Chapter countdown for the end of Black Doves: 3 more chapters to go (not including this one ;p )

I hope you're all on the edge of your seats for this chapter... because something BIG happens! Okay, maybe not that big. If you know me well enough, you should've expected something like this. ^^; Unfortunately, even I'm a creature of habit. As much as I love surprising you all, I tend to build my stories around the same old crap *sighs* I'll have to work on that. Anyway, something new happens in this fic... but not in this chapter =D

Ichi: I get to top! =D

Grimm: You wish. *scoffs*

Ichi: That's not fair, I want to top, too! T^T

Vae: Ichi, it's never gonna happen. Go talk to Shirohyo, maybe then you'll get what you want. As for me, I can't see Grimm getting held down by anyone. *shrugs*

Shiro: Don' worry, Aibou, there's more than one way ta skin a cat. =) I'll help, 'kay?

Ichi: You're awesome, Shi-nii!

Shiro: Yeah, I know. ;p

Vae: Grimm, you better run. Fast, far, and don't even think about looking back. If Shiro helps Ichi, you're in big trouble. *conspiratorial whisper*

Grimm: Unfortunately, I don't think there's any getting away from them. *sighs*

Chapter 12

The shopping district is bustling, as it normally is this time of day. Grimmjow went early to purchase the rings, planning ahead of time to keep away from these crowds. Now, however, he's only here because Ichigo wants to be and he… unfortunately… wants to make his mate happy. Sometime during the party and when he was supposed to be sleeping, he had decided he wants Ichigo for more than just fighting. He enjoys their verbal spats, their alone time, his presence, and especially the sex. He's never been with another that made him feel so complete and sated.

"Ichigo, don't wander too far," he murmurs. "These crowds are fucking thick today."

"I won't, I promise," the smaller male smiles.

Their hands are still connected, the other literally dragging Grimmjow to any store that looks interesting enough to catch his attention. The heat isn't too bad, yet it tires the smaller male quickly. They sit for bit in the food court area, drinking a milkshake and eating a sandwich. Ichigo notes that Grimmjow likes to people watch, similar to the feline he's known for being, and withholds the chuckle as the other's cyan orbs trail after those around them like a cat on safari.

"When we get back home, we can have an all-out brawling session," Ichigo states with a sly smirk. "That's what you wanted, right?"

"Actually… I'm good," Grimmjow smiles sincerely. "This is perfect."

"… Are you feeling okay?" Ichigo inquires a bit confused.

"I'm great. I was just thinking, Ichigo," he starts before hesitating.

"Go ahead, Grimm. You can tell me anything!"

"Well, before I went to get those rings I sort of realized… I like being with you," he mumbles. "I mean, not just the fighting but everything. I look forward to our spars and I love the verbal ones, but I'm finding myself more content with just lounging around when you're near."

Ichigo's features twist in surprise, and then melt to the typical gushing submissive before he catches himself. He clears his throat, glancing away before standing and strolling over to his mate. He wraps his arms around Grimmjow shoulders, leaning over his back to kiss his cheek.

"You can be a real ass most of the time," Ichigo starts before smirking. "And then you go and say shit like that."

"Yeah, yeah," Grimmjow huffs. "Just don't go telling people, okay? I like my 'badass' image."

"Let's go back home, Grimm," Ichigo smiles. "I want to get in a round of volleyball with the girls before we get ready for that luau."

"Fantastic," the larger male grins. "Will you be wearing a bikini like them as well? You know, team uniforms…"

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo snaps. "Like you'd even let me wear that, I'd probably need three layers of clothes on to keep covered!"

"Other people don't need to see what I do," he grumbles. "I don't understand why human males readily allow their females to wear that skimpy shit anyway."

The Sexta stands as he says this, stepping away from his chair to push it in and gathering their garbage. Ichigo helps him clean up, tossing the trash into the nearest bin before they head back into the thick of the crowd.

"So they can look at them."

"Yeah, but everyone else is, too."

"And they're fucking jealous the majority of the time. Look how they react with Nelliel and Hallibel."

"Nell and Hall are lesbians in their terms, what do they have to be jealous about?"

"Well for starters, they're not straight," Ichigo shrugs. "Not to mention, Hall gets to molest Nell whenever she deems necessary. The entire population of men wishes they were capable of doing that to her… or Hallibel. Instead, they just have to watch it happen by someone else."

"Man, if Stark saw their outfits he'd be shitting bricks," Grimmjow snorts.

"Really? Why?"

Grimmjow smirks at the other's curiosity, deciding this is the perfect opportunity to bring up a problem that's been pestering him since this whole ordeal was suggested. Hoping the orangette doesn't take this as badly as the other is betting he will, Grimmjow takes a deep breath and lets explanations evolve.

"They're his to gaze lustfully at, not those other men's. He may be a lazy bastard most of the time, but he's fierce when it comes to his mates."

"How did Stark end up with two mates?" Ichigo questions. "I don't have to worry about that, do I?"

"You might," Grimmjow shrugs. "Espada tend to sleep around, so having two mates works well for them. They don't get bored and they're always too busy watching over the two to let their gaze wander. It didn't used to be like that, you know."

"It didn't? What happened?"

"When we were Hollows, we slept with anything and everyone that caught out interest. That didn't bode well for the males, because the females started getting pissed off. When Aizen turned us into Espada, we could think more clearly… which led to seriously brutal fights between the females who believed they were shamed by another. Aizen was content to let us beat the shit out of each other, delighting in the jealous rage even the males were prone to. Gin finally stepped in and suggested the content arrangement we have now."

"So… you're planning on cheating one me?"

The crowd may have thinned out a bit as they got nearer to the resort, but that didn't stop a few passersby from staring at the outburst. Ichigo blushes and turns away in attempt to hide behind Grimmjow's larger frame. The humans shake it off at the Sexta's glare and go about their business, leaving the two to continue their discussion.

"No, I'm not planning it," Grimmjow frowns. "I'm just saying it might happen during mating season or something. I can't control myself then. I would never run off with someone though, it's something we just have to talk about. Eventually, I'd like to think you'd be open enough to try it. Then we could pick a second mate together."

"I don't want a threesome," Ichigo sulks.

"Stark doesn't sleep with both girls at the same time, Kitten, he's too damn lazy for that," the Sexta laughs. "They share him, sometimes exclude him altogether. It's basically a whim thing."

"What if I'm not your favorite?"

"It's not about favorites. You're my main bedmate, Ichigo; the other mate would just be a secondary. You will stay with me forever, but they'll never even be marked by me like you are," he explains. "You will always be the most important thing in my life."

"… I'll think about it," Ichigo mumbles in relent.

He was about to violently refuse the whole thing… but Grimmjow just had to go all sappy at the end. That coupled with the wedding rings he took the morning to pick out were just unfair blows, making it almost impossible for Ichigo to give Grimmjow anything but the answer he gave. Besides, maybe having someone else to help him torment the other would be a more productive way to go!

The girls are searching for a new victim when the two reach the beach, Ichigo in his baggy swim trunk and a tank top thanks to Grimmjow's vehement attitude. When they stop beside Szayel, the pink haired male browsing a magazine with Yumichika next to him flipping through a clothes catalog, everyone turns to look at them.

"Hey, guys," Rukia smiles. "Having fun?"

"We hit a speed bump, but he's gonna pay for that when he least expects it," Ichigo waves off.

"… Nice tattoo, Ichi," Rangiku snickers. "I never thought you the type."

"… That was the speed bump," he comments flatly. "Moving on to topics that don't include the tramp stamp he had Kensei give me while I was drunk…"

"Kensei?" Mashiro gasps. "My Kensei gave Berry-bun a tramp stamp? Conspiracy! Mashiro shall beat them down!"

Grimmjow turns to see fire in the other's eyes, gulping a bit nervously as he subtly scoots Ichigo between them. He's not into the whole human shield thing, but right now he's not going to be too picky. He's never felt Mashiro's kicks, but he's heard enough about them to know he'll be hurting for days after.

"Don't worry, Mashiro, I want to do this one on my own," Ichigo smirks. "I'll think of something, trust me! Anyway, we came to play volleyball."

"Great!" Nelliel grins. "No one else will play with us because Hallibel kicks ass!"

"It's not my fault they're unworthy opponents," the dark skinned amazon bristles.

"… Uh… You broke someone's nose with a spike that had a bit too much force behind it," the innocent female comments sheepishly. "And I think it may have been on purpose."

"They shouldn't have been ogling you!" she snaps.

Grimmjow gives Ichigo a pointed look at the remark, raising a brow simply to prove his point. Even dominant females like Hallibel are far more territorial that need be, which makes him curious as to why she's letting Nelliel wear that bathing suit. Granted it's a one piece, but it's a rather revealing one. Voice get closer to the group, Hallibel turning with fierce eyes to survey the possible threat before giving an intense warning look to those around her. With annoyed groans from both Arrancar and Shinigami, all the females… and even Szayel and Yumichika… grab tee shirts they've piled to the side to put on.

*Well, that explains that, * Grimmjow grins.

Hallibel doesn't bother putting something else on, she's the alpha of this group and she'll damn well press that fact. Her stance is cautious and slightly intimidating as the group of males walks their way, the volleyball gripped tightly in her hands as though she's just waiting to utilize it as a weapon. Ichigo quickly steps closer to her and takes the ball, hoping her fist won't be as damaging as the projectile.

"Hey, cutie," the tallest male grins lecherously. "Are you new to this beach?"

"If you've never seen be before today, that would be the logical assumption," she frowns.

"Oh, a cold-hearted bitch," a second laughs. "Just my kind of woman!"

Hallibel clenches her fist to prepare a strike, growling in fury as her eyes light up in her aggression. Ichigo is quick to act, as Nelliel and the others aren't about to get in the way. Though Grimmjow reaches to stop him, the smaller male ducks out of the way and grasps Hallibel's hand.

"Hall, that's not a smart idea," he states quickly, making his amber eyes as large and helpless as possible to appeal to her alpha side. "If you attack them now, your parole officer might find out. Please, Hall, I don't want you to go back to jail! The last five years was murder without you! Granted, you did castrate and dismember that one guy for groping your ass, but still… it left Nell and me all alone without anyone to protect us!"

Ichigo forces his eyes to go slightly teary-eyed as he tries to ignore Shiro's cackling within his mindscape, knowing the other is almost blue in the face from lack of oxygen. All around is dead silence, eyes bugging out of heads and jaws dropping. The men that had approached before slowly step away, their faces about as white as Shiro's despite the sun's rays.

"You know what? Never mind," the tall one mumbles. "We just remembered we have to meet our pals across the beach. Don't want to be late."

They hurry off, Ichigo still wrapped around Hallibel's arm with pleading eyes. Once they're far enough away, he lets out a breath of relief and releases the Amazonian woman. All eyes are on him, questions flaring up in every iris.

"What's a parole officer?" Rukia wonders. "And what's jail? I've been here a long time, but I've never heard of those terms."

"Jail is where bad people that do illegal stuff like murder and robbery go," Ichigo smirks. "Like the Maggot's Nest for humans. A parole officer is someone that watches over convicts, like Mayuri, who are released from jail on good behavior. If they mess up before their probation is over, they get thrown back in jail… where Mayuri should've been kept! Creepy fucker."

"Wait… Hallibel doesn't have a parole officer," Nelliel says in confusion.

"I know that… but they don't," Ichigo grins impishly. "Now they'll be too scared to even look this way, which means we can go about our day without them bothering us."

"… Did you see their faces when Ichigo said she castrated and dismembered someone?" Rangiku snorts in laughter. "I thought they were gonna piss their pants!"

The group breaks into laughter, Grimmjow carefully pulling Ichigo closer to him. He wouldn't admit it outright, but watching Ichigo cling to another alpha was almost painful for him. The only reason he didn't immediately grab him back, was because it was Hallibel and she's the rightful dominant in the female pack. She may not be Ichigo's mate, but it's still her place to protect a younger bitch in her pride. Had he intervened, he would've gotten on her bad side… which is the only side he really doesn't want to be on. No matter how powerful he is, she's always been craftier… all females are in Hueco Mundo. They have to be in order to survive.

"So, who's up for a game?" Ichigo smiles widely.

They play for the rest of the day, a girls versus boys game. Grimmjow, Ichigo, Yumichika, and Szayel were on one team. They played against Nelliel, Rukia, Hallibel, and Rangiku to make the teams even. Hall may have dominated the games played against the humans, but Grimmjow is an even match for her. They even fell into a heated rivalry as they moved along the sands, yet Grimmjow was far faster and more agile than Hallibel. Whereas she's forced to stop before colliding with the others of her team, Grimmjow easily darts between and pivots around the bodies on his side of the court. He allows the others to play, yet he can tell if they'll miss and is right there to keep the ball in play. Since they're so evenly matched for the most part, the game drags on until they simply call it quits.

"Hallibel's team got 4 points," Ichigo comments. "We got 5, so I guess we're the winners."

"We can always pick it up again later," Grimmjow shrugs. "Are you guys going to that luau?"

"Hell yeah!" Rukia grins. "We'll all be there! I can't wait, personally! Did you know women wear grass skirts over their bikini bottoms at this thing? And they put flower necklaces on!"

"They have a fire juggler!" Nelliel squeals.

"Sounds like a blast; we'll see you guys there."

They all go their separate ways to get ready, though it's more to wash the sand from their bodies. Thanks to their competitive game, the majority of them, save Szayel and Yumichika, are covered in grains of sand. Grimmjow can tell Ichigo is far happier now than he was when they got there, the soft glow about him a dead giveaway if not for the calmness of his reiatsu. He kisses the other on his orange locks, pushing him lightly into their cabin and heading for the bath with his mate in tow. There won't be time for fun in the tub, but that won't stop him from at least getting a good eyeful.

The luau is filled with laughter and music, a bonfire burning brightly as it lights up the area. There are dancers doing the hula on the floor, a few women attempting to learn… which includes Nelliel, Rangiku, Yumichika, and Rukia. Yumi may not be a girl, but he'll be damned if he misses out on this opportunity. Across the way and near the bonfire, a few people are juggling burning torches and one is breathing gusts of flame as the audience cheers.

"Wow," Grimmjow murmurs. "Humans are crazier than some of the Hollows back home."

"You think so? Because, that looks an awful lot like Hallibel and her girls learning to breathe fire," Ichigo comments in amusement.

"Fuck, now they have another way to injure me."

Ichigo laughs, pulling his mate toward the second dance floor and into the crowd. Grimmjow grins feral as he catches the playful look in his mate's eyes, knowing there's no chance he'll be getting him to consume any alcohol and loving he'll act this way while sober. They dance happily for a long while, eventually finding themselves in a cleared ring of onlookers. Once Ichigo realizes this, however, he becomes self-conscious and backs away from the dance floor with a blush. Though he's upset about losing his partner, Grimmjow follows Ichigo to the bar and orders a couple waters.

"This is really fun, Grimm," Ichigo smiles. "I'm glad we stayed for it."

"I'm happy you're enjoying yourself, Kitten. Maybe they'll have something else scheduled for tomorrow," he chuckles. "It may even be just as fun, if not better."

"They have a volleyball tournament," Hallibel smirks from the side. "I'm planning on entering, would you two like to be on my team?"

"Sign me up, Hall!" Grimmjow grins in a sinister manner. "There's no one in the world that can beat us when we're on the same team."

"Good, the grand prize is a cash reward we can use for the club."

Ichigo sits a while listening to Grimmjow and Hallibel talk, yet becomes bored and tells Grimmjow he'll be over with the other girls. They're all in a group just a few feet away, so he allows it. As Ichigo fights through the growing crowd, he has an odd feeling of being watched and tries to quicken his pace. Unfortunately, he's redirected within the mass of bodies. Determined to get to either the girls or back to Grimmjow, Ichigo starts pushing harder and shoving his way off the dance floor he's been carried to. Just as he gets the others in his line of sight once more, raising a hand to get their attention, a wave of dizziness overcomes him and he stumbles back into someone's arms. He's awake long enough to realize they're carrying him away from the luau and his mate, blacking out around the time of that realization.

Noooooooo! Ichi! T^T Oh well, you should've been expecting it. Just so you know, I have all but the last chapter written =) You have to wait for them, though, because I'm using the time off to write my novel. I should actually be doing that now ^^; As soon as I post this, it's all my novel! *determined expression*

Grimm: She's so gonna get sidetracked. *rolls eyes*

Vae: I am not!

Shiro: Last time ya ended up playin' a game 'stead.

Vae: But... it was an awesome game! T^T

Ichi: So? You should've been writing your novel.

Vae: I was curious! I bought the stupid thing and didn't know if it was gonna be any good... I just wanted to see what it was like, I didn't plan on sitting there all day until I finished the game! ToT Stupid curiosity!

Grimm: She's so gonna get sidetracked. *sighs in exasperation*