Good thing I didn't up date this when I planned to... which would've been this morning ^^; I forgot to post chapter 8 when I finished it, so I would've been posting 9 instead ;p Man that would've been weird. You guys would've been wondering how they got on their honeymoon =) Unfortunately, I'll have to post both this chapter and the next... just becasue I love you people =D Don't say I never gave you anything! By the way, the irritation within my notes on chapter 9 has passed apparently. The sight was updating something and wasn't working properly. But at least you all know I didn't throw my computer out the window! =)

Ichi: Hooray. *sarcasm* Now you can torment me more.

Grimm: Don't take it too hard, Kitten. At least I'm happy with how things are developing! =3

Ichi: I'm overjoyed for you. *growls in irritation*

Chapter 8

Ichigo can't figure out what Grimmjow's problem is, and it definitely isn't for lack of trying. Ever since Kensei stopped over last night, the teal haired male has been quiet and irritable. Ichigo is shocked that his deeper instincts are quick to point this out, pushing him to fix whatever's wrong so he can be close to his mate again. Obviously, the orangette told those instincts to shut the fuck up and started ignoring them with all the willpower he can muster. Of course, that didn't stop his typical 'nice guy' side from worrying about his 'roommate'… because he still refuses to call Grimmjow his husband.

"Grimmjow?" he questions quietly.

The Arrancar is at the computer in the spare room, has been all day long, and he spares the orangette a hard glance before returning to the screen. He's talking to Shinji, the blonde back in Seireitei and quickly pushing them to modernize their connections within the living world. Ichigo roams a bit closer, yet knows it's nothing to worry about. Since this whole fiasco, Grimmjow has been talking to the other Arrancar and Visoreds frequently in order to ferret out Ichigo's temper and how to counteract it.

"Grimmjow, are you angry with me?" he inquires with a feigned tone of submission. "Did I do something wrong?"

"… How could you agree to that?" his hisses out as he takes the bait given him.

"Agree to what, Grimmjow?"

Ichigo scoots forward a bit more, hands clasped before him and amber eyes large in innocence. He knows the Sexta will react favorably to this, because he uses it against Shiro all the time to get his way. His inner demon hates it, but admitted alpha Hollows readily accept a female when they seem to bow to their superior power… Ichigo's never been happier Shiro and Grimmjow have suffocating egos. Maybe they're not as bad as Aizen, but they're definitely just right for him to exploit. Grimmjow sighs heavily and gently tugs the smaller male onto his lap, unaware of his actions as he holds him in an almost intimate manner.

"He's not your alpha," the larger male murmurs. "I am. You shouldn't be going anywhere with him, you should be staying close to me."

"… Kensei?" Ichigo asks in surprise. "Grimmjow, he has Mashiro. I'm just his friend and I enjoy his company parties."

"Still…"

"Wait… You think I'm gonna cheat on you!" he gasps in disbelief. "You self-centered prick! I can't believe you'd think that! I'm a damn good boyfriend; I would never even look at another guy with that in mind let alone act on it! You're fucking lucky to have me!"

"… What happened to my perfect submissive mate?" Grimmjow huffs.

"I only acted like that because I knew you'd answer my questions," the orangette answers with a bite in his tone. "How could you accuse me of something like that?"

"I'm not accusing you of shit, you're doing all that," the teal haired male points out with a smirk. "And you're doing a wonderful job, by the way. Look, it isn't that I think you'll cheat on me… I know you won't."

"Then what is it?"

"He's stepping on my territory and I don't appreciate it. You're mine, he knows that, and he shouldn't be approaching you without asking my permission first."

"What the hell are you, my father?"

"I'm your mate!"

With the argument heating up, Ichigo knows better than to stay on Grimmjow's lap. He vacates the other's lap and steps away so the desk is between them. His hands slam down on the top to answer the fist Grimmjow emphasized his own comment with.

"You don't own me!"

"Yes, I do!"

Ichigo snarls at the statement, backing away before he leaps over the desk to strangle the other, and paces for a moment to collect his temper. This is getting them nowhere and they both realize that… it's the same argument they've been having since they were caught by that damn Kido. Their differences of opinion are really starting to fray Ichigo's last nerve.

"I don't want to do this anymore," he comments a bit stressed.

"Don't want to do what?"

"If we can't come to some sort of agreement on this whole 'ownership' thing, I'm leaving," the orangette sighs out. "I'm not a Hollow, Grimmjow, I'm human. When a human male tells their… well… it leads to abuse and unhappiness. I will not be unhappy, not even for Seireitei. I've been unhappy long enough."

Grimmjow opens his mouth to question the last murmured sentence he has no doubt he shouldn't have heard, but his wife storms out of the spare room turned office. He doesn't want to admit it, but he didn't like the look that crossed the orangette's face at that comment. It was so distant and lost, he thought he'd never find his fiery opponent again and it scared him for just that brief second. He frowns, standing with a determined look on his features. Something happened to hurt his mate and he's going to find out what that was… now he just needs to figure out who would know.

Rukia stares in a mixture of shock and disbelief as Grimmjow watches her intently, the teal haired male sitting crouched before her like a large cat awaiting its prey. The question he asked caught her off guard, as she never thought in a million years he would ever care about Ichigo's feelings. The surprise wedding turned disaster was shocking enough; her heart can't handle all this change at once.

"Well?" he presses. "What happened? Why is Ichigo unhappy?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"I don't want him taking it the wrong way," he shrugs. "It seems that's all he does… take stuff the wrong way. Unfortunately, we don't speak the same language in most cases. I didn't think it would be such a problem, but being raised in different worlds has a rather large rift between us."

"Ichigo's mother died when he was very young," she sighs out. "He was very close to her and took it rather badly. He's been unhappy since, though he always tries to make the most of everything. He throws himself in harm's way constantly, because he believes her sacrifice on his behalf should be used to protect everyone else."

"That's stupid," the cyan eyed Sexta scoffs. "What's the big deal? People die all the time, there's no since in getting all emotional about it."

"Ichigo was a child," the petite raven snaps. "Maybe if you used a bit more emotion when dealing with him, you'd understand where he was coming from! How would you feel if you lost him and couldn't follow him to Seireitei or Hueco Mundo? How would you feel if you never saw him again?"

"… Am I supposed to be upset about that scenario?" he questions in an uncertain mumble.

"You're impossible!" she shouts. "No wonder Ichigo's ready to bail on this arrangement!"

Grimmjow watches her stomp from the room, frowning in annoyance as he stands to leave Kisuke's shop. In truth, the comment sparked an emotion he's not ready to face yet… fear. Never in his life has he been afraid, not even when facing an irritated Aizen, yet the thought of losing his mate had him drowning in it. As he wanders back to their apartment, he contemplates how to make this up to Ichigo. Their honeymoon is tomorrow and he doesn't want the younger male upset when they leave, that would spell mass amounts of pain for him should the females catch on to his mistake.

Ichigo is packing a bag when he hears the front door open, his temper a bit cooled and the argument in the very back of his mind. When Grimmjow enters their bedroom, he catches a sharp intake of breath and Shiro cackles within his mindscape about the other's panicked heartbeat. Curiously, he turns to face the teal haired man. He could swear Grimmjow's features are a tad more pale than usual, his eyes large and frantic as they search for something only he can see, and the orangette raises a single brow in confusion.

"Uh… Grimmjow?" he questions.

"You don't have to leave," he states quickly as he hurries over to unpack the bag. "We can figure this out. I talked to Rukia; she said you lost your mom when you were little. I don't quite understand why that would make you unhappy, but I do know that I wouldn't be happy if I lost you and couldn't see you anymore…"

"… Grimmjow, you're babbling," Ichigo smirks. "And I'm not packing to leave you; I'm packing for the trip tomorrow."

"… Oh," he breathes in relief. "Good."

"You'd better do the same, we have to be ready early tomorrow morning or we'll be dragged out of bed in our pajamas," he smiles brightly.

Grimmjow knows he should probably start packing, yet this pressing urge has bubbled up from within his instincts and he simply can't ignore it. He pulls Ichigo into his arms and just holds him, his chin atop orange locks and his arms as tight as possible without harming the vibrant male. Ichigo is surprised to say the least, as Grimmjow normally only attempts intimacy of any sort when he knows it'll embarrass or annoy the smaller male. After a short bout of stillness, he slowly lifts his arms and wraps them around the other's narrow waist. It's a long moment before the younger pulls away, pushing his companion toward the closet to get the other suitcase and pack. They're quiet for hours afterward, up until they get ready for bed. As they lay within the dark together, not touching one another and simply staring at the ceiling, Ichigo decides to break the silence.

"I don't like that you think you own me," he remarks. "I'm not a possession or object, I'm a person."

"I can't help thinking that, I'm more Hollow than you," Grimmjow mutters. "But I can try to let you do things with other people more. Humans I have no problem with, but I may be a little bitter about the other partial Hollows… especially the alphas. Betas are no big deal, they can't challenge me."

"The best thing about being human, is the fact that I was raised to strongly believe in some things and strongly shy away from others," Ichigo states.

He turns to face Grimmjow, a small smile on his lips within the pitch as glowing blue eyes fall upon him. The question within them is obvious, so Ichigo attempts to clear up his confusion by elaborating on his previous comment.

"I'm loyal to a fault, Grimmjow," he says brightly. "I will never stray from you and I'll likely beat the shit out of anyone that attempts to get me to. I also shy away from incest, which sleeping with Shiro counts as. He's my sibling, not just my inner Hollow, so being with him on an intimate level is something I'd never even contemplate."

"… I suppose that makes me feel a bit better about you being with him," he sighs. "However, I still don't trust him! He's a jealous prick and I just know he's trying to pull you away from me!"

"He won't succeed. You'd have to do something seriously bad to assist him if he were to."

Grimmjow nods in thought, wondering just how much he could get away with when pertaining to Ichigo. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he turns onto his side and reaches over. His large hand grips Ichigo's slim waist and pulls him over, the orangette yelping in surprise before he's settled on Grimmjow's chest for the night. As he drifts off, he could swear he heard the larger male purring against him.

The day greets the orangette with the front door slamming open at seven in the morning. He breathes sharply in his sleep, still half under and searching for the threat through sleep-fogged eyes. Grimmjow groans and hisses his annoyance, multiple pairs of hands grabbing the two from their bed and hoisting them onto their feet. Nelliel and Rukia are chatting excitedly, Lisa and Hiyori assisting Hallibel with an infuriated Grimmjow. He lashes out, always grumpy in the morning, and Rangiku jumps to contain his swing while Yumichika cautiously takes his other arm. The two are shoved into a limo outside, both complaining sleepily as the luggage follows them and the doors are slammed shut.

"Seven in the fucking morning," Grimmjow hisses once more. "They couldn't wait a couple more hours? I was in the middle of a fantastic dream…"

"Please, Grimm, it's too early to hear the details," Ichigo mutters. "I'm going back to sleep, wake me when we get there."

"Wake you? I'll be finishing my fantasy."

The two settle in the cushy black leather, the long bench making the perfect bed for Ichigo. Grimmjow is in the corner of the bench seat, resting with his legs stretched out along the shorter side, and Ichigo is curled in his lap. The two completely ignore the fact they're in their boxers, Ichigo in a white tee and Grimmjow… well… in nothing else. They're unaware that two sets of eyes watch them from the other side of the black divider, Rangiku in the driver's seat and Rukia in the passenger's. The two females grin widely before shutting the divider quietly, starting the car and slowly pulling out. The other girls are in a van, heading to their destination before them. This honeymoon is going to go perfectly, they'll see to that… or there's going to be a very bloody kitty once they get home.

Grimmjow is roused when the limo comes to a halt, his cyan eye opening to peek at his surroundings. He can smell salt water even from within the vehicle, frowning at the fact they're at the ocean… he fucking hates water. He hears people outside, shouting and laughing as they run through soft soil. Startled with this change in plans, he looks down at his mate and takes in his attire. There's no way in hell he's letting other people, Beta or not, see his mate in such a state.

"Ichigo, wake up," he says quietly as he gently shakes him. "We're here and you're in your boxers."

"Hmm… what?" he wonders sleepily.

"We're here. You need to get dressed now."

He keeps his voice soft, knowing that raising it normally has the orangette reacting violently toward him. Ichigo yawns and stretches, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he watches Grimmjow search his bag. After clothes are set on his lap, Ichigo stares expectantly at his 'hubby' and the Sexta rolls his eyes before turning away. It only takes a moment, but the other is dressed and ready to depart the limo. When the door is open, the teal haired male not bothering to put on more clothes, their jaws drop. They're at the beach, a slightly remote area where only a few bungalows are built in wait of vacationers. It's obvious this small resort is a bit expensive, Ichigo immediately pegging Rukia as the party responsible.

"Great," he mutters. "Now I'm gonna have to work twice as hard to repay her."

"What are you talking about?" Grimmjow frowns.

"I have no doubt in my mind that Rukia paid for all this," Ichigo bristles. "She knows I don't like people spending money on me."

"In truth, I'm positive this is all for her," the larger male smirks. "They're most likely staying here as well, so she probably used our honeymoon as an excuse to take a vacation herself."

"… Now I don't feel so bad," the orangette deadpans.

"Come on, let's find our cabin."

Ichigo sighs, but does as he's told. They grab their luggage, the majority taken by Grimmjow, and find Rukia and Hallibel waiting for them by the entrance. Rukia is grinning happily, obviously enjoying the atmosphere of the resort, and Hallibel is as stoic as ever. In the distance, the two can see the other girls already lying about the white sands of the beach.

"So?" Grimmjow comments. "Where's our cabin?"

"Right this way!" Rukia chirps.

They follow them deeper into the resort, down a long path, and out toward the beach. Their bungalow is large, obviously the honeymoon suite of sorts, and Ichigo is ready to throttle Rukia for going all out. Within the cabin is a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom, a sitting room, and outside is a screened in porch with a two person swing. The girls leave them at that point, allowing the couple to explore the cabin. The kitchen is nice, stocked with enough food for their stay and equipped with the most modern appliances. The bathroom has a large Jacuzzi tub ringed in candles, sweet smelling shampoos and soaps are in a basket beside it, and Ichigo quickly kicks the small box of lube and condoms out of sight before Grimmjow can get ideas. The bedroom has him paling with its crimson drapes on a canopy bed, silk sheets and numerous pillows, and soft music set up just before they arrived. It looks like the epitome of romantic novels, the orangette positive he'll have to raid the bedside tables for toys and more of the bathroom 'supplies' before bed. There's no way he's leaving anything within Grimmjow's reach, he doesn't want the other assuming he's okay with having sex.

"Uh… why don't you head outside and look around?" he suggests. "I'm just gonna put our stuff away."

"Don't bother pillaging the drawers," Grimmjow smirks knowingly. "Unlike the bathroom stuff, the girls hid all the bedroom stuff from you. Only I know where that's at."

"… I'm not having sex with you!"

"Why not, Kitten?" the teal haired male teases. "It's our honeymoon, that's what we're here for."

"It's not happening!" Ichigo snaps. "I don't care if it's our honeymoon, I'm not doing it! I'm bound to you for the soul fact the Seireitei are assuming assholes that don't want to do anything themselves! That does not give you the right to… Mmm!"

His rant is cut off by Grimmjow's lips. The larger male holds him close, his lips gently pressing against Ichigo's as he draws the other into the kiss. It doesn't take long, the orangette's submissive instincts immediately giving in to the one they see as his mate. He inwardly curses his Hollow side, furious it would give in so easily when all he wants to do is run away. A hand slips beneath his shirt, its index finger lazily trailing along his spine to send a shiver along it. Ichigo grasps the front of Grimmjow's shirt, his body going lax against him as the larger male's arms tighten to hold him up. He pulls away from soft lips, Ichigo whimpering before catching himself and cutting it off. Grimmjow laughs at his insistence to continue, the orangette huffing as he hurries out of the room with a heated scowl. He can't believe he did that, can't believe he gave in without even a fight, and it just doesn't seem fair that arrogant asshole has such an effect on him. Grimmjow watches him walk along the beach from the porch, giving him a bit of room while keeping vigilant to the fact there are other humans roaming the beach. He growls when one male reaches to grope his wife, yet his anger is replaced by surprise when Ichigo immediately turns to swing at them. With a content grin that borders feral, Grimmjow realizes he really doesn't have to worry about his mate being taken away… no one else could possibly handle him.

Yea! Honeymoon Drama! =D I bet you guys have been waiting with bated breath for this! Well, here it is! A beachside honeymoon complete with meddling females bent on forcing Grimm and Ichi into a perfect relationship... even if it kills them *sinister voice*.

Ichi: I'm not liking how this is going.

Shiro: I told ya ta stay away from those psychos!

Grimm: ... I hate to say this, but the psycho you're left with isn't much better.

Ichi: *hangs head* I know, but don't tell him that. He thinks he's awesome.

Shiro: I'm more than awesome, I'm fuckin' amazin'! =)