A/N Hey howdy everyone! OMG that was so lame! *headdesk* Anyway, this is a short chapter and not much happens, but I had to do this as a set up for the next chapter. No smexiness, sorry! But next chapter shall have it lots, I promise! Sorry about the wait too, I've been super sick till recently and writing just wasn't possible. Also, a quick apology to anyone whose review I haven't replied to. Again, I blame the fever and lack of ability to move for almost five days :D So yeah, it's short, but needed. Next chapter should follow soon after and it will be MUCH longer. Hugs to all!

**EDIT AS OF 11/21/09** Was going through some notes I made on this story and found the last little bit I added to this chapter. I thought it was cute and fitting. Enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Ichigo woke with a Grimmjow on his back. Literally. He wasn't sure how it had happened, but some time during their sleep he had rolled over on his stomach but Grimmjow had stayed pretty much glued to him. He would never have pegged the man as a cuddler from the other times he had actually slept with him, but he was going a bit overboard tonight. Though Ichigo felt comfortable, a feeling that in and of itself was slightly uncomfortable, that strong chest pressed against his back and those arms wrapped tightly around him, he had one problem. He really had to go to the bathroom. Trying to figure out how to maneuver out of Grimmjow's grasp without waking him was proving problematic and he finally gave up, gripping the edge of the mattress and pulling himself up and out of the bed. Grimmjow grunted and grabbed a pillow, pulling it close to his chest and frowning, but made no other move so Ichigo quickly ran to the bathroom to relieve himself.

When he finished up he looked longingly at the shower and wondered if Grimmjow would harp on him if he took it upon himself to clean himself up. After a quick glance back in the bedroom to find Grimmjow still very much asleep he decided that he'd take his chances and turned on the tap. As his mind wondered over the events of the evening one thing became disturbingly clear to Ichigo. He was enjoying himself and this situation way too much. True, he was young and even though he was still being paid for his time with Grimmjow he should probably enjoy the great sex while he could, but more and more it was bothering him. Not the great sex but his attitude towards the whole thing. Shinji's question kept coming back to him and the answer that he hadn't bothered to truthfully say made his chest flutter. Did he like Grimmjow? It became clearer and clearer each day that the answer was a resounding, 'YES!'

If asked he wouldn't have been able to say what exactly he liked about the man as he had few redeeming qualities so far that Ichigo had seen, but the fact that each time he saw him the little tug at his heart grew couldn't be ignored. With a sigh Ichigo stepped into the shower and let the too hot water try and drown his confused and conflicting emotions.

Grimmjow mumbled in his sleep, rolling over and waking to find the bed warm but empty. Frowning he sat up and rubbed his hand over his face. Where had that little strawberry of his gone? It was then that he heard the sound of the shower running and, grinning, he pulled himself out of bed and snuck into the bathroom. Nudging the door open he watched Ichigo lean his head back under the too hot spray of water, moaning quietly at the feel of it. Feeling playful Grimmjow decided to have a little fun. He tip toed the rest of the way into the room, closing the door quietly behind him, and approached the shower.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a booming voice and Ichigo, still lost in a cloud of thought, jumped dropping the bar of soap he was holding. Grimmjow grinned and flicked the shower curtain to the side. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to drop the soap?"

Ichigo, barely recovering his pounding heart, scoffed. "That's in prison, isn't it?"

Grimmjow nodded and leaned against the wall, his eyes raking over the naked pinkened skin before him. Ichigo fidgeted a bit, bending down to grab the soap.

"Are you just gonna stand there starin' at me?" He asked, his face and chest flushed darker than the rest of his body.

Grimmjow nodded then thought better of it and stepped inside.

"Hey! What're you doin'?"

"I'm dirty too. Dirtier than you." He replied and pushed Ichigo out of the way.

Thankfully his shower was large enough for the both of them and for once Grimmjow wasn't in hyper-horny-mode. Ichigo didn't know exactly how old he was but his sex drive was that of a teenage boy. They washed themselves in relative silence, Ichigo turning his back to Grimmjow so that he wouldn't be tempted to stare at the expanse of flesh before him only to be teased about it. He hated being teased and knew that people only teased him more because of his reaction to it. Sometimes he was a bit more perceptive than he let on.

Once they were both squeaky clean Grimmjow stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, throwing it at Ichigo's face and laughing when he stumbled over the edge of the tub in his momentary blindness. Grimmjow wrapped the towel around his waist and left the door wide open as he exited. Ichigo dried off and followed Grimmjow to the living room.

"Hungry?" Grimmjow asked as he picked up the phone and dialed out without waiting for an answer. It was still early in the evening and neither one of them had eaten dinner.

Not bothering to reply Ichigo went straight to his discarded bag and pulled out a clean pair of underwear, slipping them on under the towel he was wearing before pulling out a book and tossing the towel over his shoulder as he left the room once again. Grimmjow cocked his head curiously as he watched, distracted enough that the person on the other end of the phone had to repeat their hello multiple times. By the time Ichigo came back from hanging up the towel Grimmjow was well into ordering what sounded like way too much food. He sat at the table in front of the couch and dug into his book, intent on studying as much as he could before he was interrupted again. Midterms started Monday and he still had a lot of work to do.

So immersed in the textbook in front of him he didn't feel Grimmjow plop on the couch behind him until a finger tickled the back of his neck. He slapped it away and cleared his throat. Grimmjow grinned and took that as a challenge to distract the tasty strawberry.

"You know," He started, his finger now drawing lazy figure eights between Ichigo's vertebrae. "You'd look good with a tat or two."

"Tch. Fuck you." Ichigo muttered under his breath.

"Nah, I'm serious. Maybe a cute little strawberry one right here." He poked the sensitive spot behind Ichigo's ear and grinned when he shivered and shook his head.

"Thanks, but no. I'd never get a tattoo." Ichigo turned the page and tried to tune Grimmjow out.

Grimmjow grinned. "Never say never, Strawberry." He said quietly as he reached for the remote.

So focused on his studying he didn't hear the intercom buzz or the interaction at the door when the food arrived. He mumbled a 'mhmm' when a plate of food was placed in front of him on the coffee table and Grimmjow grinned. Ichigo was cute when he was focused like that. Flipping to a gory historical samurai war flick Grimmjow sat back and dug into the ordered food.

Before long the sounds of swords clashing and men screaming brought Ichigo out of his self induced trance and he looked up in time to see a helmet clad head go flying. Curling his lip in distaste he set down his book and stretched, looking over his shoulder to find Grimmjow passed out face first on the sofa, one arm curled under him and the other flung over the side. He couldn't help but smile and shake his head as he stretched his legs out in front of him and turned around, letting his eyes take the sleeping form in without the fear of being caught. Before long his hand reached out and slowly traced the thick black lines of the tattoo on his back. The towel he had wrapped around himself had fallen, clinging haphazardly to his hips and showing just a little bit of ass cleavage. Ichigo giggled and blushed at his own thoughts thinking that was something Shinji would say if he saw something like that.

Grimmjow grunted and rolled over, his eyes slitting open as he shot a glare at the blurry orange head. "What're you doin'?"

"Nuthin'." Blushed and looked down at the floor.

Grimmjow grunted again and sat up, rubbing the back of his head and squinting at the clock. "The fuck time is it?"

"Midnight."

"Fuck." He grabbed Ichigo's elbow and stood up, dragging him to the bedroom.

"Hey, what…?"

"Sleep. Bed." Grimmjow mumbled.

"But I should still study."

"You wanna die?" He asked as he tossed Ichigo on the bed and fell next to him, pulling him close and wrapping his arms around his middle.

"Not really." Ichigo sighed, mainly because Grimmjow was already asleep again.

Using his feet he managed to pull the blankets over them and tried his best to fall asleep though he was nearly wide awake.

"No I'm serious. He looked at me as I was leaving and actually smiled this time. I 'bout died I was so happy."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he and Shinji swept the front of the bar before opening.

"No way. He was probably just being nice."

Shinji stopped and leaned on his broom. "Are ya tryin' ta say he couldn't have been smilin' at me cause I'm hot?"

Ichigo shook his head and upended a dustpan full of refuse in the trash can.

"No, I'm saying that he's lived next to you for two years and barely looked at you until today. Don't get yer hopes up."

"You'll see. Next time I'll get him to say hello and that's one step closer to a happy romp in one of our beds."

"You're such a slut."

"Yeah well…," Shinji stopped himself before he said, 'At least I'm not getting paid for it.'

Ichigo sighed and turned away from him to put his broom away. He was glad that the bar was open again. He had too much on his mind and the best way to forget about it all, if even for a short time, was dancing. He had even signed on for two shows tonight and was really looking forward to it. After a long day of review in all his classes and a long, though nice, night with Grimmjow he really needed to just let loose and forget.

Shinji followed him backstage and sat at the dressing table nearest the stage.

"Ya okay today? Did somethin' happen last night?"

"Nah, it's nothing. I'm just tired and I guess I'm freaking out a bit because of next week. Things will calm down once midterms are over."

"If yer freakin' out over that shit why'd ya agree to two shows tanight?" A gruff voice asked and Z appeared as if from nowhere.

"Yo Z!" Shinji called out as the large man passed both him and Ichigo up on his way to his office.

"Shaddup." The man muttered lazily back.

Before long the club was packed and the music was blaring. Shinji helped Ichigo fix his hair making it extra spiky that night and in turn Ichigo helped Shinji tie a bow on the back of his thong. He commented dryly that it was ridiculous to which Shinji replied, "Say that after you see the cash I bring back in."

Shinji was right of course, the little bow on the back of his thong was of course a hit and he yet again brought in a wad of cash that rivaled Ichigo's. After his second set, his heart still pounding and his energy level high, he changed back into his street clothes and headed out the back door. He hadn't heard from Grimmjow yet so he started home at a trot that quickly turned into a jog and finally a full out sprint. He had no idea why he felt so energized but it felt good to have the crisp chill wind in his hair. Running up the stairs to his apartment he didn't notice that his phone was ringing until his door was shut and his jacket was off. Pulling it out he answered with a breathless hello.

"Ichigo, it's dad. Yuzu's at the hospital. She collapsed."

It took a moment for it to sink in and the high he had been feeling to turn to sickening dread. "I- I'll be right there."

He hung up before his father could say anything else and reached for the door before he realize the only way he was going to get anywhere right then was with a cab. Pulling his phone out of his pocket once more he nearly dropped it when it rang before he could do anything.

"Yo Strawberry, you all finished tonight?" When Ichigo didn't answer Grimmjow teased, "Aw, what'sa matter Strawberry…?"

"My sister's in the hospital again." Ichigo said in a monotone. "Could… could you give me a ride?"

Ichigo was silent the entire ride to the hospital and Grimmjow didn't push it. He didn't really understand what Ichigo was going through right then, having never really had a family before, but he knew when it was a good time to keep his mouth shut and decided to give that little bit of courtesy. When they stopped Ichigo remained seated, lost in thought, until Grimmjow nudged him in the shoulder.

"You better get. Isn't yer family waiting?"

He started out of his thoughts and nodded, opening the door and stepping out of the car. "Thanks."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get."

He spent the night in a hard plastic chair with Karin leaning on his shoulder. It was early in the morning when the doctor strolled by and let them know that Yuzu was awake and asking for them and the two of them walked slowly to her room. Karin went straight to the bedside and grabbed her sisters' hand but Ichigo hung back a bit by his father who was looking unusually happy for someone whose daughter just spent the night in the hospital.

"What's with the face?" He asked in a tired voice.

"Good morning to you to son." When Ichigo rolled his eyes he laughed. "We got a call from the neurosurgeon in England and he said that he will be able to take Yuzu in next week. We'll be leaving tomorrow on the earliest flight."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Really? What about the money?"

"Hate to admit it, but it seems as if an anonymous donation came in to the trust I set up for her. Everything is paid for. Except the plane tickets and hotel of course, but who cares. She's getting the surgery." Since he looked like he was about to cry Ichigo turned to his sister and she smiled up at him weakly.

"Isn't it great Onii-chan?"

"Yeah, Yuzu. It's great. I'm so happy… I don't even know what to say."

"Well you can say you'll watch your sister for me."

It took a moment for it to sink in since he was still half asleep but when it did both him and Karin spoke at the same time.

"What?!"

"Well Karin, you still have school to go to, and Ichigo I know you have tests coming up, but I can't pull Karin out of school early. As soon as the week is up she can fly out to be with us until Yuzu is ready to go home."

"But dad!" Karin started.

"No, dad's right Karin. I don't want you missing any school because of this. Everything will be fine and the week will go by quickly for you. Please don't make a fuss."

Torn between fighting and letting it go for her sister's sake Karin clenched her teeth and looked up at Ichigo. He didn't have any better answers for her but keeping an eye on her during midterms was going to be a pain in the ass. And what was he going to do about work? Unfortunately he agreed that she shouldn't miss any school unless she absolutely had to.

"Fine. Karin can come stay with me this week."

"Ah, man." Karin complained. "This sucks."

After leaving the hospital he took a cab straight to university to finish what classes he hadn't missed for the day. Missing review at this point would have been academic suicide. His body on overdrive from lack of sleep and food, he shuffled home and opened his books, burying his nose in as far as it would go until the words started to blend together and he realized he had been staring at the same page for almost a half an hour. Tossing the book on the table he rubbed his face and sighed when his phone rang.

"Hey, why haven't ya been answering yer phone?" A concerned voice asked.

"I was in the hospital all night with Yuzu and then school and studying. My head hurts." Ichigo muttered, pretty certain that the person on the other end was Shinji.

"Oh God, is she okay? Why didn't ya call me?"

"She's fine. Dad and her are leaving in the morning to England to get her surgery. Look can we talk about this later? I wanna grab a couple hours sleep before work."

"Yeah, sorry. I'll talk to ya then."

He set his phone down and wandered to the kitchen figuring he had to eat something or his stomach would keep him awake, when his mind began to wander. What was he going to do about work with Karin staying there? Halfway through reaching for an apple he stopped and his eyes went wide. What the hell was he going to do about Grimmjow? It wasn't very likely that the man would let him get away with an entire week away because of this. Likely he would insist that having one younger sister around wasn't a deterrent in their nocturnal visits and push for the whole shebang anyway. Groaning he dropped his hands to his side and hung his head. He had been trying not to dig his own grave since this whole thing started and had ended up doing it anyway.

"What a fuckin' mess." He grumbled.