Chapter Forty Five
"I love you, Ichigo."
Ichigo's eyes widened as he stared up at Grimmjow and he instantly forgot how to breathe. His mouth worked as if to say, what?, but nothing came out. His chin trembled and with a look of comedic horror his eyes widened further and he bit his bottom lip. After months of stress, pleasure, tears ecstasy, pain, self consciousness, blood, happiness and confusion, Ichigo's world came to a grinding halt, his heart lurching in his chest before stopping completely. And then it exploded, shattering into a million pieces as the cascade of emotions poured out of him. He fell forward, burying his face in Grimmjow's neck as his arms wrapped around him tightly. He could no longer control himself as the dam broke, fat, salty tears wetting Grimmjow's shoulder. It was silent at first, the tears falling almost without notice until a deep sob tore from within him and he tightened his grip on Grimmjow.
Grimmjow wasn't sure what to do so he too tightened his hold, wrapping his arms around Ichigo protectively. He hadn't expected tears, and he definitely hadn't expected the sobs that wracked his body. But Ichigo needed it, apparently, and the only thing he could do was hold on and let him ride it out. He'd never held anyone like this before, never watched someone fall apart like this. Deep down he knew that he would have been completely disgusted if it had been anyone else. His lip would have curled and bile would have risen; the urge to shut them up forcibly if necessary would have made his limbs twitch eagerly. But with Ichigo…. With Ichigo it made his chest tighten painfully and his stomach flutter. For some reason, some stupid unnamable reason, he was touched on a level no one else had ever even tried to reach for. Disregarding the tiny voice that called him a pussy, he lowered his head and closed his eyes, waiting, patiently for once, for Ichigo to calm down.
Ichigo didn't have time to feel like an idiot for his reaction, he was too busy swimming in the torrent of emotions pouring out of him. As his sobs subsided he was left with hiccupping sighs and a mild headache. Sure, a part of him was exceptionally happy, ecstatic even, that he had finally heard those three words he had been longing to hear, but now he was too exhausted to do anything about it. His body felt heavy and what had started as a tight embrace slackened. His breathing evened out and he felt himself drifting, his lips once again trying to form words but unable to. With a deep, half relieved, half contented, sigh, Ichigo passed out.
Grimmjow chuckled softly when he realized Ichigo was asleep in his arms and shifted them to a more comfortable position. He didn't know how long Ichigo would be out but no matter what he wasn't letting him go just yet. He was happy now that he had said it. It was as if a weight had been lifted off him, his body, mind and heart all felt lighter than air and he was breathing comfortably for the first time in too long. Though at the same time his stomach still felt a little uneasy, churning slightly with nerves. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting Ichigo's easy, even breathing lull him into a light slumber.
Shinji walked through the front door of his mother's house and sighed. They still hadn't made up over what had happened and he was sick of waiting for her to come to him first. He walked to the backyard where he found her tending to her chickens, her floral print dress dirtied but the smile on her face making the air around her sparkle. Shinji couldn't help but smile as well. When Etta rose and turned towards the house she stopped at the sight of her son watching her. With a sigh she dropped the bucket she had been holding and held out her arms to him, beckoning him close. Like a child Shinji ran into his mother's waiting arms and hugged her tight, burying his face in her hair.
"I'm sorry okaachan. I'll never do it again."
"Oh shut up. Ya caught me on a bad day 's'all. It's not yer fault. I should stand up ta them and just say no. I'm not a little girl anymore I guess."
Shinji snorted and Etta laughed.
"Okaachan, are ya really screwin' Ichi's dad?" He blurted out, the question having been burning a hole in his tongue since he had heard the news from Ichigo.
Etta's eyes opened wide at her son's words and she suddenly threw her head back and laughed.
"Looks like we got caught."
Shinji pulled back and frowned at her, not sure what else to do at the moment.
"Geez, Shin-chan. Took ya long enough ta figure it out."
Shinji's eyes widened and he dropped his arms from around his mother. "How long ya been doin' it?"
Etta tapped her chin and looked thoughtfully up at the sky. "Hmm. Maybe six years."
"Six years?! Wha…."
"Shin-chan ya look like a fish outta water." Etta giggled before she slipped her arm through her sons. It didn't bother her in the least that anyone knew. They hadn't exactly been hiding anything, but since it was only sex, at least for her, she hadn't felt the need to blab about it. Her son may have been the type to kiss and tell, but Etta had only ever been with two men her entire life and treated her sexual encounters privately.
"So which one 'a ya figured it out first?"
Shinji sighed. "Ichi found out from his dad. I guess his dad knows about his man now and things got kinda complicated." He waved his free hand ineffectually in the air.
"Oh? Isshin actually told him?" That surprised her quite a bit. Isshin had at the very least wanted to keep just how close they were from his children.
When Shinji just nodded Etta smiled and changed the subject. "How's things with tha gangster?"
Shinji groaned as he threw himself on the couch. "It's not. I think Imma stop seein' him. Things 're jus' too weird right now and he's a complication I don't need."
"Even if the sex is great?" Etta called out form the kitchen as she set a tea pot on the stove to heat.
Shinji nodded, not finding his mother's comment strange in the least. "Yeah. It was fun while it lasted though."
Actually he didn't want it to stop, not really, but he felt that if he kept it up he was going to get hurt. One way or another. Being around Nnoitra was dangerous in more ways than one. Adding guns to the mix had made him realize that he had no business fooling around with a man like that. He wasn't like Ichigo. He wasn't in love and had no reason to tolerate that kind of thing.
"So how's Ichi-chan at the new place? Him and that man gettin' along okay?"
"Actually they've been fightin' a lot lately. Ichi's a lot more of a jealous person than I figured he'd be. I'm sure they'll be fine though." He hated to admit it but they were perfect for each other, a fact he realized the more he was around them.
Etta handed a steaming cup of tea to her son and sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. She had missed him while they fought and was happy that they were speaking again.
"You'll be happy and in love one day, Shin-chan. Just quit lookin' fer it and it'll show up when ya least expect it."
Shinji snorted again and took a sip of his tea. "Whatever."
It wasn't until Grimmjow realized Ichigo had been asleep for almost five hours that he became a little worried. He had gotten up after an hour, making sure Ichigo was comfortable on the couch, so that he could make a few phone calls and eat some food. Ichigo slept like the dead the entire time, not moving an inch from the spot Grimmjow had maneuvered him into. When ten o'clock rolled around Grimmjow forced him off the couch, making him walk clumsily to the bedroom where he fell to the bed and ceased his movements once more. Grimmjow frowned down at him and wondered just what he had been doing lately that had made him this tired. To make him able to lose his control like he had.
After a quick shower he crawled into bed beside him and cuddled Ichigo close, his lids growing heavy quickly as he joined Ichigo in his sleep. It was around eight the next morning that Ichigo stirred, his eyes blinking open only to fall closed once again. Something tickled the back of his mind but he wasn't awake enough to deal with that quite yet. His eyes slitted open and he looked around him without moving, wondering how he had gotten to the bedroom and when he had fallen asleep. Suddenly his vision was assaulted by a grinning face and as he blinked it into focus he began to remember. Everything. His eyes went wide and he groaned, turning to bury his face in the pillow. No fucking way! He hadn't cried. No way he had sobbed like a fucking baby until he passed out after Grimmjow had finally said those three words to him.
Grimmjow chuckled and ran his fingers through Ichigo's hair, glad that he wasn't pushed away out of Ichigo's embarrassment.
"Mornin'." He said quietly.
Ichigo groaned again and pushed his face further into the pillow, making Grimmjow grin and lean forward.
"Feelin' better?"
"No." Ichigo grumbled. He felt stupid and mortified. He didn't even want to show Grimmjow his face; didn't think he could make himself look him in the eye after how he had acted.
"Tch. I was expectin' some sex last night. Here I go and finally say girly shit to ya and ya pass out on me. The fuck's up with that?" He teased.
Ichigo used his fists to bring the sides of the pillow up over his ears and Grimmjow laughed. He could understand Ichigo's reaction, he probably would have been pretty upset himself if the tables had been turned, it was just too funny not to tease him for it. He pulled the blankets down over Ichigo's back and kissed the skin between his shoulder blades lightly, trailing slow easy kisses up to the back of his neck.
"Quit hidin'."
"No way. I'm never moving again."
"Idiot. If you don't move how we supposed to enjoy our morning?" Grimmjow husked out as he wondered in the back of his mind why an embarrassed Ichigo turned him on so much. "I let you sleep for seventeen hours so get up."
Ichigo frowned and let the pillow drop from around his ears. He turned his head to the side and scowled at Grimmjow when he came into view.
"Seventeen hours?"
Grimmjow nodded and smiled. Ichigo still looked tired even after all that sleep, but his skin was flushed and the pink tinge made him look so… tasty. Grimmjow licked his lips and leaned forward, brushing them softly against his cheek. Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes.
"Grimmjow? Did I really…?" He couldn't finished that but when Grimmjow chuckled softly he knew it had really happened and hadn't been some horrible hallucination. "Fuck."
"Don't worry about it. It happens."
"This isn't like… cumming too soon. I fuckin' cried."
"You sobbed like someone had killed yer puppy." Grimmjow countered, a grin still on his face.
Ichigo sighed and sat up, crossing his legs Indian style and running a hand through his hair. He realized that, not counting the time he had cried in the shower after he had left Grimmjow, he hadn't cried, and certainly not like that, in almost ten years. Not since his mother had died. Grimmjow scooted closer, and reached out, grabbing Ichigo behind his neck and pulling him close for a quick, chaste kiss.
"If I say it again yer not gonna cry this time right?"
Ichigo scowled and looked away. "Asshole." He muttered under his breath.
Grimmjow crooked a finger under Ichigo's chin and forced him to look at him, their eyes locking and heat flaring between them. Grimmjow waited for the nerves to grip him again and wasn't surprised when they came back, though not nearly as forceful as before. He took a deep breath and let a small grin stretch his lips, a wink of teeth from behind them.
"I love you, Ichigo."
Ichigo let out a shaky breath, his eyes flicking between Grimmjow's eyes and mouth as the words tumbled past his lips. His heartbeat picked up and his breathing escalated, much as the night before, but where last time he had broken, this time he felt a slow smile appear that quickly turned into a large grin. He bit his lip and shivered slightly.
"Really?" He asked in a whisper.
Grimmjow snorted. "Nah, I just wanted to see yer face when I said it." Ichigo pushed at him playfully and he laughed. "Of course."
Ichigo brought his hand up and placed it in the middle of Grimmjow's chest. He could feel his heart pounding beneath his rib cage and for some reason his smile grew. He grabbed Grimmjow's other hand and placed it against his own chest, letting Grimmjow feel his heart as well. Time stopped for the both of them as their heartbeats synced and they stared into each other's eyes. They moved as one, closing the distance between them and slanting lips over the other pair. Hearts began to pound as tongues touched and they remembered that they hadn't touched like this in ages. Ichigo pulled back, panting, and looked up at Grimmjow.
"I love you too." He had wanted to say that for so long that his voice almost caught in his throat.
Grimmjow groaned and pulled Ichigo to him once again, this time crushing his mouth over his. He wanted to taste his soul with this kiss, wanted to impart his love with just that gesture but found that it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. He lowered Ichigo to the bed and settled over him as he devoured him, moving his hand up his chest to curl around his neck as his other hand traveled lower to his hip still hidden beneath the blankets. Ichigo buried his hands in Grimmjow's hair and whined softly, his body arching as if begging for more contact. Grimmjow complied with the silent request and pressed his lower body against Ichigo, their barely covered groins rubbing gently against each other. He pulled his lips from Ichigo's mouth and brushed them across his chin and jaw before flicking his tongue out at the lobe of his ear. Ichigo let out a shaky breath when Grimmjow sank his teeth into his favorite spot right behind Ichigo's ear.
"Mmm." Ichigo sighed and bent his legs, spreading them a bit to allow Grimmjow more room.
Grimmjow moved lower, his teeth scraping lightly and tongue wetting and smoothing over the skin soothingly. When he reached his collar bone he placed gentle kisses along the protuberance before dipping his head and running his tongue down and over his sternum. Ichigo bit his lip and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back into the pillows and trying to keep his breathing steady. Everything felt… different now; better. Every touch Grimmjow placed upon his skin was like fire. That lava tipped tongue now tracing over his nipples and those blunt teeth nipping along the underside of his pectoral muscle. Grimmjow pressed his cheek against Ichigo's stomach, taking a breath to clear his already foggy brain.
"You feel like yer on fire." He breathed and Ichigo sighed with a smile.
"So do you." He whispered back. He didn't think he was capable of anything else at the moment.
Grimmjow continued his slow descent, tongue, lips and teeth mapping his body as if it were the first time he had ever done so. As if it would be the last time he would be allowed to do it. Ichigo's stomach quivered when Grimmjow licked him there before slipping a single digit underneath the waist band of his underwear. Ichigo lifted his hips a bit, hoping that Grimmjow was going to take them off and was slightly disappointed when all he did was run the back of his finger along the unexposed skin. His breath hitched in his throat when Grimmjow's tongue found his tattoo and began tracing it, running forwards and backwards over it lovingly. He pressed his lips to it as he lifted his arm and ran a thumb over Ichigo's full bottom lip. Ichigo's tongue teased it before sucking it in and he felt Grimmjow's groan against his thigh. He pulled his thumb out and replaced it with his pointer and middle fingers, almost groaning again when Ichigo sucked them in eagerly.
Grimmjow pulled Ichigo's underwear away from him, exposing his cock to the air as he pulled the cloth completely off him. Ichigo sucked in his breath when he felt Grimmjow's hot breath against him and waited for him to do something; anything.
"What are you doing." He asked breathlessly as he looked down to see Grimmjow just looking at his cock. He blushed and bit his lip.
"Yer just gorgeous everywhere aren't you?" He asked as if to himself.
He pressed his fingers back into Ichigo's mouth and took the head of his cock into his own mouth, sucking gently before flicking his tongue against it and lowering his head. He felt his own cock straining but he wasn't going to rush things. Not this time. As he took Ichigo slowly, his head bobbing leisurely as if he had all the time in the world, he pulled his fingers out of Ichigo's mouth and brought them down, cupping his testicles in his palm and placing the slick digits at the twitching entrance. Ichigo moaned and tried to press into him but Grimmjow kept his hand just out of reach. He waited until Ichigo was shaking his head side to side, his body trembling with need, before pressing those fingers passed the tight ring of muscle and slowly burying them inside him as deep as they would go. Ichigo cried out and arched his back, spreading his legs a bit.
"Oh, yes. More. Grimmjow… more."
Grimmjow moaned around the flesh in his mouth and picked up his pace a bit as his fingers began to move, slowly at first before he began to pound into him.
"Yes. Fuck… fuck me. Oh, sh… it!" Ichigo was out of his mind at this point. He wanted Grimmjow cock in him so bad, but he couldn't remember how to form the words to make that request, instead only able to get out eager cries of passion.
It wasn't much longer after that that Ichigo felt the tightening in his belly signaling his impending release.
"I'm… I'm gonna cum." He said breathlessly, his eyes barely open and his skin covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
No sooner had he spoken than he came, a loud grunt accompanying the hot fluid that was suddenly spurting into the back of Grimmjow's throat. Grimmjow pulled back as he swallowed, making Ichigo tremble a bit as the high from his orgasm was still wracking his body. He rose above him, lifting his body so that his lips were pressing kisses against his, demanding this time and he withdrew his fingers and grabbed his own cock, placing it against Ichigo.
"Hey." He said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ichigo looked up at him quizzically and frowned slightly.
"I love you." Grimmjow said, loving that it seemed so easy to say now that he had finally said it, as he slipped inside Ichigo's tight warmth.
Ichigo threw back his head and wrapped his arms tightly around Grimmjow, his toes curling and his heart pounding. Grimmjow waited for him to adjust, spreading kisses over Ichigo's face and neck before he began to slowly rock his hips. Ichigo bowed his back, trying desperately to take as much of Grimmjow in as he could and meet each of his thrusts.
"Grimmjow." He whined, his body undulating beneath his.
Grimmjow's cock brushed against his prostate and he cried out, tightening his hold before letting go completely in favor of gripping the sheets in his fists.
"I want you to feel me. All of me." Grimmjow husked in Ichigo's ear as he moved faster, his hips pistoning his cock shallowly and then deeply inside him. "I don't want you to ever think of anyone but me."
Ichigo reached up and grabbed a handful of Grimmjow's hair, yanking just a little too hard and forcing him to look him in the eyes.
"Same goes for you. You're mine."
The heat in Ichigo's voice made him shudder slightly and he rammed himself deep inside him, his own release on the horizon. He felt Ichigo's erection pressed between them and wrapped his fingers around it, pumping it in time with his increasingly fast thrusts. Ichigo's hand fell back to the bed as he held on, the moans and cries increasing in volume and strength.
"Fuck. Fuck… Grimm. Yes… nggh-ah, shi--fff-mmnah."
Grimmjow would have taken the time to smile if he could have, but Ichigo was tightening around him and he was slowly losing his mind in the heat, the friction; in Ichigo. Ichigo bucked his hips once, twice, before he let out a deep, animalistic cry, his cum spilling against his own belly and chest. Grimmjow groaned and let his head fall to Ichigo's chest as those silken walls closed around him. He couldn't last much longer and when he finally came he sank his teeth into Ichigo's shoulder and let out a loud guttural groan, hips never ceasing in their movement as Ichigo continued to meet each and every one of his thrusts.
They were panting, exhausted, and Grimmjow kissed him, their lips and tongues meeting briefly as they tried to regain their breaths.
"Fuck." Ichigo whispered, his body trembling slightly and his eyes barely able to stay open.
Grimmjow chuckled shakily. "How the hell can you fall asleep after that?" He asked.
Ichigo smiled. "Because you're so good." He said, his eyes no longer able to stay open. "I love you."
"Mmm." Grimmjow nuzzled Ichigo's neck as he pulled out of him and pulled him close. "I love you too."
Ichigo fell asleep with a goofy grin on his face that was mirrored by Grimmjow as he too drifted off.
Nnoitra waited in the car as he watched the blonde woman exit her own car and trot up to the hotel. Since he didn't have anything else to do, Szayel had taken over extracting information from the computer guy, he went back to the task of following the woman. Not many would have guessed it, but he was great at his job, all aspects of it, and he took it very seriously. He narrowed his eye as he jotted down notes with his left hand on a small pad of paper. The woman barely spent an hour at the hotel but usually spent three or more hours at the boat. When she wasn't at either of those she was staying in a nice apartment complex situated between the two points.
He frowned as the woman almost immediately exited the building and slid back into the car, her long stocking clad legs and red pumps disappearing as the door was closed. She was leaving too quick, going out of her routine and Nnoitra started the car, ready to follow at any moment. The car didn't move and his frown turned into a scowl. There was something off about that woman and he just couldn't put his finger on it. He had gotten a name for her, Yuna Ito, but had been unable to find much out about her. She had no criminal record, no work record, but her family wasn't rich or well known. She barely existed as far as Nnoitra was concerned, but something still didn't add up. Something was… off.
He sighed as he watched the car pull away from the curb and waited a moment before following at a distance. She should have been on her way to the docks, but instead she stopped at her apartment and there she stayed for a few hours. Nnoitra groaned and wished he had taken some food along with him. Stakeouts sucked without food. When she finally appeared again, almost four hours later Nnoitra was just about ready to go up there and get her, beat any information out of her he could and then raid her kitchen. As he pulled away from the curb he pulled out his phone and called one of the guys Grimmjow had assigned to him. He wasn't going to be able to do this without some goddamned food in his belly.
Szayel passed the cup of tea over to the panting man and smiled. The last cup of tea had been laced with something that would ensure that he would get straight answers but this one was just regular stuff. The man pulled at his collar and sighed.
"Look I told you everything I know. I don't have the account information, all I have is what's on that computer, which isn't much as far as I know and only has anything to do with your friends company. I was only ever contacted by a private number, and I have no way of contacting the man who asked me to do this."
Szayel sighed. This man was keeping something from him. Something vital, which meant that the spiked drink hadn't done it's job. With a petulant scowl at the table he rose and leaned over, his face close to the nervous man. He hated it when things didn't go as planned.
"I suppose we shall see if you are telling me the truth or not." He said darkly as he pulled a syringe out of his pocket. This, if anything, would get him some answers. The man shook his head and held up his hands weakly, finding his limbs heavy.
"No, please. I told you everything."
Szayel smiled, a manic gleam in his eyes. "And I said we shall see about that."
He grabbed the mans arm and pulled him forward as he uncapped the syringe with his teeth and jammed the needle into his neck, pushing the plunger until all the liquid was gone. He had made sure to come prepared. The man grabbed at his neck as Szayel stood up straight and recapped the needle, turning to leave the room to dispose of it properly.
"Do stay put. We can't have you running around my house all drugged up and hurt yourself, now can we?" He shut the door behind him and left the panting man at the table, sure that he would be obeyed and even if he wasn't there was no way that man would be able to leave once the serum took control.
He smiled to himself and walked confidentially down the hall to wash his hands and dispose of the used syringe.
A/N So I need to again apologize to everyone for making you wait so long for this chapter. I won't sit here and make a bunch of excuses, but I hope that I have made up for the absence with what is written. :D I want to thank Storm for doing another wonderful piece for SBB that everyone simply must go check out. It's a line art that we are both encouraging fans to color and submit. If you do this, please let the both of use know so we can see what you have done and please don't forget to give credit where credit is due. A link to both mine and Storm's DA site can be found on my profile page so please, go check it out :D Thanks so much for reading and being patient with me these last couple of chapters. And thanks again to all those who have faved, alerted and reviewed since last we spoke (I sound so formal, lol. Must be the lack of sleep o.O) So what didja think?!
~Penny