it would turn into this either and was hard pressed to find a way to mend the situation. Personal entanglements were so much more difficult to deal with than business ones. But before he could say anything, his phone rang. He hit the ignore button as he watched the angry redhead fume across the table. When it rang again, Ichigo huffed.
"Go ahead and answer it."
"I believe this is more important." Aizen watched Ichigo's anger falter for a moment but he clenched his jaw and shook his head.
"I'm too angry to deal with this right now. Go do whatever you have to do." He collected his plate and took it to the sink, his movements jerky and abrupt. He hadn't said it was over or that they were finished talking but it appeared that the subject was closed for the moment. Sosuke's own emotions were stirring right now and he didn't believe he would be able to continue in this state either. Not without making it worse. It was rare for him to back down but a tactical retreat at this point seemed like the least damaging option. When he moved to take care of his own dishes, Ichigo glared at him.
"Just leave it and go buy a country or something. I've got it."
Retreating wasn't in Aizen's nature but here he was, backing out of his own damned kitchen to avoid further conflict. His phone rang again and he answered it with a cool, composed voice as he headed to the elevator. Anyone who didn't know better would think that everything was fine.
"Hate to interrupt but there's a couple of things you need to see to personally." Even if he probably suspected something was up, Gin wisely said nothing of it. He liked to tease but he knew where the line was. Most of the time anyway.
"I'll be right down. Call back my two o'clock and tell him we're back on." Aizen had cleared his schedule for part of the afternoon but now he wanted nothing more than to immerse himself in work.
Back in the kitchen, Ichigo seethed as he cleared the table and started washing the dishes. He'd seen Sosuke's armor come back down and knew the other man was trying to hide again. Ichigo wasn't going to let him but he'd have to compose himself first before they finished the discussion. While Ichigo had felt mildly guilty about the job before, now he was pissed. And the things Sosuke had said. They hurt and Ichigo covered it up with anger because it was easier to deal with. He snorted angrily and started scrubbing the pans with a little more vigor than necessary.
Like he'd ever give Byakuya and those guys inside information or personal details they had no business knowing. It would be a tricky line to walk but this was something that he really needed to do. And instead of listening to him and trying to understand that, Sosuke had drawn all the wrong conclusions and shut him out. Taking in a shaky breath, he dried the last dish and put it away in the cupboard. He needed to do something with all of this aggression before he did or said something he regretted. Picking up the phone, he dialed another number.
"That was quick." Grimmjow snorted.
"You guys got a gym here?" His voice was hot and he didn't bother to hide it.
"Why?"
"Yes or no?" Ichigo snapped.
"Whoa, what crawled up your ass and died?"
Ignoring the comment and his own survival instincts, Ichigo sneered. "What, you afraid I'll kick your ass?"
Grimmjow's tone got a little chillier. "Forty seventh floor, ten minutes."
Ichigo went into the closet and changed into some loose clothes before taking the elevator down. He found that the facilities here were every bit as advanced as the gym at the house. If anything, they were a bit larger. The open space that was padded in mats was flanked by an entire wall of mirrors. Ichigo paused when he saw his own reflection. His muscles were taught, his expression angry and full of fury. Behind him, Grimmjow came in and gauged his opponent. He was dressed to fight, his clothing loose to allow freedom of movement.
"Don't think that being pissed will give you any kind of edge." The other man stalked across the floor, his movement filed with a liquid kind of grace.
"You might be surprised." Ichigo rolled his shoulders in anticipation.
"I doubt it. . ." Grimmjow couldn't finish the thought as Ichigo leapt at him. The rain of blows put him instantly on the defensive and he had to backpedal to get some space.
Ichigo hadn't bothered with a warm-up and his body protested the sudden demands he was making on his muscles. But he felt them sing as he moved, the familiar training taking over even in his anger. He smirked when he landed a solid hit and he saw Grimmjow's eyes narrow. The other man picked up the pace and gave as good as he got. There was no real style or grace, just a battle of strength and will. Soon they were both breathing hard, their chests burning under the strain.
Lunging suddenly, Grimmjow knocked Ichigo's feet out from under him and pinned him to the mat before twisting his arm in a wrist lock. "So what's really bothering you?" he huffed in his ear.
"What, are you my damned shrink now?" Ichigo rolled and kicked the other man off of him before getting to his feet again. He punched out and skimmed Grimmjow's shoulder before twirling and trying to sweep his feet out from under him.
"I like the fire and it's good that you can use it."
Ichigo frowned and soon found himself pinned again. He growled and kicked but couldn't get free this time as Grimmjow's weight settled on top of him. The other man continued, his voice a low. "But it won't last and you'll be empty. Gotta learn to pace yourself."
"Dammit," Ichigo hissed. He struggled briefly before forcing himself to be still. "How the hell would you know?" He'd never figured Grimmjow as the controlled type. There was something inherently destructive about him even though Ichigo had only seen him fight in their relatively tame sparring sessions.
Ulquiorra spoke up from where he was sitting on one of the weight benches. Apparently, he'd been watching this whole time. "It is a rather surprising observation considering the source but nevertheless, he is correct."
Grimmjow gave the smaller man a bland look before releasing Ichigo and sitting back. "What did he do?"
"Who?" When the other man just raised a brow, Ichigo sighed and tried not to think about Sosuke and what he'd said earlier. "It doesn't matter."
"It does if you're going to get all pissed off and start a fight. What would you have done if I wasn't around, go beat on some stranger? You probably would have gotten your ass handed to you again."
Ichigo glared at him but Grimmjow just shrugged it off. Actually, he probably would have gone and picked a fight with Renji. With the same results most likely. He knew better but he was so upset that he hadn't listened to that little voice that was telling him he was doing something stupid. Ichigo relaxed and pressed his face into the mat before letting out an aggravated growl.
"Don't want to talk about it."
"You want me to rough him up for you?"
Ichigo turned his head a little and peered at him out of the corner of his eye. The offer sounded genuine but the shit eating grin on Grimmjow's face said otherwise. The redhead snorted. "You'd really attack your boss and take my side? Right."
Grimmjow shrugged. "It's the thought that counts."
"You said you had some pointers on fighting multiple opponents," Ichigo said, changing the subject. There was still plenty of anger left in him and maybe he could still burn it off. He saw that Ulquiorra was still watching calmly from the other side of the room but Ichigo had a feeling that the smaller man wouldn't be so easily goaded into a fight.
Grimmjow watched Ichigo for a moment before flicking his eyes to Ulquiorra who merely lifted a shoulder. Turning back to the redhead, his expression became more serious. "Depends. You done letting all that emotional crap get in the way?"
"Maybe."
"Well suck it up. We've got work to do."
Ichigo glared again but picked himself up off the mats and stretched. "Alright, where do we start?"
. . . . . . .
Several hours later, Aizen rode the elevator back up to the apartment, his mood a little more stable after working all afternoon. But not by much. Ichigo was probably gone by now and there was nothing he could do about it. He'd give the younger man some time to cool off and let him be the one to approach. Aizen Sosuke didn't beg anything from anyone. But he was a little appalled that he almost wanted to in this case. Almost.
When he got to the bedroom, he paused in the doorway, his fingers midway in the process of unbuttoning his shirt. He hadn't turned the lights on yet and the only illumination was from the light in the hall. But he could make out the silhouette of the redhead that was tucked under the blankets in his bed. He'd been so angry before, why was he still here? Aizen was torn between relief that he hadn't taken off in a huff and trepidation that they'd need to finish their earlier discussion.
Ichigo didn't stir as he finally continued to undress and got ready for bed. There were a few articles of clothing hanging out of the hamper and the shower walls were still wet with condensation. Apparently, he hadn't been sleeping long. Aizen slipped into bed beside him and wondered if he should wake him so they could talk now. Deciding against it, he settled down and lay back against the pillow. Morning was soon enough.
"I'm still mad at you," Ichigo muttered in the dark.
Aizen felt his mouth quirk up at the edge a little. "And yet here you are in my bed."
"I'll get up and sleep on the couch if it bugs you." But after a few moments, Ichigo still remained where he was and didn't seem like he was going to move any time soon.
They were quiet for a while but Aizen felt the need to break the silence. "I didn't mean to imply that you didn't have any skills when we spoke earlier."
"No, you were too busy insulting people I care about."
Aizen took a breath. "I don't remember saying anything about your friends, merely the organization they've chosen to work for."
Ichigo turned his head to give him an annoyed look. "Now you're splitting hairs."
"Perhaps. But you'll be wasted on them and I think you could do better." When Ichigo opened his mouth to argue, he cut him off. "This might be something on which we need to agree to disagree. Unless you'd like to debate it right now." He waited a beat and when Ichigo didn't speak, he continued. "It was not my intention to upset you. Personal relationships are not one of my strong points and I've done my best to avoid them over the years."
Ichigo watched him quietly for a moment and looked like he was going to say something, but he just bit his lip.
Aizen sighed and looked at the ceiling that was shrouded in darkness. "I'll understand if you don't want to. . ."
"Sosuke," Ichigo interrupted him. "I'm not going anywhere." He swallowed, the sound loud in the quiet. "Unless you want me to."
"No, I don't."
The redhead let out a long sigh. "Then I think we can just mark this on the calendar as our first fight. Lots of couples get over stuff that's worse than this. We will too."
"Why do I have the feeling that it's not quite over yet?" Sosuke asked. He was relieved to see some of the tension leave Ichigo's body but he wasn't completely relaxed either.
"Well, you were kind of an asshole earlier." Ichigo snorted quietly. "Arguments aside, you still have to make up for that." He squirmed a little when Sosuke rolled onto his side and pulled him closer. "Uh, uh. That's not what I meant. I'm not putting out just because you said you're sorry." He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away.
Sosuke chuckled and merely tightened his grip. "So presumptuous, assuming that I'd take you to bed when you're being this difficult."
"I thought you liked a challenge." Ichigo's tone was wry and it looked like he was trying to smother a smile even though he hadn't shifted his belligerent position.
"On occasion. But right now I believe I'll be content with this." He draped his arm over Ichigo's waist and held him close. They couldn't quite erase what happened but it seemed like they'd be able to deal with it. That was all that he could ask for at this point.
. . . . . . .
A/N: I've been struggling with the pacing here and I had to rewrite this chapter and the two before it a couple of times. I want to develop their relationship and the events in the story with a certain amount of believability. But at the same time, I want to make sure things don't drag too much. That's hard to do sometimes.