Author's note: I hope you enjoy this chapter. The readers who have read my other works should know that my motto is 'good things take time' so the h-scene will be in chapter 4. Reviews would be very welcome and I hope you have a safe day.

Paint You In Blue: Thunderstorms I owe you

Ichigo frowned at the ceiling. He hated it when he lost control and succumbed to his stupid fear of storms. At least there wasn't any lightning now so that was a plus. He rolled onto his side and sighed. It was a good thing Grimmjow always had his back but he hated appearing weak in front of the blunet.

The guestroom wasn't really a guestroom; he was the only one to ever use it so the room was made to cater to his needs. The bed was comfy and the walls were lined with medical books, his laptop rested on a nearby desk and the wardrobe was filled with his clothes. It was a home away from home really. On the walls hung pictures of his family and friends and, occasionally, there would be a painting by the Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez himself. But the one that stood out most was a small painting on the bedside table.

He stared at the painting; it was a picture of the two of them when they were in high school. They were wearing the same grey uniform, the only difference being Grimmjow's shirt and jacket was unbuttoned and a white tank top could be seen. Both of them had bruises and bandages on their faces, most likely from a recent fight. Grimmjow had his arms around Ichigo, a huge grin plastered on his face and, as usual, a scowl adorned Ichigo's. Not much had changed since this painting. The only change at all was the fact that Grimmjow had become sexier… and Ichigo had finally gotten over the crush he had on the blunet.

He had been so stupid as a kid, falling in love with the one person he couldn't have. It had nothing to do with sexual orientation. Grimmjow played for both fields, but his tastes leant more towards busty, voluptuous women or small meek men. He spent about 2 years pining after the blunet. He died a bit inside every time he was introduced to one of Grimmjow's latest conquests. He was always secretly happy when said conquests were dumped three days later. It had been on one particular night during a party, when he had stumbled across Grimmjow with his tongue deep in the throat of a big breasted blonde. Ichigo had scolded the two about public decency and, as his heart shattered he had decided then and there to get over the blunet that had occupied his heart for quite some time. The next day he acted like nothing had happened. He just warned Grimmjow about STI's. Their relationship was as normal as always. It took awhile but eventually, eventually! He had gotten over his crush, and Grimmjow had been none the wiser.

They were better off this way. A steady friendship where they both depended on each other was enough for him. He often complained about always having to come over to cook and clean for Grimmjow but, in truth, he didn't mind it at all.

Ugh. Ichigo suddenly turned in his bed. There was no use thinking about things long gone. He was over Grimmjow now and he refused to go back to his one-sided crush. There was no use yearning for something you couldn't have, or wishing for things that would never come true. He had learnt that the hard away and he didn't want to have to relearn it again. Feeling the tiredness creep into his bones, he gave a loud yawn before snuggling into the blankets and falling asleep.

The loud, crashing thunder was what woke Grimmjow up, just mere hours after he had gone to sleep. Opening a bleary eye, he looked out the window and saw blue lightening dance across the night sky. He knew that Ichigo hated storms, but personally he loved them. It was when the world was at its best, spewing fury and venting out its frustrations. It was as if the gods were pissed and the wee little mortals underneath would have to pay the price. His other reason, although rather cruel and selfish, was that… when storms hit, Ichigo would come running to him and Grimmjow would be able to take the redhead into his arms without any questions. It was mean of him, but he couldn't help looking forward to those stormy nights.

As if on cue, Grimmjow heard a knock on his door, followed by a tiny creaking noise as it opened. "Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked in a small, vulnerable voice. He seemed to regress to childhood whenever he heard thunder. Grimmjow couldn't help but think that it was so fucking cute.

"Mhn? What?" he said gruffly, slowly getting up, pretending as if he just woke up. He brushed his hair back. It was no longer controlled by the gel that was usually on his head when he was awake. The door opened wider and he was rewarded with the sight of Ichigo who looked so fuckable. Che, what a tease…

Ichigo's orange hair was messy, and the pajama pants he was wearing rode dangerously low on his hips. A toned bodice could be seen since he wasn't wearing a shirt, but he was not as toned as Grimmjow was. That was the difference between someone who did karate and someone who did weights and gym. Ichigo was lithe and thin, but in no way was he feminine. He held a pillow to his side as if for protection and his eyes were filled with such a vulnerable expression that all Grimmjow wanted to do was take the redhead into his arms and eat him up.

"Um...Can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked meekly, ogling the blunet as he sat up. The blanket pooled around his legs and, as it was before, his upper body was bare for all to see. He wore tight black briefs that hugged part of his muscular thighs, but that was the only thing covering his naked body. Even in his current state, Ichigo couldn't help but notice how… sexy it was.

"Sure, why not? What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine and all that shit." He patted the space on the bed next to him. "Hop in."

Without further ado, Ichigo crawled onto the bed and underneath the covers. His head popped out from underneath the blankets and he stared at Grimmjow sincerely. "Thanks," he said before he turned around, his back facing the blunet.

"So, what? That's all you're gonna do? Just sleep?" Grimmjow was on his side, with his head propped on his hand, his elbow on his pillow). He was completely awake now.

Ichigo shuffled around. "What did you expect?" he asked. He had crawled into Grimmjow's bed more than once on a rainy, stormy day and had always just slept.

"Well… I thought you were gonna rectify that housewife thing. OW!" Grimmjow fell off his hand and grasped the shin Ichigo had just kicked. "Fuck you! I was kidding! Gah!"

Ichigo snorted. "Serves you right. If you really want a wife, try to make your relationships last longer than 3 days." He glared at the blunet, the fire in his eyes replacing the tinge of fear that was there before.

"Where's the fun in that? Staying with the same person year after year, watching them go wrinkly and shit." He shuddered at the thought.

The redhead growled, "You asshole! That's so shallow of you-" At that moment, another clap of thunder rumbled through the room. "Ah!" Ichigo let out a cry and, once again, clung to the blunet.

"Hey, S'all good , you're fine, you're safe. I'm right here." Grimmjow wrapped his arms around Ichigo, feeling the slight tremors of fear. He tucked Ichigo's head underneath his chin and whispered soothing words, as best as he could, into his ear. Another clap of thunder sounded and Ichigo flinched, pulling himself closer to his lifeline. Grimmjow realized that he might bruise from this. Not that he minded, of course. He just didn't like seeing his childhood friend like this… for too long.

"Hey…" he whispered into the redhead's ear, "If you keep on trembling like that, you'll turn me on." he was half joking half serious but it got him the results he wanted.

Ichigo let out a small bark of laughter before loosening his grip and accidently nuzzling into Grimmjow's neck. "You're such a dick" he mumbled. His tense body relaxed and he was beginning to feel tired.

Grimmjow looked down at the redhead in his arms. "...But you love me" he said gently.

"Yeah…" mumbled the redhead, and his breathing began to even out, "…thanks… Grim…" he mumbled before falling asleep.

Grimmjow's heart clenched at those words. It made his soul leap for fucking heaven but he knew those words meant nothing more than friendship and came crashing into the pits of hell. He watched Ichigo sleep for awhile. The blankets had somehow slipped and he was free to stare at Ichigo's half naked form.

His chest moved up and down as he slept and his face was so serene, as if sleep had brought him peace. The usual scowl was gone, no where to be seen. The moon's light made his normally tan skin gleam an almost white against the darkness of the room. Grimmjow couldn't help but trail his finger across a slim hipbone, to the side of his waist, his strong arms, the gentle sweep of his shoulders, the sexy contour where neck met shoulder. Those lips…

Grimmjow froze, his fingers millimeters away from the lips he so wanted to kiss. Were they as soft as they looked, as sweet as he dreamed, or as silky as he imagined? Was it just him, or was he starting to sound like a girl? A needy one at that. Fuck. Without thinking of the consequences he took his finger away and kissed Ichigo chastely on the lips. It lasted barely a second, but he pulled away just as Ichigo stirred in his sleep. Shit! Would Ichigo wake up and yell at him now? Break off their friendship even? To his utmost relief, all Ichigo did was mumble and snuggle closer to him.

He calmed down and took the smaller man into his arms again. His head was spinning from the kiss. Their lips didn't touch for long, but it was enough for him to know that it was all he had hoped for and more. He blushed at such a pussy thought and buried his face into the orange hair beneath him. Damn, getting ecstatic over such a small thing. It almost felt like he was a virgin again. 'The things you do to me Ichigo,' he thought with embarrassment before trying to get back to sleep. With the strawberry in his arms, it wasn't a hard thing to do.

Grimmjow woke up next morning to the wonderful smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes, with coffee to top it all off. Not caring about his state of semi undress, he threw back his blankets and headed into the kitchen.

He was met with the sight of Ichigo in nothing but his pajama bottoms, cooking breakfast. His orange hair was still damp from the shower and, occasionally, beads of moisture would trickle down his neck and back. Such a mouthwatering sight. Grimmjow decided he would paint this scene the next chance he got and went to take a seat on a stool.

At that moment, Ichigo turned around to see a very tempting Grimmjow. His hair was untamed and wild, falling onto his forehead, even when the blunet tried to brush it back. It added to the sexy aura that was constantly around the artist and made Ichigo's heart flutter… just a bit.

"Why'd you leave so early? We could've gone for round 2." Grimmjow smirked, his teal eyes mocking and merry.

"There wasn't even a round one!" Ichigo crossed his arms and glared at the blunet, who ignored him and put his elbows on the table, looking as sexy as sin. He glared for a while longer but gave up when the artist continued to ignore him. Grimmjow didn't function well without food. Ichigo set a bountiful plate filled with fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon and eggs in front of him.

Grimmjow salivated at the sight of the food and picked up his fork. Something was missing. "Oi Ichigo. Where's the butter and syrup?"

Ichigo frowned. "Are you trying to give yourself a heart attack?" he asked as he sat opposite Grimmjow.

"Pancakes aren't worth shit if there's no butter and syrup to go with them." Grimmjow glared at the redhead.

"Alright! Geez fine!" Ichigo got off the stool, went to the fridge to get some butter and syrup, and slammed it in front of the blunet. He walked back to the table and his soul threw up a bit as he watched Grimmjow slather his pancakes with butter and drown them in syrup. "You... You're gonna die if you keep up with that."

Grimmjow just grinned at him sadistically before cut a piece off his pancake and popped it in his mouth. "Mhm~" he said, "Tastes like heart attack."

Ichigo cringed.

"Don't worry, Strawberry of mine, I burn it all off at the gym. Even if I got sick, I have my own personal doctor by my side." He shoveled more food into his mouth.

"At this rate you'll die before I finish med school," Ichigo sipped his coffee and ate his food at a slower pace.

"Nah, I can't die before you. Whose bitch would you be then?" Grimmjow drank his coffee and smirked.

Ichigo, who was used to the crap that spewed from the blunet's mouth, just rolled his eyes.

The two ate in a comfortable silence and it was only after they finished their meal that Ichigo spoke. "About last night… "

Grimmjow blanched. For a moment he thought he'd been busted and that Ichigo knew what he did last night.

"…Thanks Grimm," finished Ichigo as he picked up the dirty plates. He placed them in the sink and began to wash them.

Grimmjow breathed an inward sigh of relief and continued drinking his coffee. "Don't mention it," he said gruffly behind his cup. He felt like superman, batman and god combined when Ichigo turned around and gave him a gentle smile that shook his existence.

He lived for those smiles.

"I'm gonna make that arrogant bastard buy me a car," muttered Ichigo as he tried to walk from the grocery store back to the apartment. Thankfully, it was only a few blocks away. But carrying a bunch of groceries was harder than it seemed, even if they were in plastic bags. Grimmjow paid for the groceries, as well as for him to come over to cook and clean all the time. He might as well pay for the transport as well… The phone in his pocket began to vibrate and he shuffled awkwardly around for a bit before retrieving the device from his pocket. "Yo," he said, not checking who it was.

"Yo Ichigo," said Renji on the other line, "You free tonight?"

He thought for a bit. Other than cooking for Grimmjow he didn't need to do much else. He had finished all his homework for the week. "I should be. Why?"

"A new club, 'Hueco Mundo', just opened up. We're thinking 'bout going. Come yeah?" asked Renji. Ichigo didn't need to have the phone to his ear to hear Renji's rough, calloused voice.

Ichigo had met the cheerful male during his first year of med-school. At first Renji had been annoying. His brashness and big mouth was often the cause of an argument/ was the cause of most arguments on campus. His appearance was bold - long, ruby hair, tied at the top of his head, made him look like a pineapple. Numerous tattoos adorned his face, as well as his torso and arms. He looked scary, but, as was usually the case, he had the biggest heart and was always filled with good intentions. Ichigo had seen it underneath all his idiocy and the two had become good friends. Renji had followed him like a parasite since, but Ichigo didn't seem to mind.

"Sure, why not? Come over to Grimm's place and we'll head off from there."

There was silence. "Yeah… you sure bout that?" Renji asked. He laughed nervously.

"Yeah I am. Why?" Confused, Ichigo gave a small frown.

"I don't think he likes me too much."

"What makes you think that? Ack!" asked the redhead. Ichigo almost toppled over a crack in the footpath but he caught himself just in time.

"Dunno… just a vibe ya know?"

He scoffed. "I doubt that Renji, Grimmjow's just a hardass on the outside, but he's all kittens and rainbows on the inside."

"Pft. Yeah, I doubt that."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, despite the fact that Renji couldn't see him. "It's fine! So come over around 8 or 9?"

"Yup! See ya then." Before Ichigo could say anything else, the idiot hung up on him.

'Idiot's like a train …' thought the redhead as he put his phone back into his pocket. It was true. Interactions with Renji didn't last very long but, by the end of it you felt you like you got hit by a train and woke up from a coma years later… or like you just got laid and had no clue how.. Or by who… but that meant that time spent with Renji was never dull; an amusing thing in itself. Besides, Rukia kept him in line most of the time.

Ichigo smiled to himself. Rukia would most likely be there tonight too. The woman had the strength of an army locked within her tiny frame. Most of the time, she used it on Renji, but he also copped his fair share. Hmm, how long had it been since he last saw her? Was it a week ago? Or maybe two? Maybe-

Mew

Ichigo froze. What was that?

Mew

A cat?

Mew

Ichigo looked around in odd directions, looking for a feline but saw none.

Mew

The sound was too weak and small to be from a full grown cat. Maybe there was a kitten around? His curiosity got the better of him and he walked around, looking for whatever creature it was making the noise. A few meters away, in an alley, he heard the mewing noises again. He moved closer to the sound and found what he was looking for behind a dumpster.

A tiny kitten was mewling feebly, trying to find its way out of a cardboard box that had seen better days. "Mew," It sounded tired and worn out - miserable. It didn't look any more than a few months old. Ichigo grimaced, his face contorted in disgust. Really, what type of person would abandon such a small creature? Huge, teal eyes stared at him pitifully and the kitten let out another mewl. Che, what to do? He couldn't take it home. Karin was allergic to cats. But he couldn't leave it here either. That was just too cruel. The kitten would die without shelter and food and he wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of leaving a small animal to die, knowing that he could've helped it. Everything born into this world should be given a chance, no matter what.

The small cat's eyes were filled with hope and starved of love. They reminded him of someone that was rather close to him. Setting some of the bags down, he picked the kitten up and marveled at how soft its fur was and how the tiny, shivering body still seemed to glow, despite how weak it must be feeling. The little ball of snowy white fluff was barely the size of his soon as he picked it up; the kitten left out a soft sigh and stopped its mewling, thankful for the warmth of his hand.

Ichigo smiled at how cute it was and gently held it close to his chest, holding the four plastic bags in one hand. The kitten gave a tiny purr while burrowing itself into his shirt, and then proceeded to fall asleep.

The blunet wouldn't mind. He was practically a fickle feline himself, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Besides, Grimmjow owed him. 'What should I name it?' the redhead thought as he began to walk back to Grimm's apartment. It seemed as if he had just taken another lost kitty under his wing. He didn't mind - he liked cats.