17 Months
Chapter 6: Too soon?
Week 16
"What are you doing here?"
"Ya said ya run before school so I decided to come with ya t'day, that okay?"
"Whatever, not sure why you always gotta be bugging me."
"Cuz it's fun."
"Just keep up... or don't."
Opening the door to the frigid March weather shocked me with more than just the cold. Grimmjow, in all his masculine glory, came to bother me. Why the hell? So not only does he want to kick my ass, he wants to train with me to do it? Fucked up. I'm staring a little too hard at his thermal running outfit. Tight black and blue pants, pullover and black hat, it's like, his signature colors, he's always wearing them. I've got my own set of black and red on but, God, his body is not fair. By the time I fought Aizen, I gained four inches and 20 pounds of muscle in my Shinigami state. Then, it all went away when I lost my power and my stupid weakling human body remained. I'm not scrawny by any means, I've got some defined muscle over these bones, I'm taller and weigh more than last year, but nothing compared to this blue haired Adonis. He's got the same body I fought with in Hueco Mundo, damn Urahara and his perfect gigai. Not fair.
"Shit it's cold. How can you run in this weather?"
"You'll warm up in a few minutes, quit complaining or go home."
"Geez, your testy in the morning, hav'ta remember that."
"Just shut up and run."
I quicken my pace, leaving Grimmjow behind for a while. It's quiet... too quiet. I look back. He's staring at my ass! Oye, why is he doing that! This man flusters me more than anything in my life. Well, maybe Yoruichi is up there, but my body never reacted in the same way - it does things when he stares at me, which isn't good in tight ass running pants. What do I do? Deflect! Deflect!
I slow down my pace and jog next to him. I hear a slightly defeated sigh come from his mouth. I almost asked him if he liked being behind me, but I quickly realized my innuendo mistake and kept my mouth shut. My God, I have never contemplated the mechanics of gay sex. I'm not sure if he's serious or not but, I am sure that's where I'd end up with this one, even though I'm no pushover, it just doesn't seems like the taker roll would ever, ever befit his personality. I, on the other hand... Where the fuck is my mind going? Think about something else! Anything else!
"So, you haven't shown up at Urahara's since that night? Why?" Oh thank fuck he started talking.
I clear my throat, "Ahem, well, I guess everything I wanted to know was said? I get until the first Saturday after summer vacation to train. You don't get any upper hand in the fight, other than your clear height and weight advantage," I sigh indignantly, "but no reiatsu. You can't kill me and Inoue will be there to heal any major wounds that are inflicted. What else is there to talk about?"
It's silent for a few minutes as we head into the park about a mile away from home, it's got a nice 5k track among the trees that's peaceful and quiet. It goes in a winding path and let's out at the same point making a nice roundabout back to the house, sometimes I jog it twice if I get up early enough, but not this morning.
"Your friends are there, they train in the basement. So do I. You're more than welcome to come."
"What is this fixation with training with me? What? Do you want to analyze all my moves so it's easier to defeat me more quickly? You already have the advantage; do you want more? I'm doing fine with what I've got. Actually, I'm training with the kendo team now. Though, I wouldn't really call it training, more like I'm teaching them a thing or two."
"I thought you were training with that Feisty chick?"
"About a week ago, I stayed after for clean up duty. I had to sweep and clean the boys' locker room. Some guys from another school's kendo team came to taunt our team. They brought their swords; our team already had put away the equipment. I took them all out with my broom handle. I guess they were impressed so they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. They pooled all their money and are paying me seventy thousand yen to help them win the championship the day before spring break starts."
"Heh, wish I could have seen that, how many guys were there?"
"I'm not feeding into your sexual fantasies, pervert."
"Oh, that's fine," he laughed, "I've got a great imagination. What are you gonna do with the money?"
"Save some and go on a trip for spring break before second year starts."
"Ah, the Onsen trip. The Big Guy and Girly were talking about that. They asked me to come to make the rooms even. Guess I'm yer roommate," he chuckled at the end.
"I thought I was rooming with Chado! Why?!"
"There's Pipsqueak and Handsy in one room, you are NOT rooming with one of them. The Girly and Feisty are in one room. And then there's the Big Guy and Nerdy Jerk and you and me. It's two to a room where they chose, since Nerdy refuses to be anywhere near me while sleeping, that leaves you and me."
"Can't you just call people by their names? Shit, and you'd better keep your damn hands to yourself is all else I gotta say about it!"
"I have no idea what you mean, Tricky Berry. I'm a perfect gentleman."
"Crap! Stop calling me that!" I shove him off the path with my shoulder.
"Okay, Ichigo," he says in his chuckling octave-lower voice, "we're gonna go down there on my bike, there won't be enough room in the van they're renting with all the luggage and people. I promised you a ride anyway, right?"
I blush hard at that. Hopefully my cold skin hid it. I told him it was just a fluke I went home early, so how he got lucky that day is beyond me, but I've been thinking about that first ride. He's been there to pick me up once in a while over the past few weeks but no long rides. He got a job at my encouragement so he's not mooching off of Urahara all the time. Sometimes he gets off early and waits to take me home. If I didn't know better, it's as if he's acting like a boyfriend. I wonder if he's gonna show up all the time to run with me now.
"How's your new job? Are you gonna be able to take off so soon?"
"It's fine, I guess. That woman is a slave driver. Now that she's got muscle helping her, she takes on harder jobs. Mostly it's delivering goods or clearing out storage areas, she gets about 30 calls a day with people trying to order food which is hilarious, she gets so mad. She said I could go, her son has the same time off and they're going to spend it together."
"It was your choice to not go to school."
"I know. I woulda hated that more. The only redeeming quality woulda been hanging out with you more," he says as he glances sideways, "But I'd never do well. Urahara agreed that my talents could be of use somewhere else. I don't think delivery boy is what he had in mind. I'll help her out till I find something better I guess, what that is I'm not sure of yet."
"After the attack Unagiya-san gave me her card at the station and offered me a job, pops said I could get one my 3rd year. Thought you could use the experience."
"Unh, it's fine. For now."
"How long are you gonna stay here, anyway?"
"Hmm, I don't know."
"Huh, I get it. Just past the time you kick my ass and crown yourself the king of everything? Just long enough to do a victory dance and then scurry back to claim your throne in Hueco Mundo?"
"Halibell's the new ruler of Hueco Mundo. I guess I could have challenged her but I wasn't interested in that."
"Just interested in overthrowing me! But, I'm the not the strongest or worth your attention anymore, I have no idea why you bother."
I push past him miffed now at the way the conversation turned. When it comes right down to it, all he came here for was to annihilate me. That's all I am to him, something to toy with till he wipes the floor with me and gloats all the way back home. Just some-
I guess he caught up because he catches my elbow as it swings back. I'd be tripping forward if he weren't pulling me to the side out of the pathway. He yanks me behind a large tree trunk and shoves me against it. His hands clench my shoulders.
"Hey, what's wrong with ya? Did I say something wrong?"
"This is bullshit! All you're here for is because of some OCD, wanna-stuff-me-in-a-duffle-bag-and-throw-me-in-the -river, reason. You can't do that anymore so why don't you just go back home and leave me alone!"
"What the hell is OCD? Make sense!"
"Obsessive compulsive disorder! It means all you have is murder death kill on your brain and no amount of beating me to a pulp is going to satisfy that!"
He grips me harder and comes in closer, "Sure! Honestly that was the surface reason for coming here and tracking you down! But... I don't know... There was... something else!"
He lets his death grip go and takes off his hat to run his gloved fingers through his matted blue hair. I've never seen such exasperation and unease in his crystal blue ocean eyes. It's hard to look at so I look to the side. "What else is there with you? You were born to destroy."
"You're right," he grips my face with his hands pulling my face to look back at him, "that's what I was made for. I didn't know any better and I didn't have anyone to show me otherwise... not till you. I did. I obsessed over you. I thought about you every day, I still do. But... It wasn't all just thinking about killing you. I mean, to be honest, I never actually got that far in my thoughts. Somehow, I could never get to the point of you dying before me in my mind. That's the truth. Maybe it was my subconscious telling me I didn't really want that, but I didn't know that. I'm tryin' ta be different; don't ya see that? Fuckin' hell! I don't even really wanna fight ya anymore, not in that way! But, I thought it was makin' ya better! Makin' ya think different and actin' stronger and more, I don't know, confident! Not like when I first came ta see ya! Ya were a shell! A goddamned shell of a being who didn't give a shit what happened ta ya! It hurt so bad seeing ya like that!" I give him a disbelieving scowl, "Yeah! I feel things! There's more to me than violence and cockiness - just don't go spreading that around. All this feelin' shit, I don't know how to handle it all, it's makin' me crazy. So please... please don't get mad at me for not knowin' what ta say! Because I feel stupid tellin' ya... that I don't ever wanna leave ya!"
My mouth drops open at that. Did he really just say that?
"It's hard for me ta even leave ya alone or not see ya for a day. Do ya know how hard it was ta not come running to ya after I got this body? But I didn't wanna look like a complete idiot in front of ya. Fuck! I wanna be patient and I think I'm scarin' the shit out of ya, but I don't want, for one moment any longer, for you to think that I'm just gonna abandon ya!"
His lips press into mine and I receive the longest, deepest first kiss anyone's ever gotten in existence. Ever. His eyes are closed and his brow is furrowed in concentration, which makes me melt and close my eyes. His lips are so soft and warm and he tastes like peppermint and green tea and him. He smells of shaving cream and sandalwood soap and the feel of his body close to me makes me moan and grab the front of his jacket to pull him closer. I move my lips against his as if I'm trying to bore deeper into him and he does the same. I breathe in as heavily as he does, trying to catch my breath and I hear him release a low deep moan, feeling it vibrate through my mouth.
All too soon, he releases my lips. And my eyes flutter open and we stare at each other for a moment, "Don't say anything," he starts, "I'm sorry if I pushed you too soon. I don't wanna scare ya. Let's just go home so ya can get ready fer school and we can talk when yer ready, ok?"
I nod my head slightly bewildered and he strokes my cheek with his thumb and squeezes my neck and nods in agreement as he guides me away from the tree and back to the path. We start a slow pace forward. A man with white grey hair starts to come up beside us with a white dog. His wool coat collar is pulled up over his mouth and nose and is peering at us out of the corner of his eye over his thick horned brimmed glasses. He's rolling a cigarette between his thumb and middle finger. The man nods quickly in a friendly gesture and I glance back over to Grimmjow, who is eyeing the man curiously, then Grimmjow looks back at me and a soft warm smile creeps across his face. He starts a quicker jog that I mimic, leaving the man with his dog behind as we round the last bend before the park track ends.
We jog up to the house still quiet, a comfortable quiet. I get to the gate and turn to face him still following his direction to not say anything. I'm not quite sure why I'm following his direction but it seems the right thing to do right now.
"Go get ready for school, I gotta go home and get ready for work. I can't come tomorrow to run cuz I gotta go in early for a special pick up and delivery scheduled, but I'll come to school after. I wanna watch you at kendo practice, okay my kenjutsu master?" He says as he lifts his hand to graze his knuckles against my left cheek.
Where I would usually scoff and say something self-deprecating or sarcastic, I just blush and nod again. I have been trying to speak since we got back to the house but my heart is in my throat, blocking all comprehending words. He smiles softly again and turns to leave. I open the gate and go through, closing it and peering through the slats. He gets on his bike and looks around for a moment groping at his pockets but shrugs at whatever he was concerned with for the moment off. He grabs his helmet hung over his handlebar and puts it on, starts his bike and turns his dark helmet clad head towards me. He stares for a moment then presses his black gloved hand to his helmet like he's kissing his fingers then holds his hand up for a goodbye. I stare as he drives off. I don't think I move for a good few minutes.
Then, I walk up to the door, enter, take off my shoes and climb the stairs to my room. I take off my hat and gloves and pullover. I walk across the hall to the bathroom and start the shower. I pull off my clothes and put them in the hamper. I go to the closet and get out my towel and hang it on the hook by the shower. I step into the shower and turn my back into the water. I heave a deep breath and press my fingers to my lips and for the next few long minutes, I relive every moment of that perfect, long, deep kiss.
