Shiro's Birthday
(Part 1 of the mini story between Arc 1 and Arc 2)
"Happy birthday, Shiro," Nnoitra said into the phone.
Shiro had almost let the phone go to voice mail but managed to brace himself enough to answer it. "Thanks," he said simply.
"So, ya got any plans for tonight?" Nnoitra asked.
"I was thinking...that I'd celebrate my new single life," Shiro said, trying to sound cocky.
"Yer what?"
"Don't bother coming by, I won't let ya in," Shiro told Nnoitra.
"Yer dumping me?" Nnoitra voice was even.
"Well, considering ya never really admitted we were dating, I don't know that ya can call it that. But yeah. Bye, Nnoi," Shiro hung up. He sighed and briefly put ran his fingers through his hair. He picked up the phone again. "Ichigo?"
"Hey, happy birthday!" Ichigo said cheerfully. Shiro could hear Grimmjow yelling the same thing in the background.
"Um...so remember that thing we talked about?" Shiro asked.
"You mean...you did it? On your birthday?" Ichigo was shocked.
"I wanted him ta know I was serious," Shiro was fiddling with one of his rings a little nervously. "Do ya think I made a mistake?"
"We already talked about this," Ichigo replied. "He'll probably be coming by here. I'll let you know how it goes."
"Try to keep him away from any drunken floozies," Shiro told his cousin.
"I'll try," Ichigo said.
"What was that?" Grimmjow asked when Ichigo hung up.
"Shiro broke up with Nnoitra...so...he'll either be coming here to bitch or show up late tonight drunk."
"What the fuck?" Grimmjow said. "Shiro is practically obsessed with Nnoitra."
Ichigo just gave a non-committal shrug. They finished eating lunch and started watching TV.
"I don't get it. Most people are home Sunday afternoon, so why do they play such crap?" Grimmjow complained, flipping through stations.
"Hey, my place is dinky compared to yours, but at least I have cable," Ichigo mentioned.
"Heh, yeah, and how many days has it been since you've actually been home?" Grimmjow asked.
"Well, it's not my fault the cops found a meth lab in my apartment complex. You can't complain about my company, you've probably gained ten pounds from my cooking so far," Ichigo said.
"Naw, pretty sure I worked off those calories every night," Grimmjow grinned widely.
"Like you restrain yourself to just nighttime activities," Ichigo laughed.
Grimmjow pulling Ichigo on to his lap. "Since there's nothing on TV..." he said, nuzzling at Ichigo's neck.
Neither of them heard the key at the front door.
Nnoitra didn't say hi, just plopped himself next to them on the couch.
"I have to wonder sometimes why I don't keep a gun under the sofa," Grimmjow groaned, pulling Ichigo's hands out of his pants.
"Ever heard of knocking, asshole?" Ichigo said, reaching over and smacking Nnoitra upside the head.
Nnoitra didn't respond.
"Well, I guess I shouldn't have given him a key," Grimmjow said, feeling a little awkward about his friend's uncharacteristic silence.
All of sudden Nnoitra turned and glared at Ichigo. He grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him close. "You! Ya had ta have known," Nnoitra said angrily.
"Nnoitra, get your fucking hands off of Ichigo," Grimmjow said. If he hadn't already heard about Shiro breaking up with him he would have already launched himself at the man. As it was, he was having his patience tested.
Nnoitra stared down Ichigo for awhile before letting him go. Ichigo wandered into the kitchen and grabbed some sake. He dropped it off in front of the silent pair still sitting on the couch. "I'm going to grab some beer. You guys need anything else?" he asked.
"More sake," Grimmjow said.
"Ya," Nnoitra confirmed.
Ichigo wondered how long he could stay out before they ran out of alcohol and went out on their own. It definitely wasn't something he wanted. He sighed and made his way to the liquor store.
He dropped off the drinks at Grimmjow's and decided to spend some time with Shiro. He knew that after what had happened, Shiro definitely wouldn't be going out that night, even if it was his birthday.
Ichigo came back home...well, his temporary home at Grimmjow's, late in the evening. He cautiously poked his head in, and saw Nnoitra asleep (or passed out) on the couch. He heard the water running the bathroom and decided to wait for Grimmjow in the bedroom.
"How is he doing?" Ichigo asked, his concern for his cousin's situation not diminishing his appreciation for Grimmjow's still moist naked form. He did restrain himself from pulling off his boyfriend's towel, wanting to actually talk.
"Nnoitra's right, you had to have known. So what's up?" Grimmjow said. "I thought the kid was crazy about Nnoitra."
"If I tell you, you have to promise to not say anything, ok?"
Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. "What the hell does that mean?"
Ichigo kept mum.
"Yeah, whatever, I won't tell. What the hell is going on? Did Nnoitra get drunk and cheat on him or something?" Grimmjow asked.
"Do you remember when you and Nnoitra were over here drinking, and I was studying in the next room?"
"Uh...recently?"
"Like last week," Ichigo said.
"Um...sure," Grimmjow lied.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You said that you were surprised that Nnoitra was still with Shiro, considering how long his relationships normally last. Nnoitra said that yeah, it was the longest he'd been with the same person and he was thinking of just leaving Shiro and moving on."
"Ichigo...he was just..."
"So I told Shiro," Ichigo said.
"Damn it, Ichigo," Grimmjow sighed. "Nnoitra has this thing about being tied down. It didn't mean anything. I mean, it's just something he thinks from time to time because that's how it's always been, but it doesn't mean he's actually going to do it. He really likes Shiro; more than anyone I've ever seen him with."
"We know," Ichigo replied.
"We?"
"Shiro and I. We know the deal. We're not stupid."
"Then...why did Shiro break it off?" Grimmjow asked with confusion.
"He figured that if he jumped the gun that maybe Nnoitra wouldn't like it without him. That maybe it would make Nnoitra realize that he really does like Shiro. I mean, from Shiro's perspective, Nnoitra never even liked saying that they were dating or had anything special," Ichigo explained.
"It's stupid to play around with relationships this way," Grimmjow said.
"Shiro thought it was probably the only chance. He figured otherwise Nnoitra would leave, or cheat, or just assume that things had gotten too normal and that he needed to move on."
"Nnoitra is going to kill you if he finds out that you started this," Grimmjow told his boyfriend.
"Well then, you better keep your mouth closed."
"He's all...sad and shit," Grimmjow pointed out. "I don't know how to handle a messed up Nnoitra. I'm surprised he didn't just hit a bar and chase after a couple of skanks."
"Uh, well Shiro told me to try and minimize any skank chasing," Ichigo said.
"Then Shiro shouldn't have fucking broken up with Nnoitra then!"
"Why are you so mad?" Ichigo asked.
"You wouldn't pull this shit on me, would you?" Grimmjow questioned.
Ichigo blinked. "You worried because you think I'll break up with you?"
"That you'll play around with me," Grimmjow said.
"So do you think Nnoitra is out for awhile?"
"Why are you changing the subject?" Grimmjow groused.
"Because I don't want to be interrupted again," Ichigo said, finally giving in and tugging on the towel wrapped around Grimmjow's waist.
Of course this has to happen fucking NOW, Shiro thought to himself, peeping through his blinds towards the street. He picked up his cell phone, but then put it down. He went back to his bedroom and riffled through a drawer before finding a piece of crap plastic flip phone he had bought from some cart at the mall. Shiro entered in his prepaid phone card, activating the phone, and dialed.
"Finally got someone, but it's kinda a bad time," Shiro said into the phone. "Ya, I know. Just...let Nnoi know when it goes down, yeah?"
Shiro looked through his closet, deciding that lounging around in his pajamas for yet another day wasn't the way to go. He got dressed and paused over a particular item. Oh, what the hell, Shiro thought, strapping on the knife and sheath to his leg. I ain't gonna be easy. Besides, might as well get out somma that aggression I'm feelin'.
He walked out the door and down the street, heading in a random direction. He pretended to not hear the feet padding behind him, then ducked into an alley way.
"Looking fer me?" Shiro asked when his pursuer turned down the narrow passage way.
The man began to reach for something, but Shiro didn't let him get at it, punching him in the gut and then slamming his elbow into the side of the man's face. Blood poured for the man's ear as he straightened up. Shiro laughed and then kicked the man in the knee cap, hearing a crunch.
He heard several running footsteps closing in on his position. He took out his knife and prepared himself.
In the end, he got four of them down (well, five, counting the first guy), but got taken out with a blackjack to the back of the head.
"I will hunt down yer family and kill ya all," Nnoitra slurred into the phone.
"Oops, sorry, I don't have a family," Gin said.
"What time is it?" Nnoitra asked, looking around for some sort of clue.
"Evening," Gin clued him in.
"What day?"
"Oh my, have you been having too much fun? It's Monday evening," Gin replied.
"Only?" Nnoitra groaned.
"What the hell do you mean only?" Grimmjow yelled from the kitchen. "You've been here two days! Go home and change at least!"
"Shuddap!" Nnoitra yelled back. "'sides, it's business."
Grimmjow came into the living room.
"What do ya want, boss?" Nnoitra spit out the last word as an insult.
"Well now, don't get too mad at me but...well you see your little boyfriend volunteered to do a little work for me."
Nnoitra was wide awake now. "He ain't my boyfriend. Wasn't before and sure as hell ain't now."
"Well, regardless, there's some people that have been tracking him down as a way to get to you," Gin said. "He was aware of it, and in a kind of random coincidence he and I talked and I recruited him to..."
Nnoitra listened silently...but only long enough for Gin to finish what he was saying. "You...put him in danger...saying it was gonna help me? You...ya fucking dragged him into this shit! Ya let him get nabbed ON PURPOSE?" he was screaming.
"I'm fairly confident we can track him down quickly, but you have to be calm enough to listen to me," Gin said over the phone.
"Fine."
"What's happening?" Ichigo asked as Grimmjow hurriedly put his shoes on.
"Nothing," Nnoitra said.
"Grimmjow tends to not sling a gun across his back for 'nothing'," Ichigo pointed out.
"Shiro is working with Gin to track some drug dealers that have been tracking Nnoitra around. He got taken not too long ago from not far in front of his house," Grimmjow said.
Ichigo's mouth dropped.
"Well, guess ya didn't know about this now, did ya?" Nnoitra stated. "Because if ya fucking let Shiro get taken AND DIDN'T TELL ME, I'm laying ya out cold no matter what Grimmjow says."
"I...had no idea," Ichigo said honestly.
"I don't understand why he would break up with me at the same time as he's puttin' himself in danger fer me," Nnoitra wondered.
"Maybe he knew and wanted you out of the way for a couple of days," Grimmjow said.
Damn Grimmjow is a good liar, Ichigo thought to himself.
"Are you guys leaving me out?" Ichigo said with a frown, realizing that they had planned on leaving without even telling him.
"Fine. Come with if ya want. Be ready in five minutes or we're already be gone," Nnoitra said. "Bring a gun."
"I...don't have any guns," Ichigo admitted.
"What the hell kind of agent are ya anyways?"
"The non-violent kind," Ichigo stated.
"Non-violent my ass," Grimmjow said with a laugh.
"Fine, the non-gun kind," Ichigo said over his shoulder as he went down the hall. "Plus it's not like I brought stuff with me."
"Oh yeah, it's much better to leave all of your gear in the meth apartment."
"Near the meth apartment. It was like...a whole two floors away," Ichigo said from the bedroom.
"Close enough ta boom," Nnoitra making an exploding motion with his hands.
"You aren't going back!" Grimmjow yelled down the hall to Ichigo.
Ichigo came back, now wearing some form fitting jeans and t-shirt. Seeing Nnoitra's glance Ichigo pulled out a small plastic tool.
"What tha fuck is dat?" Nnoitra asked.
"A Predator...well I think they call them Defenders now," Ichigo said, putting it back in his pocket. "Believe me, it's effective."
"Yeah, way more effective than a bullet," Nnoitra complained.
"Shut up and let's go," Ichigo said as he walked out the door.