Chapter Eighteen
It was much later that Grimmjow heard the first sounds coming from the bedroom. He stopped what he was doing and looked over the back of the couch at the bedroom door, listening intently. He had been a little worried earlier when Ichigo's phone rang that it would wake him from a sleep he very obviously needed so he had retrieved the phone from the discarded pants on the bedroom floor and answered it with a terse, "What?"
"Well I guess I know where he is now." Shinji's voice grumbled through the earpiece when he heard Grimmjow's unmistakable voice.
"The hell do you want?" Grimmjow asked, shutting the bedroom door and walking to the kitchen.
"I can call my friend's phone any damn time I want asshole!" Shinji shot back.
Grimmjow grit his teeth and let his lip curl. "Well he's fuckin' asleep so stop calling or you'll wake him up!"
"And yer loud ass yelling won't do that?"
"No, fucktard! I'm hanging up now."
"Wait! Is… how is he?"
"Asleep." Grimmjow said after a long pause. He couldn't bring himself to say that he looked like he had gotten run over by a truck.
On the other end of the line Shinji rolled his eyes, biting back the urge to remind Grimmjow that they had already established that fact.
"Well, when he wakes up have him call me. And tell him Z already knows and isn't expecting us for a few days. He'll know…."
"I know who Z is." Grimmjow growled.
"Fine, just have him call me." Shinji said through his teeth.
Grimmjow had flipped the phone closed and tossed it on the couch as he checked to see that the noise hadn't woken Ichigo. Now that he heard the noises from the bedroom he looked at the clock and realized how late it was. There was a loud thud followed by a muffled curse before the bathroom door was shut and Grimmjow shook his head, returning his attention to the papers in his hands. He certainly wasn't going to check on Ichigo while he was in the bathroom.
Meanwhile Ichigo was trying his best to stand up straight in front of the toilet, one hand guiding the steady flow of liquid waste, the other propping him up against the wall behind the toilet. His head was still fuzzy, probably a side effect of the Codeine, and his mouth felt like someone had stuffed it with cotton balls. As soon as he was finished he flushed the toilet and shambled to the sink, reaching for the blue toothbrush on the counter. The blue one was his, right? By the time his teeth were clean and he could no longer feel a layer of fuzz in his mouth he walked out of the bathroom intent on returning to the bed. His entire body was stiff and sore like it hadn't been in as long as he could remember. When he noticed the light on in the living room he went to the door to peek out and noticed Grimmjow on the couch staring off into space. With a frown he eased the door open and cocked his head to the side, his eyes automatically going to the spot where Grimmjow's had lost focus.
"What are you doing?"
Grimmjow started slightly and looked over his shoulder at Ichigo. "I left work early to pick yer ass up."
Ichigo frowned, that really hadn't answered his question, and shifted his weight, leaning against the door jam and wincing when his bad shoulder had weight put upon it.
"Baka. I'm not taking you back to get those redone."
"Good, I wouldn't go anyway."
Grimmjow smirked and then frowned as he watched Ichigo sway slightly from the door and yawn. He rolled his eyes.
"Either sit down or go back to bed."
Ichigo grunted and padded to the couch, plopping down and grunting again from the pain of his jostled bones.
"What's all that?" He asked, nodding towards the stack of papers on the coffee table.
"I told you I left work early."
"Sorry. You didn't have to…."
"Shut up. It's just a pile of resumes." Grimmjow had already finished his other work some time ago and was actually actively seeking ways to get out of going over the damn resumes. Talking with Ichigo was a wonderful distraction.
"Oh."
Grimmjow sighed and looked down at Ichigo. "Why's that all bandaged up?" He asked, motioning to his torso.
"Hmm? Oh, dude had a knife. There's a bunch of shallow cuts and stuff. Nothing major. They just did that so they wouldn't get infected. I'm fine, really. Just gonna be sore for a few days. At least I didn't break anything like Shinji."
The silence stretched after Ichigo had finished speaking and it made him a bit nervous. Grimmjow was acting weird but he couldn't figure out just how he was being different. Though it could have been his partly foggy mind that was skewing things and he was actually the one acting strange. And then something from that morning came back to him.
"So… why were you having Nnoitra follow me?" Ichigo asked casually.
Grimmjow grit his teeth and tapped his middle finger on his thigh as he avoided Ichigo's gaze. That asshole had told him?
"No reason."
"Really? Couldn't have anything with me heading over to Shinji's for the night?"
"Are you complaining? He did help out didn't he?"
"Not the point. What's going on here? You go all the way to Osaka to find this guy," A detail Ichigo had only recently worked out on his own. "And then you pay him to follow me?"
Grimmjow sighed and resisted the urge to rub at his temples.
"Look, yer just gonna have to trust me…."
"No."
Grimmjow stopped and looked up. "What do you mean, 'no'?"
"I mean I want some fucking answers for once. You'd be yelling up a fucking storm if I had said that to you. Cough it up. What's going on?"
Grimmjow frowned at the floor and chewed on his lip as he decided just what and how much to say to Ichigo. Saying too much might freak him out, though he should probably give the boy more credit than that seeing how he had reacted to just about everything else. He could say the bare minimum but that was bound to come back and bite him in the ass at any given moment. With a huge sigh he opened his mouth and hoped it would be enough to shut him up for a while.
"Some stupid shit is going on and for the time being it's not safe for you, or me really, to walk around alone." That sounded so stupid he could have kicked himself. "Or unarmed." Shit, how had that slipped out?
"Armed?" Ichigo asked in an alarmed tone. "What the hell?"
"Don't worry about it. It's clearing up as we speak. You just stay here and recover…."
"What's going on damn it?!" Ichigo finally snapped, raising his voice over Grimmjow's.
Grimmjow grit his teeth again and hoped they wouldn't break. "I have a hit out on me and because yer around me yer a target too."
Ichigo blinked at him in disbelief before smiling and shaking his head.
"That's stupid. Why would they be after me?"
"To get to me." Grimmjow replied somberly, realizing he was still holding a few papers and setting them down with the rest on the table. "Yer right, it's stupid, but those assholes who attacked you and yer friend confirmed it."
"But…." Ichigo was still confused. "But I'm nothing to you."
A little voice in the back of his head was laughing at him and singing, "But he means something to you." as he spoke the words. He was able to admit, sometimes and only ever to himself, every once in a while that Grimmjow was starting to mean a little more to him than he needed to; or should. It was utterly embarrassing and always quickly stifled, but it was there.
Grimmjow frowned and stared at the table. Ichigo shouldn't mean a goddamned thing to him. If Ichigo weren't around he wouldn't be shelling out so much money for his sisters' recovery. If Ichigo weren't around he wouldn't have had to deal with this problem the way he had been; he would have just called the fucker out and shot him first. If Ichigo wasn't around he wouldn't be constantly frustrated and irritated; or sexually satisfied. If Ichigo wasn't around he'd be back to his old life, alone; lonely. When those last thoughts crossed his mind he shook his head forcefully as if to eject them.
"I don't think that matters to this asshole. He still sees you as a way to get to me. So for the time being, you stay here."
Ichigo understood Grimmjow's line of thinking even though the thought of being protected irked him, he really wasn't in the mood to die right yet. He had his family to worry about and then there was school…. He had things to do! As for Grimmjow's apparent agreement with him meaning nothing to him he shoved that to the side. It wasn't that important; he already knew that anyway.
"Wait. What about school? Classes start up again on Monday."
"I'll take care of that. Just stay in the open and around people. Shawlong will pick you up and bring you back here."
Ichigo frowned. He really didn't like how this was going, being picked up from school by a personal driver? He'd be an instant outcast! Or more popular than he had ever been before, and that was just as bad. He liked being seen, maybe even a little admired and feared, but popular? Having everyone talking to him and in his face asking about his personal business? No way.
"But…?"
"Just…!" Grimmjow took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he continued. "Just do what yer fuckin' told for once."
Ichigo sighed and stood, feeling a headache coming on behind his eyes, and headed for the bedroom.
"Toss me a pillow before you pass out." Grimmjow called out to him, leaning back and stretching, his hands scrubbing over his face.
Ichigo stopped. "Why?"
"I'm sleepin' on the couch."
"What? Why?"
"Stop askin' so many fuckin' questions. I'm sleepin'," He paused for effect. "On the couch."
"No. I'm not gonna kick you out of your bed. If anything I'll…."
"Oh for fuck's sake." Grimmjow stood and stomped passed Ichigo and into the bedroom. "Just take a pill and go back to sleep."
"I'm not taking any more of those. They make me feel funny." Ichigo grumbled, though his headache was getting bigger now from all the conversation, conflicting emotions, and Grimmjow's yelling.
Grimmjow pulled his shirt over his head and smirked when he realized for the first time what Ichigo was wearing.
"Take the damn pill and I won't say anything about what yer still wearing."
Ichigo looked down at himself and blushed. How the hell had he sat there and had such a serious conversation while still wearing the skimpy black thong from his show the night before?
"Oh yeah," Grimmjow continued as he unbuttoned his pants. "And yer little friend called. Said Z isn't expecting the two of you for a while."
"Oh." Ichigo blinked at Grimmjow and wondered briefly what that conversation must have been like.
"Take the damn pill." Grimmjow commanded.
Ichigo rolled his eyes and walked to the bathroom to fill the glass that Grimmjow had shoved at him. The pill bottle said to take two for pain but he decided one would be enough, tipping the tiny plastic bottle and throwing the pill into his mouth; chasing it with the full glass of water.
"There. Happy?" He asked as he returned to the bedroom to find Grimmjow pulling back the covers on the bed.
"Shut up and go to sleep."
As Ichigo reached for the blanket his stomach let out a horrible gurgling sound and his eyes widened. He looked up at Grimmjow and was surprised when he lowered his head and started laughing. Ichigo tried not to copy him as the sound continued before it finally faded out. Grimmjow shook his head.
"Hungry?"
Ichigo gave him a crocked smile. "Maybe a little."
After changing into a more comfortable pair of underwear, Grimmjow and Ichigo left the bedroom to raid the kitchen, finding left over Chinese food from the night before and settling for that. They were halfway through their reheated meal, Grimmjow teasing Leiko and Kimi with a noodle and Ichigo trying not to giggle like an idiot, something he would later blame on the pain pills, when the front door opened and Nnoitra walked in. He was a bit surprised to see all the lights on and peeked his head into the kitchen.
"The hell're you doin' up? It's almost midnight." He asked, eyeing the food with an almost predatory gaze.
Ichigo handed him a box of rice as Grimmjow answered, "Strawberry was hungry."
"Tch." Nnoitra glanced at Ichigo. "You look like shit."
Ichigo cocked an eyebrow. "So do you but at least I have an excuse."
"Ha!" Nnoitra choked on a piece of rice and scared off the kittens as Grimmjow laughed at that. "I'm goin' ta bed." He glared, taking the box of rice with him.
Ichigo shook his head and dug back into the box of chow mein, a lone noodle sticking to his chin that went unnoticed by him. Grimmjow on the other hand couldn't help but notice. A bit of a pet peeve of his was people who couldn't feel food stuck to their faces. With a roll of his eyes he reached over with his chopsticks and picked the noodle off Ichigo's chin. Ichigo stared at him with wide eyes as Grimmjow then pressed the noodle in his mouth. Having no choice but to accept it, Ichigo sucked the noodle from the wooden sticks and swallowed.
"Did you just feed me something from my face?" He asked incredulously.
"Well you don't seem capable of feeding yerself properly." When Ichigo continued to stare he rolled his eyes again. "Finish eating. You look like hell. You need to get back to bed."
Ichigo frowned and looked down at his box of chow mein. Grimmjow really confused him sometimes.
After a quick call to Shinji and a text to his sister Karin saying he would call them as soon as he woke up, Grimmjow and Ichigo retired to the bedroom, both of them at this point exhausted and wanting nothing more than the sweet release of sleep. They settled into their respective sides of the bed, Grimmjow taking the left and Ichigo the right, and pulled the covers over themselves. Grimmjow rolled over and curled up on his side as he always did, the side he had chosen to sleep on ensuring that he was facing Ichigo, and drifted off quickly. Ichigo however couldn't seem to get comfortable. Every time he thought he had found a good position a new spot on his body would tense up and drive him nuts until he had to shift once again. Grimmjow, who had woken up sometime after the tenth time Ichigo had shifted, sighed.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked in a grumpy tone.
"I can't get comfortable." Ichigo complained quietly as he shifted yet again.
"Didn't you take those pills? The papers said they would help you sleep."
Ichigo frowned at the ceiling and wondered why Grimmjow had read his paperwork but was too tired to ask anything about it. "I only took one. I told you I hate those things."
"Baka, go take another. If you keep me up all night, I'll kill you."
Ichigo smiled and was glad the room was dark enough for Grimmjow not to be able to see it. Using all his control not to cry out, he rolled over on his stomach and let out a puff of air, hoping that he had finally found a position that would work for him. Maybe the food had lessened the intensity of the medication, he thought to himself as he began to feel the soreness spread throughout his body. Perhaps Grimmjow had been right and he should have taken both pills.
"But if I take another now, it might not help." Ichigo mumbled into the pillow.
Grimmjow was silent and Ichigo hoped that meant he had gone back to sleep. He really didn't want to disturb him and was beginning to think that maybe he should go sleep out on the couch when a hand reached for him under the covers, gripping his hip and pulling him gently backwards until he met the solid wall of chest that was Grimmjow.
"What…?"
Grimmjow planted a small kiss on his upturned injured shoulder and nuzzled his neck.
"Go to sleep." He almost purred.
For some reason, beyond Ichigo's capacity of thinking, his entire body relaxed and his eyes slid closed. The steady rhythm of Grimmjow breathing and the slow pulse of his even heartbeat lulled Ichigo into a deep sleep complete with silly smile on his face.
The next morning Ichigo stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and prepared himself to clean his wounds. He figured on starting on the easiest one first, his forehead. He reached up to pull off the bandage and jumped when Grimmjow pushed his way into the bathroom.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I have to clean the area around the stitches every day." He replied, pulling the gauze off and leaning forward to get a closer look. It looked gross, dried blood crusting the edges and bright red puckered edges pulled together by what looked like black fishing line.
"How many?" Grimmjow asked as he too took a closer look, wrinkling his nose a bit at the sight.
"Seven here, ten there." Ichigo said pointing at his shoulder.
"Fuck."
Ichigo grabbed a Q-Tip and dipped it into the warm soapy water that was stopped up in the sink and began to painstakingly remove all the dried blood from the area. Grimmjow curled his lip as he watched, not sure whether to laugh at the cleaning style or look away from the wound that was making his stomach turn. It wasn't that he had never seen anything like that, or worse, it was just that the after effects, the stitches or staples that people got to close such wounds, always made him feel… uneasy. Ichigo noticed this and smiled at his reflection in the mirror.
"You don't have to watch."
Grimmjow frowned at that and continued to watch Ichigo work. Ichigo's face screwed up with concentration as he worked yet another Q-Tip gently over the wound itself, letting the soapy water get into the tiny creases of skin and wash away any germs. When he was finished with that he drained the sink and tossed the used cleaning supplies in the trash before turning on the tap until it was just barely hot and splashing the water over his face, washing away the soap. He grabbed a towel and patted it dry before slathering it with ointment and recovering it with a new bandage.
"See, no biggie." He said with a grin and Grimmjow shook his head.
"Whatever."
"Now for the hard one." Ichigo said as he began to tear away the gauze from his shoulder wound.
"I'm gonna be late for work." Grimmjow said, using the excuse to look away and hop in the shower.
By the time he was finished so was Ichigo, freshly bandaged and looking a bit more refreshed despite the bruising. Grimmjow wrapped his towel around his waist and looked at Ichigo closely, taking in his bright eyes and clear, almost rosy complexion. With a grin he grabbed Ichigo's chin, making sure not to hurt him, and pulled him close, kissing him. Ichigo winced and Grimmjow pulled away, frowning at him. With a bashful smile Ichigo ducked his head before quickly pressing his lips again against Grimmjow's. Surprised, it took a second for him to respond, reaching up to Ichigo's hip and pulling him even closer until they were touching. Ichigo raised one arm, his left arm, before dropping it and lifting his good arm, lacing his fingers in the blue hair at the back of Grimmjow's head. It was Ichigo who deepened the kiss, his tongue easing its way inside Grimmjow's mouth and tangling with his. Grimmjow groaned softly and tightened his grip, reaching up with his other hand and accidentally brushing against the shoulder wound.
"Ow." Ichigo hissed, pulling back slightly and grimacing.
"Sorry." Grimmjow whispered.
Ichigo blushed. "I thought you were gonna be late for work."
"Tch. It's yer fault for distracting me."
Ichigo laughed and Grimmjow sauntered out of the bathroom to get dressed. As soon as he was gone Ichigo leaned back over the sink and pulled out his bottom lip. Sure enough there was a cut on the inside that his teeth must have made when he was punched. He let go and let his lip pop back in place before he followed Grimmjow and began to dress, slowly and painfully. As Grimmjow was getting ready to leave he grabbed the pill bottle and tossed it to Ichigo, surprised when he caught it in his left hand.
"Take those like yer supposed to." Ichigo sighed and sat on the couch. "And stay put!" He called over his shoulder, shutting the door before Ichigo could reply.
"Tch. Where the hell would I go? It hurts to walk too much." He muttered to himself as he sat back and turned to TV on.
He couldn't even remember the last time he had spent the day with the television and his own thoughts and he didn't think that combination was going to go over very well. With a sigh he tried to make himself comfortable and find something interesting on TV.
"Looks like those kids got roughed up pretty good." The man said as he sat next to his long time partner. "'Course our guys got beat pretty bad too."
His partner nodded and sighed, looking out the window at the thick clouds that brought the drenching rain. The streets below were devoid of life in this kind of weather and it brought a smile to his face.
"Do you want us to start the next phase?" The man asked and the other shook his head, reaching for a pad of paper to write out a reply.
Not yet. Give this time to stew. Give them time to think things might be over for a bit.
The man grinned after reading the note and nodded his head. "Right. As you say."
He left the room and the man to stare out the window. The silent man lifted a handkerchief to his lips and wiped a bit of drool from them. Loosing one's tongue made it rather hard to do things, but he had managed fairly well so far. Now that things were moving forward he could get a little payback for it; if not from the man who had actually done it than from the man who had turned him in. Yes, that blue haired kyodai would pay.
A/N Yay, more plot development! According to wiki Kyodai stands for a "big brother" in the respective yakuza "family". Basically speaking there is the boss dude, two lieutenants, some big brothers, and then some little brothers (among others), the amount of which depending on the size of the "family". So in essence, Grimmjow could still be the Sexta here. :D Hope you liked the little yakuza lesson, lol. Holy cow, I just posted on the fifth! It's only the sixth! Whoa. Well, anyway, sorry about the gross stitches part. I'm not sure if that's how yer supposed to clean stitches but my daughter recently had four in her pinky (go to my DA site for gory pics of that :D) and that's how we were told to clean hers so... Yeah, sorry if that grossed anyone out ^^; I'll stop rambling now. Hope you enjoyed it :D:D
~~EDIT: Waa~! So close to 400 reviews *dies from happiness*~~