Special thanks to danasy who's feeling a little under the weather which is why this chapter is being posted late! Pray she gets better soon! ^^

And oh yes, special thanks to Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo too with all her nagging, tough cookies and Chuck Norris's XD

Ichigo stared. Then, he slowly turned a bright, strawberry red and began to cough uncomfortably.

'Um,' he managed to utter while trying to avert Grimmjow's gaze, 'he's your…he's your what again?'

'Well, he's not really my uncle,' Grimmjow sighed and gently pushed Ichigo away so he could watch the people bustling by. 'He's an old friend of the family. Aizen's friend, actually.'

Ichigo's jaw dropped. Not because Grimmjow called his father 'Aizen' (he'd been doing that for a year now) but because Grimmjow was actually acquainted to one of that bastard's friends.

No wonder Ichigo was getting a funny feeling from him. Especially when he wrapped his arms around Grimmjow.

Grimmjow turned around, startled, when he heard Ichigo growl lowly in his throat.

'I don't like him, Grimmjow,' Ichigo uttered menacingly. 'If he's a friend of that bastard than he's not good news.'

'Ichigo…' Grimmjow said quietly, looking at his boyfriend pleadingly. Ichigo's eyes widened and then narrowed as he realized something unpleasant.

'Don't tell me he's got you wrapped around his finger too?' Ichigo snapped, losing his temper. He wished he wasn't. He was meeting Grimmjow after God knows how long and the first thing he does is get angry at him. He hated this. He hated that man. He's the one who ruined their reunion.

'Grimmjow, I can't believe you! Haven't you learnt from your mistakes?' Ichigo continued to explode. 'What's he doing to keep you, huh? Is he blackmailing you with his version of love? Is he making you do it with him?'

'Excuse me?' Grimmjow said in shock, his eyes widening. But Ichigo was too pissed off to notice Grimmjow's bewildered face.

'Everyone knows who he is right?' Ichigo seethed as he stomped past Grimmjow. 'I'll ask Shinji. He'll tell me. And when I find out, there will be hell to pay! So that stuck up, no good, son of a bitch can kiss my-!'

He stopped short when he felt something heavy collide with his back, almost knocking him over, and then a pair of arms enclose around his waist. Startled, he looked behind to see a shock of cerulean hair and a trembling figure.

'Ichigo, don't be mad at him,' he heard Grimmjow whisper against the back of his shirt. 'Onkel Gin has only been helping us ever since I came back. He's…He's been supporting Mutter in any way he can. He's even helping pay for Stark's college, and going to Nel's school recitals. And…and he's making sure I heal properly. He makes sure that I don't remember Aizen and that I'm never alone to think about him. He's…he's really, really nice, Ichigo…'

Ichigo turned around completely to face Grimmjow and realized how stupid this all was. He loved Grimmjow! And Grimmjow loved him back! Why the hell was he thinking that Grimmjow would fall back to his bad habits and cheat on him? This was so stupid and ridiculous that if he was somebody else and met himself doing this to Grimmjow, he'd beat the stuffing out of him.

A slow smile spread across his face as he, in turn, wrapped his own arms around Grimmjow and buried his face in his lover's neck, inhaling that enchanting scent.

'I'm sorry, Grimm,' he murmured. 'Sorry that I jumped to conclusions. I…didn't meant to, okay? It's just that…you're real important to me and I hate seeing you get hurt…again…'

'I know,' Grimmjow responded just as softly. 'That's why I didn't want you to worry and didn't tell you about Onkel Gin. If you knew…you'd act like you just did. And I didn't want to do it over the phone because then I wouldn't be able to stop you from acting like a dick in public.'

Ichigo chuckled and tightened his hug briefly before letting go. He slid his hands down Grimmjow's arms before entwining their fingers.

'I want to meet him,' he grinned and swung their arms playfully. 'He sounds like a real swell guy.'

Grimmjow laughed.

'I want you to meet him too,' he answered, his cheerful mood and impish grin back in place. 'Come over to my place tomorrow. He'll be over then. He has work tonight which is why he popped in to tell me he couldn't take me to the movies today.'

'But then…why did you blush-?' Ichigo frowned.

'We were going to go see 'Beauty and the Beast',' Grimmjow muttered and looked away while turning beet red.

Ichigo burst out laughing. Scowling, Grimmjow shoved Ichigo into a wall but that didn't stop the orange head from laughing till he had tears in his eyes.

'You're such a chick, Grimm, and you didn't need to grow your hair to prove it!' Ichigo mused as he wiped a stray tear sliding down his cheek.

'Fuck you!' Grimmjow snapped and marched away. 'I need to go back to work! And you better be staying somewhere 'cause if you asked me for a room, I'd make you sleep on the streets!'

'Hey! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't make fun of you!'

'Yeah, right! And stop putting your arm around my waist! People are staring!'

'So? Let them. You're mine and they should know it.'

'Fuck you!'

'Well, they'll stare for sure if we do that!'

'I hate you.'

'Love you too.'

'Ich bin zu Hause!' Grimmjow called as he removed his duffel bag and cast it to one side of his house. He glanced at the clock.

Mutter wasn't going to be home for a while. She was working late tonight. And Stark was probably at his friend's place for a cram session. Nel, as usual, was asleep and when she slept, she slept like a log. God help her if the apocalypse came. She'd probably sleep through it and wake up when she realized she didn't have her midafternoon meal.

He chuckled as he imagined Nel toddling about the house, wringing her little arms, and crying out, 'Essen! Essen!'

Poor thing. His heart always melted when she turned all teary-eyed and he could never say no to her then. Maybe that's why she was so spoilt.

His stomach growled.

Speaking of food, he needed to feed himself. Even though he's surrounded by food 24/7, he's so busy feeding everyone else he never has time to even think of eating himself!

He strolled into the kitchen without turning on the lights and opened the fridge. He groaned. Looked like Mutter forgot to grocery shop today. Now what was he going to do?

'Hungrig, mein kleiner blauer?' came a cool voice from behind. Grimmjow knees almost buckled under him at that voice. He turned around sharply, heart palpitating. His eyes softened and he turned back to the fridge, closing it calmly, before answering.

'A little, Onkel Gin,' he murmured, his hand still rested on the fridge's handle. He heard the ruffling of clothes and the pitter patter of footsteps behind him.

'Do you want Onkel to feed you?' whispered the merry, silver-haired man as he wrapped his arms around the teen for the second time that day and pressed his body tightly against Grimmjow's. Grimmjow inhaled sharply.

'Ummm…' he hesitated, his hands now resting on the man's forearms.

An uncomfortable silence passed with the only sound being Gin's lips kissing their way up Grimmjow's neck. The teen whined softly and arched forward when Gin kissed a particularly sensitive spot. He tightened his hands on Gin's arms, digging his nails in.

'Onkel, stop,' he panted, using as much strength as he could to wrench out of Gin's grasp. Gin raised an eyebrow and let go, allowing Grimmjow to lean against the fridge while panting softly.

'What's wrong? You've never said no to me before,' Gin sighed and crossed his arms. Grimmjow didn't answer. Or at least, it looked like he didn't want to. 'Is it because of that boy today?'

He noticed how Grimmjow's hands tightened into fists when he said this.

'Ah, so it is.'

He began to walk away from Grimmjow who then heard the scraping of a chair being pulled out and someone settling in it. He could just imagine Gin sitting in that chair and looking up at the ceiling as he spoke.

'He's the one you love, isn't he? The one you just can't seem to live without? Isn't that why you asked me to leave? So that he wouldn't see you with me?'

'Onkel…' Grimmjow said miserably and turned around in the darkness to search for the man. He saw a vague outline until Gin turned on the light above the kitchen table where he was seated at. The light made his hair glow as he looked emotionlessly at Grimmjow with his head tilted to the side.

'Do you want to stop then?' Gin asked. Grimmjow winced as Gin repeated himself from last night.

'Do you want to stop, Grimmjow?' Gin sighed as he massaged Grimmjow's scalp while kissing him passionately on the lips. 'Don't you feel guilty for doing this to your lover?'

'I…' Grimmjow licked his lips, his eyes dull with desperation.

'Did you tell him anything?' Gin pressed.

'…I told him everything…'

'Everything? Or just what you thought sounded right?'

Grimmjow felt like a monster. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know why he did it in the first place. He'd missed Ichigo. He'd missed Ichigo's kisses and hugs and warmth.

That's why he had turned to Gin.

Gin had just been there. He'd always been there. That much he hadn't lied about to Ichigo.

Gin had always cared about Aizen's family since he got married. Coming over and making sure they had everything they needed, even when Aizen had still been around. When he had heard that Aizen had raped Grimmjow, he had been furious. Grimmjow hadn't been there to witness it because that was when Aizen had whisked him away to Japan. But Stark told him that Gin had been so mad he had punched a hole through a door.

When Grimmjow came back, it was like Gin practically lived with them. Soon, he and Grimmjow were spending their free time together playing board games, talking, watching movies. Sure Grimmjow appreciated his company but he needed more. Gin couldn't fill the void inside the teen that Ichigo had fitted in so perfectly. And the more he missed Ichigo, the bigger the void grew. So one day, he had had enough.

'Can I kiss you?' he accidentally blurted out one time to Gin while they were playing Snakes and Ladders. Gin had looked up in surprise, one eyebrow raised. Grimmjow had blushed and looked back down.

'For-Forget it,' he had stuttered and picked up the dice to roll. Then, he had felt a hand on his dice hand. He had clenched the dice tightly. Startled, he had looked up to be met with soft lips on his own.

Grimmjow didn't know how long he had held his breath. The minute they parted, he exhaled in a rush, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. He forced himself to look up at Gin to see the man smiling kindly at him. It wasn't his usual impish grin but a genuinely caring one.

'Don't be afraid to ask me for anything, mein kleiner blauer,' he had remarked. 'Because no matter what it is, I'd do it in a heartbeat. For you.'

And so, the courting had begun. Whenever he would ache for some physical contact, Gin would be there to relieve him. Be it a kiss, a caress or a loving word, Gin would give it to him. It wasn't Ichigo. But it was better than nothing.

He knew he could say no. That he could walk away and tell Gin that it's over. But every time he was with Gin, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. And Gin never questioned his actions. It was like he gave Grimmjow full reign of everything. Anything Grimmjow wanted to do Gin would do it.

But that wasn't right! Grimmjow was just a kid! Shouldn't Gin do the adult thing and tell Grimmjow what he's doing is wrong? Why isn't he stopping him? And if Grimmjow knows it's wrong too, why isn't he stopping himself? Or is it too late?

He clutched his head in both his hands.

'I'm so confused,' he murmured helplessly.

A shuffle of feet echoed in the empty kitchen. A hand gently took his chin and lifted his face so that he was level with liquid turquoise irises.

'I'm not going to let you slip away from me again, mein kleiner blauer,' Gin breathed as he pressed his lips against Grimmjow's. He leaned in close, pressing Grimmjow against the fridge. 'I let it happen once. I'm not going to let it happen again. Remember, no matter what you ask, I'd do it in a heartbeat. For you.'

TRANSLATIONS:

- Ich bin zu Hause: I'm home

- hungrig, mein kleiner Blauer: hungry, my little blue

- Essen! Essen!: Food! Food!