Planning

A/N: So it's all official now, I'm moving to Los Angeles. West Hollywood to be specific, where I'll be fabulous all damn day (true fact: I'm not as fabulous as I could be). Anyways, moving from the east coast to the west coast isn't an easy task, so things might slow down on the writing front. I imagine once all my things are taken away and being shipped I'll still have plenty of laptop time, it just depends on whether I still have internet access to upload stuff.

Grimmjow answered the door and saw Ichigo standing there. He let him in.

"Ah man, you found some clothes," Grimmjow complained. "I wanted to see the back of the hospital gown."

Ichigo glared at him. He was wearing loose gym shorts and a t-shirt. He had tried pants but it just didn't work with how bandaged up his left thigh was. He sunk into a chair, and Nnoitra and Grimmjow took spots at the edge of the bed.

"Have they been making you sleep together?" Ichigo asked with a small smile, noting the single bed and lack of a couch.

"Yeah, but when we cuddle at night Grimmjow only calls out yer name and it makes me so sad," Nnoitra replied.

"So are you here to actually enlighten us on anything?" Grimmjow asked.

"Actually, yes. Unlike you, this department has to work within the law," Ichigo said. "Getting Gin Ichimaru in to testify against Aizen is part of that. As Assistant Director of Counterintelligence, he has the ability to ask for help from other departments and branches of government if he feels that the Director is overstepping his bounds. Basically Gin is claiming Aizen has got a screw loose, which means that the Intelligence Office can assist with removing him from power while allegations against him are confirmed. One of the other things Gin claims is that you were specifically put at the technical college for him to be able to keep tabs on you, Grimmjow. Aizen has been doing lots of things that can't be completely covered up, and he's been preparing for years to have it all fall onto your shoulders."

"So Gin was just there to make sure that the cops were onto me? Or something more?" Grimmjow asked.

"Both. He had been giving the police some information to keep them interested, but was also spying on you and gathering his own info to add to the pile of whatever case Aizen had been building against you," Ichigo explained.

"You said that Aizen was using Espada for his own hits," Nnoitra said. "I haven't been asked to do anything like that."

"Only certain Espada," Ichigo replied. "Most are like you, unaware, or maybe slightly suspicious but not completely figuring things out. For instance, Szayel never knew that Aizen was plotting against anyone more than Grimmjow. He knew that Espada were being used for more and more things, and more illegal things, but he assumed everyone was in on it. He most likely figured that Grimmjow was being singled out as punishment and didn't think anything of it. I think he was completely shocked when three Espada came to my rescue, and he obviously wasn't aware that Aaroniero would rather kill him than have him alive and possibly giving up information."

"Yeah, he didn't even try to go for any of his weapons," Grimmjow said.

"I would've thought he would've a least tried to dart us with poison or something," Nnoitra agreed.

"How did you know that Gin would help you against Aizen? How did you even know he was involved?" Grimmjow asked.

"I didn't know you guys because you were only referred to by numbers in the files. Gin Ichimaru was mentioned by name. He didn't bother changing it or hiding or anything. I know for a fact that he hates Aizen, so I cautiously brought up some stuff to him and found him eager to work out a deal," Ichigo responded.

"He left you with Szayel," Grimmjow stated.

"Like I said, Szayel wasn't really in on it. Gin told me he just assumed that I was working on getting Szayel to testify just like I was working on him," Ichigo said.

"So, here's the real question,"Grimmjow paused as he looked at Ichigo. "Who are you? Who are you working for?"

"That was two."

"Don't be coy," Grimmjow replied.

"I told you, I'm just some hacktivist punk that wound up with too much information," Ichigo answered.

"Bullshit," Grimmjow said.

"There's gonna be a raid. Ya coming?" Nnoitra asked Ichigo.

"Yes."

"Then yer not just some kid," Nnoitra argued.

"Fine, I'm not just some innocent kid off the street," Ichigo admitted. "But I'm not dangerous to you, in fact I want to help you. Inside I can correctly id people who are on Aizen's side or just mixed up into it for some other reason. Not only that but I've pretty much already convinced the Department of Intelligence to cosponsor the raid, have evidence laid out and already recorded against Aizen, and am doing everything I can to make sure that nothing bad comes down on you two."

Ichigo had been walking around as he was talking. Still sitting on the bed, Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's hips and pulled him towards the bed, so that he was between Grimmjow's legs. Grimmjow looked up at Ichigo. "You're really not going to tell me anything?" Grimmjow asked.

Ichigo played with Grimmjow's hair.

"Don't try to distract me," Grimmjow said.

"No, he's just trying to make me vomit," Nnoitra stated, standing up and walking away from the pair.

"Why didn't you just back off once it became clear that I wasn't just some college kid?" Ichigo asked Grimmjow. "Why did you keep saving me?"

"I admit that at first I went after you because of your looks," Grimmjow said, relaxing into Ichigo's hand as the kid kept running his hands through his hair. "But I liked that you practically hated me."

"That's a funny reason to like someone."

"I liked the fire of it," Grimmjow said. "I like challenge, having to track down prey."

"I am not prey," Ichigo sounded slightly offended.

"Damn tricky, confusing, dangerous prey. The best kind," Grimmjow elaborated.

"That was enough to risk your life, huh?"

"I have to admit, I work mostly on instincts," Grimmjow said. "I usually don't question them, they've saved my life on more than one occasion."

"So, no thought process, just throwing yourself into bullet fire for me?" Ichigo said with a low laugh.

"I think I've become predictable. You make me unpredictable again," Grimmjow replied.

Ichigo pushed Grimmjow prone onto the bed, pressing himself into Grimmjow with a passionate kiss. Grimmjow moaned and wrapped his hands around Ichigo's back.

"I hate you both," Nnoitra groaned, slamming the door to the bathroom closed.

The two on the bed continued kissing, their bodies pressing into each other. Grimmjow ran his hand along Ichigo's ass and pulled Ichigo even closer to him. He heard Ichigo groan in pain and stopped kissing him. "Ichigo, your damn ribs are in pieces right now, you really should be..." Grimmjow's words began to slow as Ichigo's kisses traced along his jawline and down his neck. He reached for Ichigo's hand and touched the cast that was on Ichigo's right arm. It served to draw him back a little and he tried to focus. "Ichigo, I don't want to hurt you," Grimmjow said.

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'carpe diem'?" Ichigo asked.

"In this case, the day will have to wait," Grimmjow said.

"I thought you were aiming for unpredictable?" Ichigo groaned as Grimmjow sat them both up. "Besides, what if something happens at the raid?"

"Nothing is going to happen at the raid. Well, maybe Nnoitra will get shot..." Grimmjow contemplated.

"I heard that!" Nnoitra yelled from the bathroom. He opened the door. "And for the love of all that's holy, wait until after the raid so I don't have to hear ya guys slobber on each other."

"I really don't think you can complain seeing at what you and Shiro do in front of people," Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I heard from him by the way."

"Yeah? They took our phones," Nnoitra said.

"He called me from Kisuke's phone and told me that Kisuke wasn't available to talk to at the moment," Ichigo related. "Any idea why?"

Nnoitra was laughing. Grimmjow explained, "Shiro wanted to come but Kisuke knocked him out with some drug. I'm guessing Shiro got a little revenge."

"Yeah, Kisuke was definitely making muffled cries in the background," Ichigo said. "I told Shiro we were all fine. He said damn well right because he hates getting the blood out of your clothes."

"You make him do your laundry?" Grimmjow asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I suck at it, ok?" Nnoitra tried to defend himself. "And he doesn't do it himself, he has some chick that picks it up. So I just throw my stuff in there."

"So when should we expect the invitation?" Grimmjow asked.

"What?"

"To your wedding," Grimmjow finished, ducking Nnoitra's punch.

The three men walked down the hall towards what Ichigo had jokingly called "the war room".

"Ichi!" came a cry, then someone was hugging Ichigo.

Ichigo stiffened. "Aw, I didn't hurt your ribs, did I?" Gin asked.

"Maybe he just doesn't like a man as creepy as you calling him by a nickname and touching him," Grimmjow said, wondering how the guards escorting them would react to a little fist violence against the fox faced man.

Gin released his grip on Ichigo however and they were led to their seats. The table was wide and long, of a dark wood. Ichigo was seated across from Nnoitra and Grimmjow, and next to Gin, who was playing with Ichigo's hair in way that was causing Grimmjow's blood pressure to go up. Suddenly there was a hand grasping Gin's pulling it off of Ichigo.

"Please refrain from touching him," a familiar voice said.

"Professor Kuchiki?" Grimmjow blurted out.

Byakuya Kuchiki looked over at him and gave him a small nod. "I of course don't use my real first name at the school, but it shouldn't surprise you that I'm there. Our school is the number one technical school in the country, ripe with lots of young talent to recruit from."

"Still, aren't you a little high up to be doing something like recruiting? I mean...you have to be high ranked to be here, right?"

"I'm head of the Information Operations Center Analysis. Teaching is a relaxing distraction from what I am usually doing. I thought I'd teach for these couple of years since my sister would be at the school," Byakuya explained. "Also, I am very good at getting new faces into the department." He looked over at Grimmjow. "In fact, there are several in your class that I have been approaching."

"Let me guess, the droopy blond, Mr. 69, and Big Red," Grimmjow groaned.

"I imagine that's who I am talking about," Byakuya didn't seem that amused by Grimmjow's nicknames.

"Plus, he was supposed to keep an eye on me," Gin mentioned.

"It's not as though you were being discrete," Byakuya mentioned.

"You're trying to recruit Kira, Shuuhei, and Renji?" Ichigo asked.

"Renji Abarai seemed hardest to communicate with," Byakuya said to Ichigo. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Er...well I mean, he knows that you're Rukia's brother...and that you dated me...so he pretty much thought you were hitting on him," Ichigo explained. "I mean, you told him you had something he might be interested in and then tried to set up dinner plans with him."

"Oh," Byakuya said, thinking back to the words he had used. "I suppose I could see that. He does blush a lot when I speak to him."

"You...dated...Ichigo?" Grimmjow was a little shocked.

"Ichigo, you seriously are attracting a weird bunch," Shunsui said, taking a seat. "I can show you what you're doing wrong if you want me to."

"I hope I'm not included in that sentiment," Byakuya stated irritated both in that he'd been called "weird" and that he'd been compared to Gin and Grimmjow.

"And I'm just doing it to annoy Grimmjow," Gin admitted.

"Well, then, if it's just the Espada, then yes, the offer still stands," Shunsui said.

Grimmjow tried to glare at the man but Shunsui just smirked back at him.

The plan was fairly simple now that the legalities had been taken care of. Gin would be leading a small group of counterintelligence men, headed by Nnoitra and Grimmjow. Byakuya would also be leading a small group. Ichigo would be going as intel but staying out of any firefight. Once the logistics got worked out, everyone stretched their legs and hid their yawns and filed out.

Grimmjow hung back, and Nnoitra with him. Grimmjow was happy to see that Byakuya was one of the last people to leave. "Hey," he spoke to the man.

"What do you want?" Byakuya asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Ichigo apprehended me breaking and entering his place once, and he locked me up using several pairs of handcuffs. He told me that the reason he had them around was because one of his previous boyfriends was kinky and into it. I don't suppose you're that boyfriend, are you?" Grimmjow asked with a wide grin. No matter what he was expecting to get a big reaction from the man. His smile began to slip when Byakuya didn't seem to react at all.

Finally Byakuya turned towards Grimmjow. "I suppose that means you haven't had the chance to find out that he really enjoys being tied up. He likes being restrained, and he loves being forced to beg." With that he left the room.

Whatever Grimmjow had been expecting, it hadn't been that. Instead of pissing him off, which is what he imagined the black haired man was going for, it really...he could just see Ichigo underneath him, handcuffed to the bed with his hands above his head, a slight sheen of sweat across his chest. "Please, Grimmjow...Please..."

"Like I need to fucking watch ya get turned on," Nnoitra said, shoving Grimmjow, breaking him out of his daydream.

"It's just my gift to you," Grimmjow replied cockily. "So that you can bask in my magnificence."

"Ya have always sucked at giving gifts."

A/N: Next chapter the raid, Aizen, more Espada!