It was night by the time to two made it back to Ichigo's house, the moonlight shone down on the two, making their hair turn silver and bathing everything in a mystical silvery glow.

On the way to the Shinigami's house they had begun to ask each other casual questions since they basically knew nothing about each other.

"Ok my turn." Grimmjow stated. "How old are you?"

Ichigo grinned, "I just turned 19 three weeks ago."

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks." Ichigo thought for a second, "What's your favorite band?"

"Disturbed." Grimmjow replied immediately, "What's your favorite food?"

And so their conversation continued. They were so immersed in each other they didn't even notice that they had walked through the door and right into Ichigo's family.

"Ichi-nii." A black haired girl drawled, "Who's that?"

Ichigo choked off in mid-sentence and stared stupidly at his little sister, "Karin!"

Karin raised an eyebrow, "His name's Karin?"

Grimmjow snickered, "Nope. I'm Grimmjow."

"Hi, Grimmjow-san." A lighter, friendlier voice chirped. A small, light brown haired girl bowed, "Welcome to our home."

"Err, thanks."

Ichigo recovered, "Grimmjow, that's Karin and Yuzu, my sisters. Uh, we'd better get upstairs and work on the school project."

"What project?" Grimmjow asked.

Ichigo's face heated up, "The project you came over to help me with, dumb-ass!" He shoved the bemused man up the stairs.

Yuzu called after them, "Good luck on your project!"

Karin rolled her eyes and returned to the soccer match on T.V.

"School project?" Grimmjow repeated, once they were sealed away in the teen's room.

Ichigo scowled, "It was a diversion, idiot!"

Grimmjow snorted, "Diversion for what?"

"To get away! Duh!" Ichigo snarled, his stress and anxiety melting into anger, "Why are you always so difficult!"

"Me?" Grimmjow sneered, "You're the one who bitches about everything!"

Ichigo drew himself upright, his eyes flashing furiously, "If I'm such a bitch then why don't you leave!"

"Maybe I will!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

Grimmjow whirled away from the teen, kicked open the window, and leapt out into the night, swearing profusely.

Ichigo glared after his, his rage disintegrating into weariness and guilt, "Fuck…" he stared after where Grimmjow had exited, his scowl morphing into frustrated, upset look, "Fuck."

Grimmjow stormed away from the home, his fury waving around like a flag in the wind. He snarled at the moon and un-concisely stomped toward the park.

"Gin." Aizen called.

Gin poked his head up from his book, "Eh?"

"I need you to go and retrieve the boy."

Gin glanced at his watch and fidgeted, "Aizen-chan…do I have ta? I got things I gotta—"

"Yes?"

"Nevermin'…"

Aizen raised an eyebrow but let it go, "Now would be nice."

"'Kay." Gin opened a portal and raced through. He stepped into the slightly polluted human air and checked his watch, only half an hour. Damn. He raced toward the home of the teen, noticing that the window was already broken, "Well tha' saves me the trouble." He murmured.

Ichigo looked up and nearly had a heart attack, "Ichimaru!"

"Hiya." The silver haired ex-captain didn't bother with any more formalities as he scooped up the stunned teen and flash stepped back to Hueco Mundo.

Grimmjow was getting, if possible, more and more infuriated.

"I am here to offer the request again." A soft, melancholy voice said from behind him.

Grimmjow whipped around and came face to face with Ulquiorra, "Fuck you! I have enough shit to deal with now without you too!"

Ulquiorra blinked owlishly, "Then I am sorry to add to that plate of issues. Here is the new request; join Aizen's army again or…the man dies."

"Huh?" Grimmjow asked, thrown for a moment.

"Your mate." Ulquiorra sighed.

Grimmjow blushed for a second before grasping what that meant, "Wait…you have Ichigo!"

Ulquiorra mumbled something that sounded like 'Idiot…'

Grimmjow seized the front of the pale Espada's robe, "GIVE HIM BACK TO ME NOW!"

Ulquiorra's eyes shifted to the flaming blue ones, "I do not have such trash in my possession."

"THEN WHO DOES!"

"Aizen-sama."

A heavy silence descended upon the pair as Grimmjow processed the information, "Aizen wants me to come back…or he'll kill Ichigo?"

Ulquiorra mumbled again, but this time Grimmjow defiantly heard 'Idiot.'

Grimmjow released Ulquiorra and felt his temper hit the roof, but surprisingly he controlled it. "Take me to him."

Ulquiorra turned around and breezed back to the portal, into Hueco Mundo, followed by Grimmjow.

Aizen looked up from his tea and smiled warmly, "Ah, how nice of you to join me, Grimmjow."

"Che, get to the point." Grimmjow spat, his temper hissing like an angry cat.

Aizen sighed, "You never where one for diplomacy…" He snapped his fingers and Ichigo appeared at the base of his throne, bound and gagged, "Let me make this simple for you; return to me and Ichigo goes free, or you both die."

Ichigo strained against the bindings, but his attempts where worthless.

Grimmjow stared hungrily at Ichigo and then his eyes flickered back to Aizen, "If I agree, you need to swear that you will never EVER hurt, kill, or go near Ichigo ever again."

Aizen hid his smile, the stupid blue haired Espada was behaving like a child…but he would humor him, for now…"Of course."

"Then deal." Grimmjow snarled.

Ichigo's eyes shot open and he shook his head, trying to scream at Grimmjow not to do it, to run, but of course; he didn't hear him.

Tousen stepped forward with a branding iron in the form of a 6. He pressed the white hot metal into Grimmjow's skin just above his hollow hole in his back.

Grimmjow clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth, determined not to make a sound as the iron burned into his skin.

Tousen removed the iron and walked off, oblivious to the fact that the 6 now had bits of flesh stuck to it, or maybe he just didn't care.

Grimmjow rolled his shoulders and winced at the pain, "Now hold up your end of the deal."

Aizen smiled and snapped his fingers, the binding falling away, "I will leave you alone for a bit." He drifted off, smirking when they couldn't see him.

Ichigo climbed down from the throne pedestal and raced into Grimmjow's arms, carful of the new tattoo, "Grimm…"

Grimmjow hugged the teen tightly, burying his face in the sweet smelling orange fluff, "Ichi."

Ichigo clung to the Espada, pressing his face into Grimmjow shoulder to stop the tears, "Don't leave me…please…"

Grimmjow's hug tightened as he held the trembling Shinigami against his body, "Ichi, listen, tell the others what happened and I'll try and escape again or something…don't give up, no matter what." He growled.

Ichigo looked up, his chocolate eyes shining with pain, "Grimm, why did you give up your freedom for me?"

A lump formed in Grimmjow's throat and he leaned in close, his mouth brushing against the teen's ear, "Because I love you."

Ichigo's breath caught in his throat and he drew back slightly, staring intently at the blue haired Espada.

Grimmjow watched him gently, his eyes distant and sad, but something soft was lurking in the depths of them.

Ichigo threw his arms around the Espada and kissed him, trying to convey all his feelings and thoughts into one gesture.

Grimmjow understood, he drew the Shinigami to his body and kissed back, a fire spreading through his veins making his chest ache. Ichigo's soft lips molded and moved in sync to his own, making them both lightheaded.

"Times up." An unemotional voice announced.

Grimmjow broke away and hugged Ichigo's trembling body to him protectively, he whispered softly in his ear so Ulquiorra wouldn't hear him, "Warn them, and don't give up on me."

Ichigo nodded silently and gripped the blue haired man tightly before letting go and allowing Ulquiorra to lead him away.

Grimmjow watched them go, his shoulders feeling like the weight of the world had just settled there.