Confrontation, Ailments and a Promise
Previously: Hichigo tries to hide away the pain and Grimmjow finds out that Ichigo's cheating.
A staring match ensued when Renji steps forward. "Who are you?" "Move aside before I stuff your freaking pineapple head up a hole." "Whose hole, yours kitty cat?" Grimmjow bristled while Renji smirked when Ichigo tugs him along. "Come on Renji, let's go and not waste any more time with him." "Do you even know what you're doing Kurosaki Ichigo?" The orange head pauses in his steps. "Yes I know Grimmjow." The blue hair male growls in anger before grabbing Ichigo by his shirt and pulls his face close. "Damn it Kurosaki! Do you know how much Hichigo cares about you! Do you know how many nights he spends staying up waiting for you! Do you know how many times he helped give excuses for you not being around! And what do you do? You go and cheat on him! Where's your loyalty you #%^$#*!"
Ichigo shoves off the hand grabbing his shirt. "What I do is none of your business Grimmjow." "It is my business. What happened to that promise of making Shiro happy huh? You flushed it down the toilet!" Ichigo said nothing while Grimmjow bristled in anger when Renji intercepted. "Ichi and I are happy together and if your friend has issues about it; tell him to talk to me." "The one who has issues is you! What gives you the right to waltz in and seduce a guy who is attached huh! Find someone else and get off his back!" Renji snorted. "Firstly buddy, I didn't seduce him. He came to me on his own free will. Secondly, I ain't bugging him. The one bugging him is your friend who is too dependent on him!" "Why you…! Aren't you gonna say anything Ichigo! He's insulting Hichi for god's sake!"
Grimmjow was cut off when he saw the cold look in Ichigo's eyes. "So…? It's time he learned that he can't depend on me forever to protect him." "How can you…" "He thinks that I'm too busy to accompany him when I use that time to work. He expects me to be at home always when I'm needed the most here. What does he want me to do? Split into two!" "Maybe if you weren't fooling around, you would have realised that there is A LOT of time to spend it with Shiro!" Grimmjow shouted back and attempted to make a grab for Ichigo but ended up getting punched by Renji due to letting his guard down.
"Just get out from here before I really get serious." Grimmjow spat out the blood and glared at the couple who walked further away before banging his fist into the ground in frustration. "Damn it!"
Back with Ulquorria
Hichigo had calmed down slightly and Ulquorria had poured the male a cup of tea. "Feeling better?" "Yeah…thanks Ulquiorra." The black hair male nods before sipping from his own cup of already cold tea. Hichigo slowly sipped his tea, feeling ashamed for breaking down in front of his friend when he had promised himself that he would become so much stronger. "Why...can't I change myself…? Why am I still…so weak…?" Hichigo thinks to himself as he bit back tears when Ulquorria's phone rang.
"Hello…" Hichigo watched as grey green orbs widened slightly but revert back to that usual impassiveness. "K…just go back first and put some ice on it… I will see you." "Did something happen to Grimmjow?" Grey green orbs gazed into worried golden eyes. "He's fine. He just decided to stub his toe at the side-walk." "Ouch…" "He'll live Shiro; he's a grown man for god's sake." Hichigo chuckled while Ulquorria let loose a rare smile. "I'm glad that you're feeling better now." "…Thanks Ulqui… You're the best." Said male shrugged. "I try my best." This resulted in both males chuckling as Hichigo stood up to send Ulquorria off when a wave of dizziness hits the albino. Hichigo nearly collapsed onto the ground if Ulquorria hadn't swiftly caught hold of the male.
"Hichigo…!" "I-I'm fine…" Ulquorria seats Hichigo in the chair worriedly while Hichigo rides off the dizziness. "Feeling better?" Hichigo nods and attempts a smile that backfires since he looks paler compared to his already pallor complexion. "I'm okay…" "You're not Hichi, how long has this been going on?" Said albino went rigid and looked away from his friend. "Hichigo…" "Ulqui I'm fine…I just need to rest." "Have you told Ichigo?" The albino froze before shaking his head. "I'm telling him." "No! I'm fine!" "You're not fine Hichigo!" The albino was once again stunned speechless by his usually calm best friend's outburst. Ulquorria sigh once more as he lower his voice. "You're not…" "Ulquiorra, I'm fine really I just…don't want to bother Ichigo with this… I just can't…!"
"Hichigo he needs to know. This is serious! Have you been going for treatment?" Hichigo looks away once more and Ulquorria sighs. "Hichigo, listen. You have to continue, there's no telling what can happen if you go on like this…" "But it's expensive Ulquorria! I can't rely on Ichigo for the expenses. He just started out; I can't burden him like this…!" Hichigo was once again on the verge of tears in his frenzy and Ulquorria fell silent. "Hichi…" "Ulqui… I can't worry him…he works so hard and… I-I just can't…!" By that line, tears had begun to trail down Hichigo's cheeks as Ulquorria looked worriedly on. Hichigo roughly wiped away the tears but more seeped out as he tried to rein in his raging emotions while his other hand grabbed on to Ulquorria's arm tightly; a last-ditched effort to persuade the male to drop the idea.
Ulquorria was at a loss. On one hand, he wanted to stomp up to Ichigo and trash him up-side down; demand him to apologise to Hichigo and spill the beans but at the same time he didn't want to give Hichigo more stress resulting in his sickly condition to become more severe. It was major battle between the heart and the mind which in the end, the heart won and he placed his concern for Hichigo at the foremost. "Alright I won't tell him but…you really need to get a check up on it alright?" Hichigo beamed and Ulquorria's heart clenched painfully at the heart-breaking sight.
"Stupid Grimmjow, how difficult is it to trash one idiot? Now I have become illogical and it's your fault." Ulquorria thinks to himself when the house phone rang. "Ulquiorra, onegai?" Hichigo ask sheepishly while Ulquorria help the albino pick up the phone and hands the receiver to Hichigo. "Moshi, moshi? Ah Ichigo! You're coming home!" Ulquiorra gazed impassively as his friend happily chatted on the phone with his boyfriend. "It's ok, I know you were busy…do I need to cook dinner? Ok, what do you want? Hmm, ok. I will see you then. Ja ne!" Hichigo happily hangs up while Ulquiorra started packing up. "Ichigo?" "Yeah and he's coming back, I really should start getting on dinner right now. It's getting late!"
"I'm gonna head back too. Besides I need to check on Grimmjow." "Send him my regards ok?" Ulquiorra nods while Hichigo managed to stand up and walk him out the door (albeit with shaky legs). Hichigo smiled once more, waved before closing the door. As soon as the door had closed; Ulquiorra's smile faded and he clenched his fist tightly as he headed back home. "Damn it Ichigo…how could you have done this kind of thing… How could you have cheated on Hichi…?"
Back with Ichigo and Renji
A tense silence emerged as the red-head drove a certain brooding orange head back. Ichigo hadn't spoken ever since that blue-head idiot confronted him right outside the agency. "Knowing the strawberry; he's probably thinking about what the asshole said just now…" Renji thinks to himself as he watches the orange head leaning his head back against the car seat; his expression impassive but the trade mark wrinkle of his brow had deepened which proved that Ichigo was troubled.
While Renji worries over Ichigo; the orange head was steaming over Grimmjow's words. "Damn it Kurosaki! Do you know how much Hichigo cares about you! Do you know how many nights he spends staying up waiting for you! Do you know how many times he helped give excuses for you not being around! And what do you do? You go and cheat on him! Where's your loyalty you #%^$#*!" Ichigo growled as he ruffled his hair at the words. He had felt a stabbing pain in his heart when Grimmjow had mentioned but he was so…tired of having to defend/help Hichigo all the time.
"Hell, he couldn't even manage a common flu and had to be absent for a month…" Ichigo thinks to himself as he remembered how he had to worry over Hichigo and had to bring the albino his one month work load. "Not to mention that he is just meek…so unlike his brother…" The orange head sigh in frustration. He doesn't understand why nobody could see that he has been the one putting in a lot of effort to keep this relationship going. Feelings can't help fill the stomach; you need food and the only way you can get it is by earning money. This was the reason why Ichigo took up modeling since it could help with the finances that Hichigo's meager salary could cover for their living expenses. "Why can't Hichigo understand that…? Why can't he be more independent…?"
The strawberry sighs in frustration once again when he realizes that the car had stopped moving. "What?" "We're at your place already." Ichigo looks out of the window and registers wryly the familiar apartment complex that he lives with Hichigo. Sighing, the orange-head moves to get out from the car when he was stopped by the red-head. "Renji?" "You don't have to force yourself up there." Ichigo smiled wryly. "I kept you busy anyway…" "Don't say that...!" Ichigo was taken aback slightly by the fierce tone of the red head who was still grasping his arm gently. "Sorry…" "It's fine. I just wished that Hichigo could be less clingy but then again modeling has long working hours and I'm not surprised if he feels lonely…"
Ichigo stated wryly and Renji couldn't help but chuckle as he pulled the orange head close. "One day, I promise we'll be together…you know in the open." Ichigo chuckled as he relaxed into the embrace and his arms reached out to wrap around the other male. "Yeah…" The couple remained in their embrace for a moment more before Ichigo reluctantly detangles himself from the red head. "See ya." Renji just gave a wave and watches as the orange head walks into the apartment complex; his shoulders a little sagged. Renji's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "Don't worry Ichi… I'll get you out of this. Just wait for me.
To be continued
Meme12: Please stay tune to the next chapter. (Hammering iron beams on the door)
Yakumi: Hey meme12 what are you doing and aren't you suppose to be resting? (Sees authoress hammering the door)
Meme12: I'm reinforcing my door since peope keep trashing it and I'm fine Yakumi. (Continues hammering)
Yakumi: Okay, but who will want to trash your door this time? (Looks at the manual of the door reinforcement)
Meme12: A homicidal albino and a pineapple head. (Deadpanned)
Yakumi: Oh yeah. But you sure that this erm...2012 version Door Reinforcement will work? (Looking at the packaging)
Meme12: Well they did say that it works against all types of damages along with acid attacks etc so no harm trying... There all done. (Climbs down the ladder)
Yakumi: You sure this will hold up? (Eyeing door)
Meme12: We'll see. Besides Hichigo is still trying to kill Renji so we can test the door next chapter.
Meanwhile
Renji: Someone help me!
Shiro: You have no right to my koi! I'll kill you!
Renji: That's just in the story you idiot! (Runs faster)
Hichigo: I DON'T CARE! DIE! (Fires white Getsuga Tenshou)
Renji: AHHHH! Curse you meme12! (Runs even faster from Hichigo)
Oh well, that's all for now minna san. Sorry for the late update; last week was pretty hetic so I couldn't update. I hope this chapter makes you guys happy. This is meme12 saying sayonara matta O.