Chapter.5

Finals were tough and Ichigo feels like he fought through a war. Late night study sessions and drawing dicks on Hirako's sleeping face constituted his entire week.

He slumps down on his bed in a loose white tee and black shorts. He can feel the slumber pulling him in when he hears the door-bell alerting him of a person outside his door.

He groans and buries his face in his pillow but that person won't go away so he gets up and walks to the door grumpily dragging his feet behind him.

When he looks through the peephole, his heart almost jumps because he sees Grimmjow on the other side. Their last encounter was when he gave some of his blood to the taller and he then woke up in his own bed, a glass of juice and a plate with chocolate cupcakes by his bedside, and this occurred a week ago, a couple days before finals started.

The dull throb in his forearm had already faded into nothing after no more than a few hours of him waking up on that day.

Ichigo opens the door and Grimmjow looks down at him and the younger still finds it hard to believe how healthy he looked right now after looking like that a just few days agoand only from drinking a small amount of his blood.

''Come in,'' he says, moving aside and Grimmjow smiles down at him softly, ''What brings you here?''

Grimmjow picks up a plastic bag with vegetables, ''Your finals have ended today right? You must have survived on instant ramen and God-knows-what this entire week….so I decided I'd cook for you.''

Ichigo feels his eyes widen, he did tell Grimmjow his schedule but never did he think he'd remember it. Nor did he believe that Grimmjow was so in tune with his bad habits. He laughs with amusement and relief, ''Sure! Go ahead, I haven't eaten anything nourishing in a while.''

Grimmjow gets to work right away as Ichigo watches with a mild bit of surprise, ''Grimmjow, you don't eat normal food, do you?''

''No.''

''Then how do you cook like that?''

He shrugs, ''When you live for so long, you need to have hobbies.''

Ichigo hums, still unable to completely comprehend that a supernatural was currently standing in his kitchen, cooking for him.

''You aren't an engineer either, are you?''

Grimmjow looks over his shoulder with a curious smile, ''I'm not currently, but I do have a degree.''

Ichigo hums and stands beside Grimmjow looking down at the sizzling vegetables, ''You look good.'' He comments, without glancing up.

''Thanks to you.'' Grimmjow replies but doesn't move to touch the younger.

Dinner goes smoothly and consists of Ichigo wolfing down on food like he's never eaten before, complimenting Grimmjow every few minutes and Grimmjow watching with a fond smile.

However, Ichigo notices how Grimmjow glances at his arm a couple times where he had bitten him and the corners of his lips turn down, and his posture turns a tad bit stiff. Although Ichigo himself doesn't regret whatever had taken place on that day.

The younger also notices that Grimmjow doesn't touch him, always maintaining a certain distance, and Ichigo is grateful that Grimmjow is holding himself back so much for him because he had seen the hunger in Grimmjow's eyes that day when he barged into his apartment and he cannot even imagine how much of a mess he might have been and what kind of monstrous restraint he was practicing at the moment.

Then they find themselves at the door and Ichigo almost hears Grimmjow say, No goodbye kisses? But realizes that that yesterday is so far away and he almost laughs when his problems and worries about a possible break-up seem so insignificant compared to how much Grimmjow apparently values him and that he was prepared to starve to death than hurt or possibly kill him.

He bites on his bottom lip before he pulls the taller down, surprising him when he connects their lips in a soft peck and pulls back, staring up and smiling at the dumbstruck expression on Grimmjow's face.

''Why?'' Is the only thing that manages to come past Grimmjow's lips.

''Because no one's ever done so much for me before as much as you have, Grimmjow. Thank you.''