Not entirely sure about how much I like certain parts of this, but I'm pretty happy with the main event, so try to enjoy~!
An ashen brow rose in vague surprise and slight annoyance as golden eyes were turned toward the table Ichigo and his target had taken. His surprise stemmed from the number of glasses beginning to pile on the edge of the table, his annoyance much the same coupled with the rather flirtatious blue haired man. It wasn't often they found someone who could keep up with Ichigo when it came to holding their alcohol but the bluenette was putting up quite the front. The pale man only hoped Ichigo didn't do something stupid and let his little game go on too long.
The thought was banished the instant it crept into Shiro's mind. Ichigo knew what he was doing, he'd make sure to pull them from the bar before he was too inebriated to help out incase something went wrong.
This was always the worst part of the entire process of finding and cornering a victim. Shiro nursed a beer of his own as he kept a discreet eye on his lover and their target, long ago learning that if he knew when the Ichigo and the victim were leaving, he could be in place and ready much more effectively. Perfecting the art of blending in, even with his unique looks, the albino was easily able to infiltrate and stick close for as long as needed before he slipped out right in front of the victim's nose.
While Ichigo had tried to describe the blue haired man that was to be their victim, this was the first the albino had truly gotten to see him. As he had been told, the guy was definitely different from their other victims. He was tall with broad shoulders and the muscle definition of a man that took great care of his body and was more than willing to show it off. Their victims were usually closer to their size, more average in hight and weight. This guy probably weighed thirty or forty pounds more than either he or Ichigo and was easily several inches taller too. If he managed to sniff out Shiro before the albino could surprise him with a knife, it would certainly end up being one hell of a fight, a fight Shiro was willing to bet would get messy.
Just like Ichigo had said, there was something wild about the man, about the way his frigid blue eyes cut through the room, surveying everything around him and appraising the men and woman in the crowded bar. Like a hungry lion, he sat amongst the rest of the people, hiding in plain sight and waiting for the perfect opportunity, but his gaze always went back to Ichigo, like Ichigo was the weakened gazelle straying too close to the unseen predator. It was a bit infuriating to watch, really.
The bluenette was confident and brash, knowing full well what he was capable of and knowing he'd look damn good doing it. It was no wonder Ichigo had been drawn to the man and Shiro curled his lip as the bigger man ordered another round, an openly leering grin on his face. The albino would admit the man was good looking, but he was protective over his lover and that little bit of jealousy always made his kills taste all the sweeter.
Dropping the money for his tab on the table, Shiro eagerly slid from his seat as Ichigo leaned over the table toward his date for the evening, pushing his half emptied drink aside with the other empty glasses. The pale killer snarled and disappeared into the crowd as another suggestive smirk creased angular features. He was out the door before Ichigo and Grimmjow stood from their seat, vanishing into the night darkened streets like a ghost.
From where he lay in wait, concealed from view, he wouldn't be able to see Ichigo and their target, but he wasn't far away. Should trouble arise, Ichigo would only need to call for him. The waiting game was something Shiro was surprisingly good at and so he crouched in silence, listening to the nearly silent night and the subtle sounds that drifted to him from the bar, the sound of footsteps and the subtle tone of Ichigo's voice as his partner and lover further snared their victim in their trap.
••••••
Back pressed against the dirty wall of the alley he had allowed himself to be pushed into, Ichigo shivered as a hot tongue ran up the side of his neck. A mischievous grin on his face, he peered over Grimmjow's shoulder and searched the dark shadows behind their victim for any signs of Shiro, though he knew that the albino wasn't quite that close to them and he knew that even if he was, he would never be able to see him unless the colorless man allowed him too.
His hands fisted into the back of Grimmjow's almost too tight shirt as he tilted his head back, letting the man have free reign of the flesh he seemed to enjoy so much. Blunt teeth scraped along his esophagus, sharper canines scratching lightly, teasingly.
Grimmjow let a rumbling hum that nearly sounded like a deep purr escape from deep within his chest at the unique and wonderful taste of the orange haired young man. His big hands pushed the lad's shirt up, exposing a toned and lean abdomen, his fingers splayed as they explored the delectable muscle and smooth, heated skin.
Ichigo's hands dropped from where they had been clenched in the back of the bluenette's shirt, running down his sides until they settled on Grimmjow's cut hips, teasing smooth, warm skin just within the waist band of his dark jeans. If he was going to share himself with someone other than Shiro, this man would certainly be tempting.
The bluenette's body was chiseled perfection and he was somehow surrounded by an air of danger that nearly matched Shiro's, though Ichigo knew full well where Shiro's dangerous aura came from. Everything about this man screamed of a sexy confidence. It was almost a shame that they had to kill him.
As he reached further around to continue exploring more towards Grimmjow's ass and lower back, Ichigo's fingertips brushed against something cold and hard. Orange brows furrowed in curiosity.
The bluenette didn't seem to notice and he growled quietly as he sank his teeth into Ichigo's neck, drawing a delicious gasp from the man. But Ichigo froze, the lust and excitement clearing from his widening eyes and the aroused gasp dying in his throat as he ran his fingers over the curved, smooth handle of what could have only been a knife.
Basic reasoning told him that it couldn't have been a pocket or utility knife, it didn't fold closed like the kind most people carried, instead it was held in a sheath, the blade protected and encased by a sturdy, padded material. Carefully tracing the curve of the handle and the delicate arc of the blade's case, Ichigo swallowed, realizing it was some type of hunting knife, possibly even a fillet knife meant for skinning and gutting animals, the deadly kind that he didn't wish to personally feel.
"You taste so good, Ichigo..." Grimmjow growled in husky voice that vibrated against the sensitive skin of Ichigo's exposed throat. A wicked grin curved his lips as he realized Ichigo had frozen up, his one hand hovering over the handle of the blade he used to dismember and harvest his kills.
The orange haired man let out a startled sound, his hands retracting away from the man like he had been burned as he tried to back away, finding the wall holding him in place. "Y-you..."
Ichigo's voice trailed off as Grimmjow leered down at him, pinning him in place against the alley wall. Not surprised that the intelligent man had pieced his identity together so easily after finding the knife, Grimmjow let his grin answer the unfinished question, looking down into what should have been panic stricken eyes. But their was only a very small sliver of panic in those warm brown orbs. Settled where the fear should have been was a cold, cunning streak, something that gleamed and shimmered but didn't quake or tremble. Grimmjow could practically see Ichigo's mind turning, scrambling for a solution, reaching for a way to salvage the situation and grasping for a new plan.
This wasn't the panic of prey caught in the grasp of a predator. Oh no, this was something much different. The reactions he was seeing were the reactions of another predator that had unexpectedly stepped into someone else's territory. Blue eyes chilled and widened as well, the implications of his thoughts settling in.
"Shinigami." Grimmjow snarled quietly, seething at who he had managed to capture in his grasp. And to think, it seemed he was meant to be the next victim of his rival, though he was a little surprised to realize Ichigo was capable of the kind of killing the papers had shown. He honestly had pegged the young man for being much too kind and innocent for that.
"Oh Shhhhhh..." Ichigo hissed a cursing breath, his voice again trailing off as he looked up into the hollow killer's frigid blue gaze. He watched blue brow's furrow as something seemed to click in place and settle unkindly in the man's eyes.
"...they..." Grimmjow whispered, remembering the orange haired man's slip up in the cafe a few days ago, the image of Ichigo and another strange man in the streets only the night before replaying in his mind.
Just as he spoke it, Ichigo's quiet curse morphed into a shout for his lover and partner. "Shiro!"
Grimmjow bared his teeth, reaching around behind him to yank his fillet knife free as Ichigo ducked and dove out from in front of him and toward the entrance of the alley. Blue eyes shot in that direction, following his movements just as a pale figure launched toward him, a lilting snarl filling the air.
Seeing that Ichigo had managed to scramble away from the blue haired man and unsure what was going on, Shiro attacked. He didn't need to know what had gone wrong and as the knife in the target's hands glinted in the low level lighting, the albino drove Grimmjow to the dirty ground, using his momentum to compensate for his smaller size.
Sharp pain sliced along his ribs, flaying his white flesh open and lighting with fire but Shiro sent a hit of his own back, slamming his fist home in the center of the bluenette's chest and knocking the wind from the bigger man. Grabbing the man's knife wielding hand in one of his own to hold it away from his body, the albino managed to get in another shot before Grimmjow snarled and threw his smaller form off.
Shiro hit the ground with a grunt, one hand wrapping around to clutch at the bleeding wound along his side, blood blossoming a deep crimson through his white shirt and coating his hand. His snarled a curse as Ichigo slid to a halt across the grit covered ground to his side, wrapping an arm around his lover and quickly pulling Shiro to his feet.
Grimmjow reached his feet as the two straightened, nearly identical expressions of outrage settling on his adversaries' features. He flipped the knife in his hands, taking a ready stance as he watched the two take a measured step toward him, circling around him with the intensity of hungry jackals more than ready to defend what was theirs.
"Shi, he's the hollow killer..." Ichigo's smooth voice warned his colorless partner, eyes never leaving Grimmjow's shadowed form.
A wicked grin curled snowy lips as the albino's inverted and disturbing gaze lit with flames that turned the gold of his irises into molten lava, heated and violent and ready to burn everything in their path with a manic and crazed intensity. How dare this guy step into his territory, steal his spotlight and then think he could just kill his man. His earlier jealousy was all but gone, replaced by an indignant, territorial rage.
The two smaller men fanned out as they crept closer, measured steps silent and cautious but full of a well earned confidence and sure footedness that spoke of experience. Grimmjow could easily see that they were accustomed to working together, complimenting each other's movements and coordinating without a word being said. Their tactic was nearly flawless, keeping him in constant motion in order to keep them in view where he could defend himself and he knew it was meant to wear him out as quickly as possible.
Baring his teeth, he launched from his crouch, thinking to get rid of the strange, colorless man first. He had the air of a predator and a killer about him, while Ichigo's was a softer feel, more of an accomplice and participant than a killer. The pale man must have been the one to make such a mess of the bodies, it seemed to fit his style.
Grimmjow lashed out, slashing his knife in a vicious arc that would have bisected the albino. Said albino managed to back peddle out of range, letting Grimmjow only slice through the thin fabric of his already blood streaked shirt. Footsteps behind the bluenette had him spinning around, bringing his blade back to center in preparation for either attack or defense.
As he spun on Ichigo, the two attacked in tandem, Shiro from his unguarded side while Ichigo took a head on approach. A well executed spinning kick from the orange haired man caught Grimmjow's hand, throwing his knife from his grip to clang against the brick wall near by but doing little damage. The real attack came from the more aggressive, blood thirsty albino. A fist launched into his ribcage, followed by a quick knee as Grimmjow snarled like a trapped animal and tried to turn on the man.
Shiro's knee caught his target in the gut, doubling the man as the less colorful of the fighting figures reached for his own weapon. The bluenette recognized the movement, knowing what the man was likely pulling and knowing he would be in serious trouble if he went against another blade while out numbered and unarmed. In a swift movement backed by all the considerable strength and weight he could put into it, he surged forward, staying low and wrapping his thick arms around Shiro's waist. He drove the slim man to the hard ground, one arm still pinned behind his back where he had been attempting to grasp his hidden blade.
The albino's pained yelp rang through the silent street as he grit his teeth and tried to breathe through the sharp pain lancing up his arm, his fingers going numb where they wrapped around the thick handle of his hunting knife. A hard hit to his jaw had the stars in the night sky spinning before the heavy weight of the bigger man was yanked from atop him, leaving him to struggle through the blackening effects of the heavy punch and hitting the unforgiving ground so hard.
Ichigo's eyes widened as the bluenette readied for another punch, his arm cocked back and muscle bulging. Shiro lay nearly unmoving, one arm pinned below his own, pain tensed body while his other had been clenched in Grimmjow's shirt, until that first hit at least. Then it had weakly fallen to his side and Ichigo knew his lover was in trouble.
Jumping into action, he grabbed hold of the blue haired man's arm before he could hit Shiro again, sending an elbow to the back of the man's head. Grimmjow snarled through the blow but it stunned him enough for Ichigo to finish dragging him off the prone albino.
Grimmjow was on his feet in an instant though, spinning to square off with the orange haired man. He grinned as he glared at Ichigo through the few stubborn strands of his hair that refused to settle anywhere but in his face. To his surprise, Ichigo smiled back, almost a sweet expression had the hard, angered gleam not shone in his eyes.
Ichigo surged into motion. What he lacked in muscular bulk and strength, he made up for with his speed, agility and knowledge in fighting tactics. A high kick nearly caught Grimmjow in the chest, but the bluenette jumped backward to avoid it, grabbing hold of Ichigo's ankle as he did. The smug grin was wiped off his face as Ichigo used the new leverage Grimmjow gave him as an anchor, using his free leg to kick off the ground and spin in the bigger man's grasp.
His second foot sailed high above Grimmjow's head but as it came back around, Ichigo caught the man in the ribs, the same place Shiro had been targeting before. As the hit connected, Grimmjow jerked back and away, grunting from the blow as he dropped Ichigo's captured leg and allowed the smaller man to land lithely on his feet, pivoting around to face the bigger man once more. Every once of aggression he possessed surged to the forefront of Ichigo's mind as he glanced over to see Shiro attempting to sit up and shake off the debilitating blow he had taken.
As he attempted to follow through with his attack, again charging the bigger man, Grimmjow bared his teeth and let his animalistic fury take hold. He was more of a brawler anyway, the martial arts crap wasn't really his thing. A snarling grin on his face, he waited for the smaller man to strike him again.
When Ichigo's fist caught him in the stomach, Grimmjow grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him close as a fist of his own shot right back. Ichigo didn't even get the chance to voice how badly that shot hurt. The air was knocked from his lungs, leaving him gasping for oxygen before he even realized he was on the ground, a large shadow looming over him as his chest burned and felt like it would cave in.
Shiro struggled upright as Ichigo hit the ground, nearly half of his pale face already showing the dark discoloration from the heavy punch the bigger man had landed. Right arm still numbed from being slammed to the ground at an odd angle, he reached around and snagged his blade in his left.
It didn't carry the same finesse Grimmjow's blade did, it wasn't curved and made for delicate work. It was a simple buck knife, thick and sturdy and perfect for the hacking he did when playing with a body.
As Grimmjow hovered over Ichigo, Shiro pulled the knife around, charging on silent feet. He sneered at the blue haired man trying to hurt his lover and disregarded as his twisting movements sent sharp pain through the slash in his side and darkened his vision.
Half crouching, Shiro made a rough effort to kick Grimmjow's feet out from under him, though it was more of a distraction than his real attack. Attention diverted away from where Ichigo lay struggling and panting on the ground, Grimmjow spun back around to the immediate threat at his back.
A lilting, distorted yell that spoke of fury proceeded Shiro's swift movements. Knife already leveled and at the ready, he didn't give the larger man the chance to counter attack as he plunged the heavy blade home.
Grimmjow's blue eyes widened as the burning cold of steel punctured through the muscle of his abdomen, bitting deep and threatening to steal his strength. His snarl weakly rang through the air as he slammed a big fist into the smaller man, his only thought of getting away from the knife impaling him so suddenly and viciously.
As Shiro stumbled backward, he pulled the knife free with a sickening, slurping sound that had Grimmjow gritting his teeth, a strained grunt crawling up his throat. Grimmjow stumbled away, hands pressed to his wounded torso, blood seeping between his fingers as Ichigo managed to gain enough air to roll over and pull himself up at Shiro's side where the albino protectively hovered over him.
Grimmjow watched them, his eyes narrowed as he waited for their attack. The two smaller men were vicious in a way Grimmjow had not expected, not that he had realized he was about to be double teamed when he had left the bar, nor fighting for his life, but the two men standing before him were more than that. They were like injured, cornered animals in their desperation to protect one another, to keep him at bay and keep him from harming either. Just like cornered animals, they would attack with a surprising ferocity when need be, even against a larger predator.
Ichigo had told him it was more than simple killing to them while they had been talking at the cafe. Even though he had thought it was just theory at the time, he was beginning to see what he meant now. They didn't use the body in the same sense that he did, but their kill still wasn't an entire waste either.
The orange haired man stood at the albino's side, his warm brown eyes wide as he watched Grimmjow's every move, every subtle shift in stance and every minute flex of his honed body. He wrapped an arm around the colorless man at his side, pressing his hand over Shiro's against the slash along his ribs that bled freely to turn the once white shirt a deep red. Golden eyes seethed and spat fire but Shiro panted as he gladly leaned a bit of his weight on the support Ichigo offered, the short of quick paced fight having quickly taken it's tole after loosing so much blood in the very beginning.
"Come on, love... let's get out of here." Ichigo suggested, tugging lightly at Shiro's arm and trying to back the man away and toward the mouth of the alley. He could feel the albino's hand shake beneath his own, each breath the man took forcing more blood to seep between their fingers. Now seemed like a good time to leave, while Shiro was still on his feet and Grimmjow didn't seem willing to follow after them. Sporting bruised up ribs and a knife wound of his own, the bluenette hadn't exactly come out unscathed, though he did quite well at hiding it.
"I have to admit, that was fun." A grin erupted across the bigger man's angular features as he backed up another step, showing he was willing to let them leave and hiding the wince that wanted to reveal his pain. "It's been a while since I've found another predator on par with me, let alone two."
Shiro curled his lip at the man, just barely putting up enough resistance as to not let Ichigo drag him away quite yet. "Don' know if ya've noticed, Ichi, but he ain't dead jus' yet."
"Yeah, and neither are you. I'd like to keep it that way." Ichigo nearly hissed back, tugging on Shiro once more.
The albino finally let himself be backed away at Ichigo's persistance, not taking his eyes off the blue haired killer. "Ya sayin' ya don' think I could a got 'im?"
"No, I'm saying your bleeding. A lot, Shi. We need to get you patched up." Ichigo told his stubborn man, noticing how even as injured as he was, Shiro was still making the attempt to keep himself between the bigger man and Ichigo as he allowed himself to be pulled from the fight.
"No hospitals, aibou." Shiro mumbled as they neared the exit, still watching the shadowed form of the man that was supposed to have been their target that night.
"I don't know..." Ichigo told him, looking over his shoulder and around the dark street before he turned and began guiding the albino toward where he had left his car. "You might have to this time..."
Grimmjow watched them go. He thought he should have felt like he had failed, letting his prey get away like that, but he didn't. They had put up a good fight, far better than he would have expected and all things considered, he was lucky it didn't turn out worse. Two against one was never fun and these two certainly had had the coordination and skill to do damage.
As Ichigo and his partner disappeared from his line of sight, Grimmjow stumbled across the alley to the opposite side to find where his fillet knife had ended up. Snagging it up, he re-sheathed it before slumping against the brick wall to take a breather before he began making his way back to his apartment. He was suddenly rather glad that the bar he had chosen as their place of meeting hadn't been too far away.
One hand pressed to his abdomen, keeping pressure on the stab wound until he could get home to get a better look at it, the blue haired man limped down the alleyway, turning in the opposite direction his two adversaries had went.
This wasn't the end of their little game, nor the rivalry they had inadvertently started. He had the feeling the two young men he had just parted ways with wouldn't be satisfied and he knew he sure as hell wasn't. He wanted more. More of Ichigo, more of his partner, more challenge and plenty of the blood they had shed, both his own and theirs and he knew just how to get it.
He would nurse his wounds for a few days, let the knife puncture heal up and hope there wasn't much internal damage, let his bruised ribs recover. Then he'd be back at the cafe. Ichigo couldn't avoid him there, not if he didn't want to draw attention to himself and how very average he seemed while in the light of day. It was likely the orange haired man would skip the next few days. The albino seemed more than a mere partner in crime and no doubt Ichigo would stay home with him out of worry, but he couldn't hide forever. He would have to return to work eventually. And even if he didn't, Grimmjow had his resources. He could find his prey.
Stalking up to his front door and quite happy the streets were deserted and silent, Grimmjow panted as he unlocked the door and threw it wide, a grimacing sneer twisting his features. Damn did the damage he took hurt like a bitch. He kicked the door closed behind him, catching a fleeting glimpse of the tail end of his cat as the little beast took off to hide somewhere out of his way as the resounding bang echoed in the still room.
The blue haired man allowed himself to sink down into a chair at his kitchen table before he carefully began peeling his blood and sweat soaked shirt away from his body, wincing again when lifting his arms pulling at his damaged side and refreshed the trickle of blood sluicing down his muscled abdomen. He could still breath just fine though, other than the fatigue that always followed a fast paced fight, and their wasn't any particularly unnatural burn or numbness to the wound, other than what one would expect, so he figured he got lucky and the albino's knife hadn't pierced anything vital. That in it's self seemed a bit odd, since the man was an accomplished killer. He had to have known a decent amount about human anatomy and surely he knew where to stick his target to do the most damage.
Grimmjow mentally shrugged, chocking the mistake up to the pale man's own battered state and desperation to keep him and the threat he posed away from the smaller male's lover.
It would be several days before he would be able to get back to hunting his own prey and he was loath to eat store bought crap that had been sitting in some meat packing plant after living and dying in a slaughter house but just when the city began to rest, began to breathe just a bit easier with the fall off of the sudden murders, he would be back on his feet to show them how wrong they were. The papers would be filled with photos of his work, every headline would have his pseudo name in big bold letters and every news broadcast for days would show clips of the fear he would strike into the common citizens.
And by then, the albino and Ichigo, the 'Shinigami' killers that everyone mistook for a single man, would be ready for action once more and they would surely rise to the challenge, revel in it even and enjoy it. The game would begin in earnest and the streets would run crimson until not a soul dared leave the lit and locked confines of their homes at night.
The blue haired man let a shark grin cross his features as he pressed his hand back to his wound and slowly straightened, headed toward the bathroom to find some antiseptic to clean the stab wound with. If there was one thing he had to admit to, it was how much fun it was going to be delivering his acceptance of their little challenge.
Well? Let me know your thoughts, if you would~