Grimmjow swung back another shot of whiskey. He had seen Ichigo for only a moment before his world went red. He had come to this god forsaken place with the intention of keeping the peace but all he wanted to do was rip it apart. He had seen the red-haired man many times before in passing but never witness his hand an Ichigo. He'd never witnessed anyone's hands on the strawberry but his own and that was the way he would have liked to keep it.

Renji had pulled Ichigo away nearly twenty minutes before and Grimmjow didn't have to think to hard to guess what they were doing. The look that the red head had on his face had said it all. He was probably putting his claim on the beautiful man right now. Grimmjow had to fight every muscle in his body that was telling him to follow and beat the living shit out of the both of them. Renji for touching Ichigo and Ichigo for letting it happen.

He knew Ichigo didn't love the redhaired man, heck, he didn't even want to be with him, but the fact didn't make it any easier. Grimmjow and Ichigo could never be together in this life without betraying their family and friends and while Grimmjow would leave everything without a second thought Ichigo had a weak heart.

The blue haired man gave a sigh. He hadn't voiced his feelings to the man since that morning nearly four years ago and he didn't plan he didn't plan on bring it up again. It would just make him flustered. Nothing would change in the end anyways. At first Grimmjow had thought it was enough that Ichigo would sneak into his bed every chance he got but as time progressed it was getting harder and harder for him to let him go.

Ichigo should be bent over the sink for him, not that tattooed piece of shit.

"Hey, hey." He didn't need to look to know who's sly voice it was. "Why the damper mood? It's a party, liven up."

Gin was a silver haired man with a shit eating grin permanently glued to his face. Grimmjow never liked the man much but had to put up with him because he was the bosses right handed man, and boyfriend. Gin had never done anything to make Grimmjow dislike him, actually, the silver haired man seemed to be very friendly but Grimmjow could never shake the feeling that he was up to no good.

"Fuck off." Grimmjow snarled. He caught the bartender attention and motioned for another drink.

"Make it two." Gin said as he climbed onto the stool next to Grimmjow. "What's gottcha down Grimmy? Ya watch yer fuck mate get dragged off to get fucked and now ya got ya panties in a bunch?"

Grimmjow nearly choked on his drink. He didn't think anyone in the Espeda, or anyone at all, knew about Ichigo and his affair. Although, it would explain why they always let him in on conversations involving the orange head when even Stark wasn't in the loop.

He was about to ask the silver fox how he knew about them when he saw a short white-haired man stomping up to them. "Gin." The man said with a raised voice. Both Gin and Grimmjow swiveled their stools to better see Hitsugaya Toshiro in all his five-foot five glory. "You've got some nerve showing up here."

"Hey, hey." Gin said for the second time although this time he held his hands up in mock surrender. "I thought we were invited here to make friends. Am I not allowed to play in the fun too?"

"After what you did to Rangiku when you left, you're lucky we haven't asked for your head as a peace offering." While it had been a known fact throughout the Espada that Gin had once been a chairman on the board of the Shinigami, it was only a rumour that he had left his fiancé and became a traitor to the organization to sit beside Aizen.

"Toshiro!" A busty chestnut-haired woman, who Grimmjow could only assume was Rangiku, came running to stand between the two men. Grimmjow hadn't realised until his view was partially blocked that Hitsugya had one hand in the front of his jacket, obviously holding the gun that was concealed there. The blue haired man huffed. He wasn't looking for a fight, but it would be a good way to blow off some steam. He reached an arm around his back to hold the handle of his own weapon that was tucked in the hem of his pants.

"Just let it go. This isn't your fight." Rangiku said calmly. Whatever he saw on her face made Hitsugya let his arm swing down and abruptly leave, the woman following in toe. There must have been a close bond between the two if a chairman was listening to a woman who wasn't important enough for Grimmjow to recognize.

"Well, well," Gin turned back to Grimmjow, his purple eyes slightly open for the first time that evening. "That was close. I better report it to Aizen." And with that Grimmjow was alone again. Thinking the night may actually get a little interesting if things like that kept popping up, he swung all the way around on his stool with his back against the bar and observed the room.

He could see Nnoitra and Yammy bickering in the far-left corner, Ulquiorra standing off to the side staring blankly around the room. Aaroniero was talking with a panicked looking, short black-haired girl whom he had never met. He seemed amused with what she was saying. The door that Ichigo and his baboon disappeared into earlier opened and the two emerged once more.

Ichigo looked flustered and embarrassed. His lips where swollen, a look that Grimmjow had only ever seen after activities with himself. He knew what he was feeling was jealousy but that didn't mean he had to admit it. He saw a man by the name of Byakuya Kuchiki make his way over to the pair and start to converse. Moments later, Renji was walking out of the room again with the tall man.

Ichigo watched after them until they disappeared from sight then immediately turned his head to lock eyes with Grimmjow. The bluenette couldn't help but smile. He had been thinking about him the entire time Kuchiki had been talking, maybe even the entire time Renji had been having his way with him.

It didn't even take a minute for the orange haired man to seat himself beside Grimmjow, leaving one stool between them as buffer. "Hey."

"Have a fun time sucking dick?" Grimmjow took another sip of whiskey and glanced over at the man. Upon getting a closer look he could see a deep red, angry looking hickey on Ichigo's throat right bellow his ear. He would pretend he didn't care but he did. He really, really did.

Red could try and mark him all he wanted but if he didn't get back quick enough Grimmjow knew he had a good chance at taking the smaller man home.

Ichigo ignored the remark and asked "Enjoying the party?" The smaller male was shit at small talk.

"Not as much as you apparently." Grimmjow said. He tried to cover the jealously in his voice, but it kept bubbling up, threatening to make him snap.

Ichigo sighed and looked downcast "Can you please drop it? I'm not proud of it."

"Why? You don't owe me shit. You're not mine." That was a lie. Ichigo was his. He would always be his. "Where'd Red go?"

"Don't know. Byakuya just said they needed to talk, and he left me."

"I would never leave you." Grimmjow felt pathetic for saying it and knew he shouldn't but the man made him weak. It had been four years since they came to terms with he fact that they could never be together, but he just couldn't shake the need to put a claim on Ichigo. Make it so no one else would touch him again. "He's not good enough."

"Shush, Grimm." Hearing his pet name in public made a shiver crawl up his spine. "I have to break up with him soon anyway."

"I thought you were going to be with him forever? Said he was convenient a good lay." Grimmjow wanted to jump for joy and kick Renji's face in just because.

"Those were my intentions." Ichigo looked down as his drink, he wasn't sure how he was going to say this. "The boss came to see me yesterday. He wants me to marry Kenpachi."

Grimmjow almost chocked. Really good news became really bad news very quickly. "Who?" He didn't recognise the name but the way Ichigo said it, he should.

"He's the tall guy talking to Harribel, over there." Grimmjow looked over at the blond to see the giant, mean looking fucker she was looking up at. The guy must have been well into his thirties and he had a deep scar that went across one side of his face. He was not Ichigo's type, he wasn't sure if he could be anyones type. "That guy? What the fuck? Why?"

" Yamamato wants him as part of the group. Apparently, he owns a huge weapons manufacturer. Supplies the army and everything. He wants him tied in since he has no blood relation…I heard he's a total freak in bed though. So, I guess it's not all bad."

Ichigo was trying to deflect his feelings. Grimmjow could see it a mile away. "And you're just going to go with it? You have your own seat waiting. Shouldn't that exempt you from this kind of thing? They're treating you like a common whore." Grimmjow said. He didn't like the idea of Ichigo being passed around to which ever bed they needed him in. He liked it even less that a man like that would have Ichigo all to himself.

"Turns out I gave up the right to the seat when I didn't choose a medical field to major in. The hospital can't possibly go to me anymore so one of the twins will take the spot." Ichigo threw back the rest of his beer. "I'm nothing but a tool to them now. It happens to most members that don't take seats on the board. We've got to make ourselves useful somehow."

The sudden pop of speakers cut their conversation short.

"Excuse me. Can I have everyone's attention?" The room fell silent as everyone turned their attention toward Renji who had a microphone in the middle of the ballroom.

"Oh no." Ichigo muttered under his breath. This couldn't be happening.

"Everyone, if you don't know him, I'd like to you to meet my beautiful boyfriend." Renji pointed at Ichigo, thankfully he didn't notice, or chose not to notice, Grimmjow beside him. "Ichi-baby! Stand up and give a wave." Ichigo just shook his head no, looking absolutely bewildered. He tried to make himself smaller and fade into the background, but it was to late, everyone was looking his way. "Or not. Ichigo and I have been together for nine years. We've been threw thick and thin and at this point I can honestly say that he is the love of my life, and I am his." Liar. Grimmjow thought.

Ah fuck, Ichigo knew where this was going and all he wanted to do was run away. Renji got down on one knee just as he feared, pulling a small box out of his blazer pocket and said "Ichigo, will you marry me?"

Grimmjow wanted to throw up.