I don't own Bleach or it's characters. This is a work of fiction and I make no monetary gains. Hellooooooooooo, my lovies! I'm so incredibly sorry for having kept you waiting so long for an update. I swear this story isn't going by the wayside. RL gets in the way sometimes, and a lot has been happening to me! I am hired as a teacher for students with Emotional Impairments for the next school year, but the kicker is I will not know what grade or school until August! Crazy! I graduate college in 3 weeks! It's finally happening! I feel like I've been in school my whole life, seriously. Thank you to all of you for your understanding and support. GrimmxIchi is a dying ship I feel like, so I'm going to keep it alive as long as I can! I re-vamped this chapter, because I didn't like how I left it off at the end. Enjoy!
Chapter 5
Ichigo looked up from his projector when Grimmjow appeared, his strong stature filling the entire doorway. Jinta was with him, looking at the ground with a slight frown but looking to Ichigo's eyes calmer than he'd ever seen the boy. He caught Grimmjow's eyes and tried to convey with his own the gratitude he felt for what Grimmjow had done for his student, and his respect.
When Ichigo's eyes met his with that look, Grimmjow suddenly forgot how to breathe. Ichigo's eyes were warm and radiating emotion that he wasn't used to being reflected at him by others. Grimmjow's analytical orbs noted the way Ichigo's eyes would darken from a warm honey color to a melted caramel when he happy. That information got filed away in a suddenly large compartment in his brain labeled 'Kurosaki'. A tingling of pride in his chest red flagged the file; Grimmjow wanted Ichigo to always look at him like that. Why, he couldn't pin point that, but Ichigo's respect and opinion of him mattered greatly to Grimmjow even though they barely knew each other.
All of this was going on in a matter of milliseconds in Grimmjow's mind, and outwardly he just grinned as Ichigo called for the class to welcome Jinta back, and a chorus of seven voices rang out in greetings. Jinta shuffled to his desk, but Grimmjow noted a small quirk in the corner of his mouth that was a beginning of a smile. Ichigo instructed them to continue working on their timeline while he talked with Coach Jagerjaquez.
Ichigo met him just outside the door, leaving it cracked just enough that he could hear what was going on and positioning himself so he could monitor his students through the small rectangular window in the door. He turned to Grimmjow eagerly, his movement causing Grimmjow to catch a whiff of his cologne, something that was an homage to sandalwood, creamy and smoky with a twist of cocoa. Completely fitting, Grimmjow thought.
"So, what happened?" Ichigo queried, his voice a hushed whisper.
Grimmjow made his tone match Ichigo's.
"I found him hiding behind a dumpster in the staff parking lot. Thank Kami I went out to get some things on my lunch time, or that kiddo might've frozen to death."
Ichigo raked a hand through his hair in distress, and Grimmjow tried not to focus on how the shorter male absentmindedly sucked in his plump lower lip and worried it with his teeth. While Ichigo's eyes scanned his class, lingering on Jinta working diligently, Grimmjow went to war with himself.
Get a grip, dumb fuck.
Grimmjow's eyes caught the band on Ichigo's hand, the same band he spotted even before he shook Ichigo's hand at the interview. He was painfully aware Ichigo was very far removed from the market, and blamed his temporary insanity on the very long and embarrassing sexual dry spell he was in.
That's not an excuse to ogle your co-worker. Your very married, with a family, co-worker. Be better than that.
Ichigo's eyes were on him again, waiting expectantly for the rest of the story.
"I just got him to come in and organize my desk for me. And that's something he's insanely talented at. He told me he needs order, things have to follow rules and order or it's like a thousand bees in his head and an unbearable itching beneath his skin."
Ichigo's eyes went round with disbelief.
"He said that?"
"He did. All the while he was telling me this, he was trying to rip the skin off his arms through his sweatshirt. Almost as if he was punishing himself. And something else, I noticed him be very tense and on guard when he moved around me during the time he thought he was in trouble. You might want to keep an eye on that."
"Cheese and rice," Ichigo groaned, his concern for his student soaring to unprecedented heights. He looked up to see Grimmjow looking at him funny with an eyebrow arched in amusement.
"What?" asked Ichigo, and then he flushed with pink when he realized why the Coach was now grinning at him.
"Little ears at home, so you know, child-proof swear words," he explained, nonchalantly scratching the back of his neck and trying to will away the blush he could feel heating his cheeks.
"No judgement here, I just haven't heard that one before," commented Grimmjow. His face slid back into serious mode.
"Autistic?"
"Afraid so," admitted Ichigo, impressed Grimmjow seemed to know his stuff.
"Well, I exercised with him a bit, and it really seemed to even him out, in my opinion," Grimmjow shared. "He's amazing at being able to pick things up immediately by observation. He matched my running form as if he was a trained Olympian."
"Not surprising," Ichigo commented, "I have yet to find an assessment that he hasn't aced. He's in sixth grade but I'm roughly estimating him to be around tenth grade material. He's gifted. Boredom with material might be some of his reasons for landing in here."
"Could be. He also made a comment about me not sending him straight to the principal. Not to tell you how to do your job, but as far as consequences go, I'd try to avoid sending him there unnecessarily."
Ichigo nodded and let out a sigh. His face brightened soon after, and he clapped a warm hand on Grimmjow's shoulder and gave a slight squeeze.
"Thanks, Jagerjaquez. It's only your first day and you've already been an amazing help. I'll see you afterschool in the gym, my sister is going to take my daughter for the night."
"Ok," was Grimmjow's eloquent reply, and he mentally face palmed at his idiocy. Ichigo just tossed a lopsided grin at him and slipped back through his door, leaving Grimmjow to haul ass back to the gym before his next class got there.
Cheese and rice indeed.
Ichigo's Converse squeaked across the gym floor and brought him to Jagerjaquez's office to loiter in the doorway. Grimmjow was hunched over in his chair, tightly lacing his black leather motorcycle boots. Sometime in between the last bell and now Grimmjow managed to change out of his athletic wear and into a dark washed pair of skinny jeans, a deep navy thermal that stretched tight across the expanse of muscles in Grimmjow's chest, and topped it off with his woolen gray pea coat and matching beanie hiding his shock of blue hair.
Grimmjow's handsomeness reminded him of his own husband's gorgeous features and made him painfully aware of how he was pining for Renji. He'd sent multiple texts throughout the day to Renji's phone yet got no reply. He knew Renji was incredibly busy, but it hurt his heart to think that Renji might not even be thinking of him at all if he wasn't even worth a quick kissy emoji in reply.
Grimmjow stood up and Ichigo smirked deviously.
"I was looking for the coach. You haven't seen him, have you? He looks exactly like you but dressed in more comfortable attire."
Grimmjow shot him an affronted look.
"My clothes are comfortable, thank you, I just didn't want to go downtown shopping in gym clothes, so I brought a change of clothes with me."
Ichigo's smirk widened.
"Ooo, Grimmjow, you didn't have to dress up to go shopping for basketballs," he said, his voice syrupy with laughter.
Grimmjow scowled.
"Your just jealous that I look better than you."
"Tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night, Jagerjaquez," Ichigo quipped, shifting his black messenger bag to a more comfortable position on his left shoulder. "You ready to go? It's a long train ride."
"Keep your pants on, I'm coming," Grimmjow grumbled, grabbing his duffel bag and following his mentor out of the gym and into the cold afternoon.
"So, tell me more about yourself. We can use this time to get to know each other better," Ichigo suggested, standing so he was facing Grimmjow as they both gripped the steel triangular handrails hanging from the ceiling in the subway car.
"I'm an open book, Kurosaki, whatcha want to know?" Grimmjow replied with a wide grin that flashed insanely white, perfect teeth.
"We'll start with blue pill material, you know, the usual stuff. Past times, favorites, blah blah."
"Alright, well, in case you haven't guessed, I'm a work-out fanatic. I'm on a strict HIIT workout regimen. Never skip a day. You look like you stay in shape too," Grimmjow commented, but being really careful with his gaze when he looked at Ichigo to gauge his reaction. He really wasn't meaning it to sound like he was hitting on him.
He was pleased when Ichigo flushed a little out of embarrassment. Kurosaki's modesty was endearing.
"Yeah, I try to get a run in every morning. I strength train too, but I'm not on any serious regimen like you, because I'm not a masochist."
Grimmjow chuckled at that, and Ichigo grinned back.
"I am, however, a Godan in Kendo. We have a family owned dojo in Karakura Town that I try to get to about 2-3 times a week. I spar with my old man and my uncle, and sometimes my little sister Karen."
"That's badass, Kurosaki. I'd love to see that sometime. I learned professional boxing when I was younger, never competed or anything, but I had trainers."
"Hey, you're welcome anytime. Any of us would be glad to teach you some basics."
Grimmjow arched a brow.
"You just mean you want to inconspicuously drop my ass on a mat."
Ichigo gave an insolent grin.
"You backing down from a challenge, Jagerjaquez? It's ok if you're scared."
"You are on, strawberry boy, you just tell me the time and place."
Ichigo bristled.
"Oh, you are so dead. I'm going to wipe the floor with you for calling me that."
Grimmjow's grin grew a little manic.
"Touched a nerve huh?"
"Don't apologize now. I need that fuel to kick your giant ass down a few notches."
They both smirked at each other, the bonds of friendship starting to weave together.
Ichigo followed hot on Grimmjow's heels through the shopping district of Seireitei as they weaved around the crowds of people swarming around. They were headed to the mall to Imperial Sports, the largest sporting goods chain in the area. Ichigo had asked Grimmjow why he didn't just order things online.
"Cuz, Berry-boy, these kids deserve the best. You can't know what you are really getting until you see it with your eyes and touch it with your own hands. Sort of like a try it before you buy it type of thing. Also, since I'm funding this, I want to make sure I'm getting the best bang for my buck and getting these kids' stuff that is going to hold up for a few years."
Ichigo couldn't even be mad about his new nick-name with an answer that honest.
The mall was teeming with shoppers trying to get a jump on the holiday season. It was fun to see all the pretty decorations hung throughout the shopping center. Large "snow globes" in red and gold colors hung from the ceiling in the mall's atrium, each with its own theme inside. Twinkling lights and trees uniquely adorned put Ichigo in a cheerful mood. He even hummed along to the Christmas tune playing in the elevator, ignoring Grimmjow's amused smirk.
When they entered Imperial Sports, Grimmjow marched straight up to the service desk. The teenaged girl working the counter nearly swooned when Grimmjow leaned against the counter and hit her full force with his eyes and charm.
"Hey there, Miss, I don't mean to be a bother. I know it's holiday season and all you employees are working harder than ever, really, they should give you a raise."
The girl giggled, a light blush smattering across her cheeks.
"What can I help you with, sir?"
"Well, see, the thing is, I'm here to do some massive shopping. I kind of need an employee that can show me where everything is and keep a running list of what I want and the quantity I need. Would that be a problem?"
"No sir! Give me a moment, I'll find someone right away!"
Like that, she was off into the back room, Ichigo could see her with a walkie talkie and gesturing wildly while she talked. Grimmjow had the nerve to smirk at Ichigo, who rolled his eyes.
"That's criminal, Grimmjow."
His grin only widened.
"What's the use of having these good looks if I can't put them to use?"
Ichigo snorted.
"With great power comes great responsibility," Ichigo quoted impishly.
"Ok, Uncle Ben," Grimmjow said with chuckle.
Ichigo stuck his tongue out Grimmjow instead of flicking him off. They were in public with families around.
The girl came back out to tell Grimmjow someone was on their way to help them. He thanked her, all syrupy smooth, and the poor girl's blush got worse. Ichigo just shook his head and crammed his hands into his pockets while they waited off to the side of the counter.
The wait was short as they were approached by a short, middle-aged male. He was wearing the red jersey like shirt that said Imperial stretched over a slight paunch and tucked into black pants. He wore a keycard badge that read assistant manager. He introduced himself to Grimmjow and Ichigo as Shoda.
Grimmjow stood to his full height and the man stepped back a little. Ichigo couldn't blame him; he and Grimmjow probably were like giants to him. He couldn't be more than 5'4" at best. Grimmjow threw a "Happy Holidays" and a winning smile to the girl at the counter before turning and narrowing his gaze on the assistant manager. Ichigo watched the girl steady herself against the counter, looking as though she'd faint. Grimmjow clapping his hands together snapped his attention back to the task at hand.
"Right, first off, let's start with tumbling mats."
"Of course, sir," Shoda said, bowing quickly and gesturing them to follow him. He led them to the left side of the store, passing through the men's athletic wear, the weight lifting equipment, to a back wall full of mats. Shoda began talking about the different brands the store carried and which were the best sellers. Ichigo wasn't sure Grimmjow was even listening; his eyes were raking over the selection and he walked over and grabbed one off the shelf, dropping it to the floor.
He bent and began unlacing his boots.
"Take your shoes off, Berry-boy. I want your opinion on these mats too."
Shoda looked at them like they grew two heads, spluttering a bit while Grimmjow climbed on the mat and walked across it, then jumped up and down.
"Come on," he gestured to Ichigo, who reluctantly climbed on. He was pleasantly surprised to find the mats were thick and well made, with just the right amount of give to them. He let loose a jump to see how it would be landing. He found the landing to be perfect.
"Hey, Berry, take me down on this thing real quick," Grimmjow said, while Shoda took a few steps back from them and began to look very nervous.
"What?" Ichigo asked disbelievingly.
"Well, I gotta know how it's going to feel when the kids authentically fall on these things. Since it's my experiment, I didn't think it fair to knock you on your ass."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he scowled, tearing off his messenger bag and sitting it down carefully.
"Just remember you asked for this," Ichigo warned.
Grimmjow just grinned and Shoda began biting his nails.
"Right arm out like you're going to deflect a punch," Ichigo instructed, shedding his coat and dropping it on his bag. Grimmjow did as he was told while Ichigo bent down and stretched a ten count to his toes. He came up and did a few shoulder rolls, and then swung his arms in and out from his body, stretching his shoulders, back and chest. A couple of neck rolls, and then he paused long enough to smirk at Grimmjow before charging toward him.
Ichigo snatched Grimmjow's right wrist in his right hand, quickly ducking and turning while using his other hand to grab Grimmjow's left arm. His hand slid down quickly to secure Grimmjow's left wrist and now that he was twisted around, Grimmjow's arms made an X shape across Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo used the momentum of his spin to bend forward and hoist all 200 pounds of Grimmjow up off his feet and flying over Ichigo's shoulder to be slammed on his back and ass into the mat. The smack it made echoed through the aisle.
Shoda whimpered and Ichigo grinned down into Grimmjow's shocked face.
"Fuck! I didn't think you had it in you, Berry," Grimmjow groaned, pushing himself up into sitting position and taking Ichigo's offered hand to get back up on his feet.
"I told you, you asked for it. Kendo isn't the only thing I'm trained in," Ichigo said, going to gather his things from the ground.
"You are chock-full of surprises, aren't ya, Berry-boy?"
"You done testing that mat? I can show you more," Ichigo replied haughtily, shrugging back into his coat.
That manic sort of smirk came back on Grimmjow's face.
"I'll take a rain check on that, Berry-boy. I'll take 20 of these," he said turning to Shoda, who seemed to pale about 2 shades. The man quickly pulled a small scanning device from his pocket and scanned the bar code of that mat Grimmjow selected and punched in the quantity. He nodded to Grimmjow that it was done.
"Great! Now let's see the basketballs, please," Grimmjow said, hoisting the mat back onto the shelf. They followed as Shoda scampered off, seemingly in a hurry to get them out of the store before they broke something or each other.
Two and a half hours later, Ichigo was sure Grimmjow purchased enough stuff to fill an entire delivery truck. He was way too polite to ask how much money Grimmjow just dropped in there, but he was roughly estimating it was an easy 20K. Grimmjow didn't even bat a lash, signing off on the paper work for the billing and delivery like he was bored. He thrust the clip board and pen back into Shoda's trembling hands and caught Ichigo's eye.
"I'm starving. You want to grab something, or do you need to get home?"
Ichigo shook his head.
"My sister is keeping my daughter overnight. I'm free for a while."
"Excellent! I know this restaurant that has the most delicious Tsukune. Let's go!"
They took the train to the district that was next to Karakura, and Grimmjow all but dragged Ichigo by his coat sleeve to this cozy little restaurant on a quaint side street. Grimmjow took them to a dimly lit back corner where a table for two sat, two pristine white plates with tented red cloth napkins sitting at the ready. A stoic middle-aged waitress bustled over with hot green tea and white porcelain cups and then away again so they could decide from the menu on the center of the table.
The aromas in the restaurant tantalized Ichigo's senses. His stomach made an embarrassing grumble and he realized it had been a long time since he'd eaten. His half-eaten lunch had lay forgotten this afternoon with what had happened with Jinta. He eyed the menu.
"What's good here?" he asked Grimmjow, who had stripped off his jacket and his woolen beanie and was tousling his cotton candy locks with one hand.
"I swear by the Tsukune. I kid you not, Berry-boy, it's the best in the land."
"I'll trust you then, that's what I want."
Grimmjow's grin came easily and he signaled the waitress, putting in their order while Ichigo removed his coat and pulled his phone from his pocket.
"I'm just going to check in on my daughter," Ichigo said. He hated it when people were on their phones during meals and didn't want Grimmjow to think he was being rude.
"Sure," Grimmjow said, and poured tea for the both of them.
Ichigo fired off a quick text to Yuzu and then another to Renji, who had been silent all day. Ichigo tried to ignore the prickling hurt that scraped through his chest, using Yuzu's quick reply to distract him. She sent a selfie of herself and Nel playing doctor with stuffed animals and Ichigo's aching heart swelled with love.
Grimmjow was happy to watch Ichigo's frown melt into a gentle smile that softened his features and made him look so young.
"So how old?" he asked.
"Two and half," answered Ichigo, looking up.
"Well, come on, show me a picture," Grimmjow encouraged and Ichigo grinned, flicking through his phone to his favorite picture of Nel. He handed Grimmjow his phone when he found it.
"That's my Nel," he said, voice laced with pride.
Grimmjow looked at the picture and couldn't help the wide smile that broke out over his face. The little girl had a mop of wavy, sea-foam green hair and giant hazel eyes. She had her arms wrapped tightly around what looked to be a giant sized Chappy bunny and had giant smile.
"She's utterly adorable. She must get that from her mother, she doesn't look a thing like you," Grimmjow said with a smirk, passing the phone back.
Ichigo chuckled.
"Yeah, she must get it from her mother. I wouldn't know. We adopted Nel out of the foster care system. I never met her paternal parents."
"Oh wow, that's amazing Ichigo," Grimmjow said, giving Ichigo an appraising look. "You are kind of young, I would have never guessed adoption."
"Well, it's the only way my partner and I were ever going to have a child," Ichigo said, putting it out there and then taking a sip from his tea, watching Grimmjow surreptitiously from beneath his lashes. He caught no signs of homophobia and Grimmjow just continued like someone he hardly knew just told him he was gay. That was…good.
"That's awesome, Ichigo. She sure is a lucky little lady. There's lots of kids left out in Hueco that need loving, good homes. What does your husband do?"
"Renji is the Vice President of the video game development department at Kuchiki Industries."
Grimmjow whistled, impressed.
"It's what he loves, and he's absolutely phenomenal at it," Ichigo said, keeping his voice light despite the pull in his chest.
He was saved by the arrival of the food; the waitress deposited two steaming pots and pairs of chop sticks before bowing and scurrying off. It looked delicious and smelled even better. He moved aside the napkin and unwrapped a pair of smooth wooden chop sticks, serving himself some of the meatballs on his plate.
Grimmjow was watching him, his brow arched with interest while Ichigo picked up a meatball, blew on it to cool it, and popped it in his mouth. Ichigo's eyes fluttered closed as the flavors burst across his taste buds, a low, delighted groan seeping out as he chewed. His eyes snapped open to find Grimmjow's when he swallowed.
"You were not kidding, Grimmjow, these are utterly fantastic. Never tell my sister, because she's really the best cook I know, but I've never tasted anything like this."
Grimmjow straightened in his chair with mock arrogance.
"You don't know this about me yet, Berry-boy, but I have great taste and my ideas are always the best."
Ichigo didn't even argue, just happily continued to stuff his face. Grimmjow followed suit, doing his best to ignore the way Ichigo's small, happy noises over the food were prickling over his senses and sending tendrils of heat through him. When they had eaten enough to feel like they weren't dying of starvation, conversation easily picked up where it left off on the subway ride. Grimmjow was telling Ichigo how he and his friends played basketball like fiends as kids and how he never dropped the habit, inviting him to come play sometime at the rec center.
"Yeah, it sounds like fun! I can't promise I'll be great at all; it's been some years since I played basketball," Ichigo admitted sheepishly, leaning back in his seat with a satisfied air, his stomach too full to possibly eat another bite.
Grimmjow was about to make a witty retort when Ichigo's phone vibrated on the table. Before Ichigo could grab it, the device vibrated a few more times, the screen lighting up as Ichigo received a barrage of text messages. Ichigo's face lit up when he saw who it was from.
"It's Renji. I haven't heard from him all day," Ichigo said apologetically, cradling his phone in his palms as it continued to vibrate with text alerts.
"No, go ahead," Grimmjow assured, careful to keep his tone light and tamping down the strong wave of disappointment that the night was over. Ichigo's smile of gratitude washed over him, warming him like rays of springtime sun, and he smirked back hopelessly, gesturing to the waitress for the check while Ichigo turned his attentions back to his screen.
The waitress appeared quickly with the bill and Grimmjow deftly slipped her his credit card. She was gone again by the time Ichigo looked up. He began reaching for his wallet, but Grimmjow tutted in disapproval.
"No way, Berry-boy. This one is on me," Grimmjow insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.
That warm smile was back again on Ichigo's face, and Grimmjow was unnerved to realize that he was doing everything he could to get that smile directed at him. He busied himself with putting on his coat, mentally berating himself for being a stupid idiot who couldn't keep himself together for two seconds all because of some guy's smile. What even was his life right now?
Ichigo finished bundling himself up while Grimmjow received his card back and exchanged pleasantries with their waitress. Renji had shared with him great news; he had been in meetings and conference calls all day because they had finalized the game and were preparing its launch. It was a pivotal time to launch a new video game, with the Thanksgiving holiday just a few weeks away and Christmas looming around the corner. Careful planning would boost what looked to be an already handsomely large figure in sales, according to Renji.
Ichigo barely registered the cold as he trailed alongside Grimmjow to the train station. He had already typed out his congratulations and explained that Nel was staying at Yuzu's for the night, asking if Renji wanted to Netflix and chill when he got home with a suggestive winky face emoji. He pocketed his phone as their feet crunched over salt and snow, their legs making quick work of the short walk to station.
"Everything ok?" Grimmjow asked, giving Ichigo a sidelong glance.
"Yeah, I guess they are finally ready to launch the game they've been developing, so Renji has been incredibly busy being tied up with everything that goes with that. It's his first launch, so I guess neither one of us know what to expect but it's a really big deal," Ichigo explained, unable to keep the relief from bleeding into his tone.
Grimmjow picked up on it, but for once wisely stopped his mouth from commenting on it. It was not his business to get into Ichigo's affairs with his husband's job. If Ichigo wanted to talk to him about it, that was one thing, but he wasn't going to exploit what he was beginning to realize was a sore spot for Ichigo.
"Well, that's really somethin,' to see hard work come to fruition. It will be an excitin' time for you guys," Grimmjow answered with all the happiness he could muster.
"Yeah, it will be," Ichigo replied with a grin as they walked into the station.
"Well, thanks for shopping and hangin' out with me. Guess we better get home and rest up for tomorrow."
"Anytime, Grimmjow. It was fun; thank you for a wonderful evening," Ichigo replied, his voice warm with genuine happiness.
"Well, my train will be leavin'. See ya' tomorrow; sleep well, Berry-boy."
Grimmjow smirked when Ichigo stuck his tongue out childishly. He turned to board his train, keeping up a constant stream of don't look back. He found a secluded place to sit once in the car and put his face in his hands, scrubbing down his face harshly.
I'm such a fucking idiot.
End chapter. Uh-oh. Grimmjow's been struck by an arrow of loooooove. Naughty boy. Ichigo is married! . Comments and reviews are always appreciated! 3