A/N: I wanted to post this sooner but I couldn't find it on my computer and thought I had to rewrite it. Luckily for me it turns out I had posted it on dA before my computer ate it so here it is. Review please!
Grimmjow felt his whole world crashing and falling around him as he stared at the tv, the phone still in his hand. Collapsing on to the floor due to the sudden lack of strength in his legs he gasped for breath as the pain racked his chest, making it hard to breath. Ignoring the phone still ringing he slowly brought himself up onto his hands and knees.
Taking in a ragged breath he clenched his fists and started beating on the floor. Angry tears filled his eyes as he knuckles begun to bleed and he cursed at no one.
Grimmjow stopped and stared at the bloodstains now on his carpet and lets out an agonizing scream, not caring if his neighbors heard. Sitting back on his legs he let the tears fall down his face and he glared at the front door as if it was the reason for his agony. His face red with rage he growled out at the door, "You bastard… I'll find you, and I will kill you…"
His eyes moved to the side where he saw a picture of his sister hung up on the wall. Her beautiful smile and shining grey eyes staring back at him. "I'm sorry Nel… I am so sorry…"
Ichigo sat back in his chair staring at the clock ticking on the wall. Class was over in 5 minutes but it felt like they would never leave. Letting out an aggravated sigh he let his head fall back and stared up at the ceiling trying to ignore the urge to just walk out. Just as he let his eyes slip shut he felt something hit him in the head.
Sitting up he glared at Rukia who sat beside him oh so 'innocently'. She smirked at him holding up another paper ball ready to throw it at him.
Ichigo rolled his eyes and flipped her off. He swat down the paper ball before it could hit him and grinned when the ball rang. Standing up he gathered all his things and slid his backpack on his shoulder. He waited for his friends to get their stuff together before walking out. Renji, Rukia, Orihime, Chad, and Uryuu all soon followed him out of class and out of school.
Renji walked up to Ichigo and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Hey man! Wanna come by my house later and play some video games?"
Shrugging off his arm Ichigo sighed and shook his head. "I can't, I already told my dad I'd go to the park with him and my sisters."
"Aw, that's sweet of you Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime giggled on the other side of Ichigo.
"Yeah, real sweet. Can't you go with them another time Ichigo?" Renji frowned. He really wanted to send time with his best friend. And maybe finally tell him he had a crush on him.
As if reading his thoughts Rukia butted in. "Yeah Ichigo, You already spend a lot of time at home with your family."
"That's not it. I usually stay in my room. Besides, I promised Karin I'll play soccer with her and her friends."
Chad nodded in his own way of saying he understood which Ichigo was appreciative of. Uryuu added his own comment. "I believe getting out and doing something productive is the better option for Kurosaki than spending hours playing barbaric games where your goal is to kill something."
Renji spluttered indigently at the comment while Ichigo grinned and opened his mouth to comment when he noticed a blue blur. Looking to the side he noticed the local "wacko", Grimmjow, walking on the opposite side of the street. His hands shoved in his pockets and head down, avoiding any contact with people passing him. Probably due to all the verbal abuse he got from people in town.
"Ichigo? Isn't this your stop?"
Blinking, Ichigo came back to the conversation and looked back at his friends. "Huh?"
"Are you alright Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked concerned.
Ichigo just nodded and waved goodbye to his friends before walking up to his house. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Grimmjow watch a group of little girls running down the street away from the park, smiling and laughing. His eyes looked so hurt and haunted.
He remembered that day 3 years ago that tormented the blue haired man. His little sister Nel was kidnapped while he was at work. Story goes that he came home to the window in the living room busted and that was all. Everything else was fine except his sister was gone. There were policemen surrounding the house looking for clues. Apparently his sister had called the police about the scary man in front of the house. The call ended disturbingly with Nel saying the man just wanted to play and that she was alright.
A month later she was found dead, strung up in a tree deep in the forest by the park.
Ichigo sallowed thickly. He had known Nel very well, he used to play with her when he went to the park with his family. Grimmjow was happy she had friends since they had just moved there. Their parents kicked them out when he told them he was gay. His sister refused to stay with her parents so he took her along. Nel was like a little sister to Ichigo so when she was murdered it hit him hard as well.
Not as hard as Grimmjow though. He had gone crazy saying that some guy named Slenderman had came and kidnapped his sister and killed her. That she wasn't the first and will not be the last. Everyone got scared but after a few months fear turned into amusement, then amusement turned into annoyance. Annoyance became cruelty. Grimmjow rarely came out of his house in the past year except for basic necessities since everyone verbally abused him and treated him like an outcast. Why he stayed here and dealt with it Ichigo didn't know.
Leaving those thoughts Ichigo focused back on the present and blushed brightly when he saw Grimmjow looking at him, smirking slightly in amusement. He had caught him staring. Scowling Ichigo walked into his house.
Ichigo... God the orange hair kid was really something. Grimmjow smiled at the thought of him. He remembered how Nel came home one day after they had just moved into to town chipper and excited, talking about a boy named Itsygo who let her play with him and his sisters. At first Grimmjow was paranoid that 'Itsygo' could have been some pervert who would kidnap his sister but then he had met him. It still amuses him to no end how the kid blushed brightly when Grimmjow gave his signature smirk and introduced himself. Like everybody else in town he was kind and happily agreed to babysit Nel when she was at the park.
Grimmjow didn't want to admit it but he had a crush on Ichigo. He accepted a long time ago that he was gay but to have feelings for a boy 10 years younger crossed a line. He couldn't help it though. Ichigo was smart, funny, kind, and fiesty. Grimmjow heard stories about how Ichigo used to get into fights due to his appearances and he has always wanted to see him in action.
Not only that, but when the town had turned on Grimmjow thinking he was crazy, Ichigo hadn't. He never once said a cruel word to Grimmjow.
Shaking his head Grimmjow pushed those thoughts aside and tried to ignore them, making his way back to his home. Or at least, what was left of it.
Ichigo fell down onto the grass panting and sweating a bit. He had no idea that Karin's friends were so good at soccer and took it so seriously. It took everything he had to keep up with them as they pulled moves he didn't even know.
"You gonna be ok carrot-top?" Ichigo looked up at a red head kid that had a crush on his other sister Yuzu. The little brat always pissed him off so he didn't even bother remembering his name.
"Run off before I beat the crap out of you twerp," Ichigo muttered. He scowled as the red head just laughed at him and walked off before Yuzu ran over with a bottle of water for him. His scowl softened into a smile as he took it gratefully. "Thanks Yuzu."
"You're welcome Ichi-nii. Oh, before I forget, dad said he wanted to talk to you."
Nodding Ichigo got up and walked over to his goat-face father who was on the phone with a serious, upset look on his face. Ichigo frowned as he came to a stop beside his dad as the man hung up. "Everything ok?"
Isshin sighed looking around the park. "Some lunatic held up a bank and some people got hurt while the police tried to arrest him. The hospital wants me to come and help them patch up a couple of victims."
Ichigo scowled once again. He couldn't stand those idiots who think they could do what ever the hell they wanted even if it hurt other people. "Alright well do you need me to come too?"
His father shook his head and asked him to stay at the park to watch his sisters for him while he went to take care of this. Ichigo nodded and walked with his dad back to the car, wished him luck and watched him drive away before making his way back to the soccer field. He frowned when he looked around and noticed his sisters weren't around. He walked over to the red head brat and asked him where they went.
"Why the hell should I tell you?" After being threatened by a protective, older brother he stuttered out that he saw them heading to the woods near by. Muttering under his breath Ichigo released the kid and went in that direction.
He looked around as he made it to the forest, wondering why his sisters would come here. Thinking that twerp had lied to him he turned around to beat the snot out of him but out of the corner of his eyes he saw as flutter of color. He turned his head just in time to see Yuzu's pink dress disappear between the trees.
"Yuzu?" he called following after her. Losing sight of her a few times in the dense forest he followed her the best he could before finally catching up with her. "Yuzu, what are you doing?" he asked grabbing her arm. He caught a glimpse of Karin only a few feet ahead before the sight of Yuzu's face made him freeze.
Her sweet, caring brown eyes were void of all emotions and looked dead. Her usual smile was fake and plastered on and when she spoke it sent shivers down his spine. "The man wants to play Ichi-nii... He's so lonely... Can't we play with him..?"
"Wha... What man?" As soon as the words left his lips something knocked him to the side and into a tree. "Ack!" he cried out as he made contact with the rough bark. Picking himself up slowly from the forest floor he looked over at what could have got him. His eyes widened and his breath left him in a terrified gasp.
Standing there, between his hypnotized sisters, was a man who had to be at least 8 feet tall, wearing a suit, with no face and tentacles protruding from his back. He looked like a moving mannequin and never made a sound as he calmly turned and walked away, Yuzu and Karin following like his servants.
"Wait! No!"
Ichigo shot to his feet and grabbed hsi sisters again. He picked them up and ran in the opposite direction but as soon as he truedn around the... the... the monster was standing right there and he snatched them away before knocking Ichigo away again. Fighting the urge to lay down and go to sleep Ichigo forced himself back up onto his feet. The creature had opened some sort of portal almost and was about to walk throught, still holding onto his sisters.
With fear coursing through him Ichigo ran to them and wrapped his arms around Karin and pulled her from his grasp and tossed her down beside him. He turned to take Yuzu as well but he was too late. He watched as the protal closed right on his sister, disappearing forever.
He stood there, helpless. His sister... She was gone...
"Huh..? What happened..? Ichigo?"
Hearing his other sister's voice, Ichigo turned around and scopped her up into his arms, hugging her tight. She fought against him wanting to knwo what was going on but... As soon as she felt tears on her shoulder she stopped and just let him, confused. "Ichi-nii..?" Feeling him shake she wrapped her arms around his shoudlers and let him cry. His cries quickly turning into cries of anguish. Even though she didn't know what had caused him pain, she just held him and started to cry with him.
After a while of crying Karin wiggled out of Ichigo's hold and got his cellphone, calling their dad. She told her dad what she could remember of what happened and how Ichigo was now just sitting on the forest floor, staring at his hands.
Isshin quickly rushed back to the park and soon found his two children. When he asked where Yuzu was, Ichigo's head shot up and he glared so fiercly, as if brought back to the present. He quickly stood up and turned back to where his sister vanished and started cursing out nothing. His dad and sister stared at him in confusion and concern.
"Ichigo!" Isshin shouted, bringing his son back to them. "What happened!"
Ichigo just stared at him, eyes tearing up again as he mumbled, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I.. I failed... Oh god I'm so sorry!"
Isshin called the police and explained to them what he knew which was very little, KArin adding information every now and then. But when they started to question Ichigo, he remained silent. He knew if he told them what happened then they would think he was crazy and lock him away somewhere and then he couldn't help his sister.
His sister.. That man.. Tall.. Suit.. He took his sister just like...
With this realization in mind he took off running. Ignoring the shouts from his dad and the police he ran from the park and in to the neighborhood. Make his way down streets and around corners he made his way to a house he knew almsot as well as his own. Coming to a stop in front of the house he hasn't been in in months, he stared at it as he tried to catch his breath. Worry and panic muddled his brain as he slowly made his way up the steps and knocked hesitantly on the door.
When the door opened, the owner stared at him with wide blue eyes. "Ichigo?"
Ichigo broke down once more that day. "He took her... He took Yuzu..."
Knowing who he was Grimmjow nodded in unfortunate understanding and pulled Ichigo into his house. He looked up and down the street before closing the door. This was going to be a long night...
