Confessions

Ichigo plopped himself on the couch after the kids had been put to bed and closed his eyes. He had been working longer shifts recently, getting in as much hands on training and experience with surgeries as he could, and had had little time to do much of anything else. Being so tired, he had also been snappish, yelling at Grimmjow over nothing and getting roaring migraines when the kids got too loud. Couple that with the rather abrupt meeting of Karin's boyfriend, a long day at Shinji's party, catching his father making out with Etta in the kitchen and getting to meet Yuzu's new boyfriend, all he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep for three days. What about Shinji? his brain reminded him and he groaned out loud. Yes, and he was thoroughly worried about his best friend as well.

"Yer workin' too hard." Grimmjow said quietly as he sat beside him on the couch.

"Don't have much choice. How else am I supposed to be a competent surgeon if I don't have experience?"

"Yeah, but you being like this will effect your performance. What would you do if you ended up killin' someone because you were too tired before surgery?"

"Don't even joke about that Grimm."

"I'm just sayin', Ichi. You're only twenty five. Slow the fuck down a bit." Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's hand and linked their fingers, something that they had both started doing as a soothing gesture for the other over the years.

"Did you see that punk Yuzu's seeing? God, he worse than the one Karin's seeing." Ichigo complained, remembering the young man's almost neon red spiky hair.

Grimmjow snorted. "You of all people should know better than to judge a book by it's cover."

"Don't start. Let me hate my sisters' boyfriends in peace." he sighed again and let his head fall on Grimmjow's shoulder. "And what the fuck was Nnoitra doing there?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that either. Him and Blondie have been needing to talk for a while now."

"Yeah, but…."

"Ichigo, shut up." Grimmjow said firmly, earning him a pair of narrowed chocolate eyes. "I'm sure he'll call you all about it later. Right now I want you to go take a long hot shower," he stopped and grinned widely. "Then I'll fuck ya to sleep and you can spend the rest of the day tomorrow in bed for all I care. I'll even take the kids out so you can get some peace and quiet."

Ichigo continued to glare. "Why do I feel like you're up to something?"

Grimmjow snorted. "Geez, can't even be nice to the man I love without being suspected of bad things." He did have an ulterior motive but it was a surprise that he wasn't going to let Ichigo in on.

Predictably, at the words of love, Ichigo seemed to melt a little and his glare faded as he sighed and pushed himself off the couch. "Fine." he said at length, stretching his sore back with a groan before heading towards the bedroom.

Grimmjow smirked and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a beer and waiting for the sounds of the shower and bathroom door shutting before pulling out his cell phone. He popped open his can as he waited for the line to connect and half smiled, half grimaced at the overly cheerful voice that greeted him.

"Grimm! So you've decided?"

"Yeah, kinda. I'll need some hands tomorrow so can you and Karin help out?" he asked as he walked back in the living room.

"Of course we can. I still can't believe you're keeping this from onii-chan though. It seems kinda mean."

Grimmjow snorted. "Please. You know him. If I tell him about this he'll obsess about every little detail and it'll never get done right. Besides, he needs some rest. Idiot's working too hard again."

He heard a small sigh and smiled softly. "Onii-chan is too much like daddy when it comes to his job."

At the mention of Ichigo's father, the man still didn't like him, Grimmjow's smirk curled into something a bit more dangerous. "Oh, and one more thing. Ichigo's not to keen on yer new boyfriend so be prepared."

"Well Jinta is a nice boy and onii-chan should know better than to judge before getting to know someone."

He laughed. "That's what I said. Anyway, he's done now so I have to go. I'll call you guys when I'm getting ready to leave tomorrow. And thanks, Yuzu."

"Oh, you know it's no problem. Anything for the happy family."

Grimmjow placed his phone back in his pocket and finished off his beer before checking on the kids one last time. They were sound asleep and he hoped that they would continue to do so through the rest of the night. They had had a rather long day, after all. As plans for the next day swirled through his head he walked deliberately to the bedroom to make sure his favorite strawberry got a pounding that would be sure to keep the neighbors good and jealous for a week.

Nnoitra's eye slowly slid open as he tried to figure out what that weird noise was. Almost like hissing but not quite. As he slowly gathered the bits and pieces of his scattered brain he realized the front of his chest was damp and when he looked down he was confused for a moment. Thin lips titled in a grin when he saw the thick blond hair spread every which way, but the wet and almost hissing sound still confused him. It wasn't until Shinji's shoulders shook slightly at the same time as the noise that it started to make sense. Shinji was crying in his sleep. His grin faltered and he reached up to thread his long fingers through Shinji hair. Shinji sniffled again and buried his face further into Nnoitra's chest, not quite ready to wake just yet. Nnoitra licked his lips and pulled on Shinji's hair, happy when he grunted and his eyes fluttered open. He watched Shinji blink a few times, gather his thoughts a bit, before he shifted and pushed himself up, turning his head and meeting Nnoitra's eye. Nnoitra's hand fell out of Shinji's hair and he reached out, his thumb touching the steady stream of tears coming from the corner of Shinji's right eye.

"Stop it." he said, his voice gruff.

Shinji frowned and wiped at his wet face, slightly ashamed of himself. His dream had been so intense that he didn't realize he had been crying for real. In it Nnoitra had left again, this time telling Shinji that he was such a gullible person. That all he had wanted was a chance to fuck him a few more times before he took off for good this time. That he had lied. That he could never love a stupid blond whore like him.

"Sorry." he whispered, looking away from Nnoitra's intent gaze.

He chuckled. "What's this gettin' all shy shit?" he teased, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.

Shinji rolled his eyes. "I'm not gettin' shy, asshole." he mumbled, shifting his weight so that he was no longer laying practically on top of the larger man.

"Where you goin'?" Nnoitra asked, tightening one arm around Shinji's waist.

"I ain't goin' nowhere. Quit holdin' me so tight." he complained.

Nnoitra grinned. "No."

Shinji frowned. "Let go…."

"I ain't never lettin' go." he husked out, his face suddenly serious. "Not again."

Shinji bit his lip and let his head fall to Nnoitra' chest with a groan. Nnoitra chuckled.

"Yer stuck with me big time now."

"Fuckin' hell." Shinji whined.

Nnoitra almost started laughing when his stomach growled and he grunted, looking backwards at the box of pizza still sitting on the kitchen counter. It would be cold by now but it would still taste good. He licked his lips at the thought of cold pizza and colder beer and hoped he still had some in his tiny ass refrigerator.

"You hungry?" he asked but all he received as a reply was a deep, drawn out sigh.

However, when he moved to sit up Shinji made no attempt to hold him down and Nnoitra went straight for the box, inhaling one slice before taking another out to savor. Shinji sat up in the bed, stretching a little before he looked at the necklace still clenched in his hand. He gave it a small smile and reached up, circling it around his neck and attaching the knot at the back. It hung just barely below the V of his collar bone and he let his fingers brush gently over it, the small smile growing just a bit. Nnoitra watched him as he chewed and smirked.

"Looks good on ya." he said quietly after he swallowed.

"Of course it does." Shinji grinned. "I'm hot. Everythin' looks good on me."

Nnoitra laughed. "Full 'a yerself as ever."

Shinji bit his lip and looked over at the tall naked man eating pizza, his mouth watering for more than one reason. He hadn't eaten much at the party, had been too busy to really, and seeing the pizza was making him hungry. And of course seeing Nnoitra naked and leaning casually against the counter as he chewed had other thoughts raging in his mind. There was still so much that needed to be said, so much he still wanted to know, but he was reluctant to bring it all up again and ruin this mellow mood between them. It was the first time in too long he wanted to just be in the same room as Nnoitra without feeling like he should be ranting or attacking the other man.

"I want to take a shower." Shinji said, earning him a cocked eyebrow.

"Ain't got one here." he pointed out before taking another bite of food.

"I know that stupid. I meant… going back ta my place."

Nnoitra shook his head. "I toldja I ain't lettin' ya leave…."

"I wancha ta come with me." he interrupted.

Both men stared at each other for a moment, an awkward sort of tension filling the space between them. Nnoitra finished off the pizza in hand and titled his head to the side as he licked his lips clean.

"Ya want me ta come with ya? And shower with ya?" he grinned. "And sleep in yer bed with ya?"

Shinji rolled his eyes and huffed out a sigh. "I could just leave and not take ya with me ya know."

Nnoitra smirked. "No ya can't." he said matter-of-factly.

After a short staring contest, Shinji losing just like he always had in the past, he sighed again. "Yes. I wancha ta come with me, shower with me, and sleep with me in my bed. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." he replied with a wide grin.

Shinji stood and walked over to where Nnoitra was standing, reaching for a slice of pizza and tearing a large bite from it. Nnoitra continued to grin at him, briefly washing his hands off in the sink.

"Ya know, fer all yer attitude ya have like no manners when I comes ta eatin'."

"I do to!" Shinji said around a mouthful of food.

Nnoitra chuckled and kissed his cheek. "I ain't complain'. Kinda hot. Prim little bitch with pizza sauce on his chin…."

"There is nothin' on my face." Shinji frowned, wiping his chin nonetheless.

"No. Here." Nnoitra leaned forward and swiped his tongue across Shinji's chin, taking up the little bit of sauce the blond had missed.

Shinji blushed lightly and cleaned his throat. "Whatever."

"Get dressed. I wanna get ya naked and wet."

Shinji snorted and said, "Didn't ya already do that." under his breath.

"Fuck yeah. And I'mma do it again. And again. And again." Nnoitra replied as he pulled on his pants, eager to leave.

The car ride was short and quiet, both of them lost to thought. Nnoitra couldn't believe how good things were going now. If only the bitch had gotten that fight out of his system earlier they could have been at this point weeks ago. Shinji was still struggling with the happiness he was feeling but he was trying not to let it dampen his mood. Every time a flutter was felt in his chest part of him would remind him of how he had felt just days before. Remind him of what he had done to himself, to others, let others do to him, while the man was gone. He didn't think he would get away with not telling Nnoitra about the videos, or the drugs, or all the men he had slept with in his absence but… that could wait until another time. Another part of him told him that he had nothing to be ashamed about. It wasn't as if they had been together during that time so he hadn't been doing anything wrong. He was certain that Nnoitra hadn't spent all that time without sex after all. That would have been… that would have been like thinking that Ichigo had dropped out of med school to become a monk after Grimmjow had said 'I love you'. Very, very, unlikely.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when they arrived at his house and luck was with him when he opened the door to find the house empty. Either Tesla was gone for the night, or he'd be back later. Shinji was just glad that he didn't have to deal with him at the moment. After a long shower, Nnoitra of course wasn't able to keep his hands to himself very long, they entered Shinji bedroom. Shinji was nervous, this being the first time he had ever brought a man into his bedroom that wasn't Tesla or Ichigo, but he tried to hide it by throwing his hair over his shoulder and plopping down on the side of the bed. Nnoitra dropped his towel to the floor and joined him, bending down to kiss Shinji's shoulder.

The bedroom was much bigger than the one at his mother's house, the bed bigger as well. The colors were far more subdued but still decidedly feminine in Nnoitra's mind. Pale golds, greens, and browns decorated the bedding and the curtains while the furniture itself was a pale, naked wood. Even the bed frame, the simple slatted headboard giving Nnoitra many ideas as he eyes looked it over. It seemed sturdy enough for most of those ideas.

"Yer shiverin'." Nnoitra pointed out as he licked Shinji's shoulder.

"I'm cold."

"Mmm. Let's warm ya up then." Nnoitra replied, reaching for Shinji's chin and dipping his head, placing a small almost delicate kiss at the corner of his mouth.

Shinji's breath sucked in and his mouth dropped open at the attention. He didn't think he'd ever get used to nor fully be able to enjoy this sort of gentleness; especially from this man. It did things to his body, made his heart race and his skin turn to gooseflesh. It was almost too good a feeling, so much so that it scared him most of the time.

"Nnoi…."

"Shut up. We had hard sex before. Now I'mma make love to ya, so deal."

Shinji whined when the light kisses continued, across his cheek and down the side of his neck, feathering over his shoulder as a work-rough hand touched lightly at his hip. He closed his eyes and sighed as his head fell back, his own hands coming up to Nnoitra's back and rubbing soothingly. Nnoitra shifted him, moving Shinji so that he could lay him out on the bed and slowly lowered himself over him. His tongue laved over a bony clavicle, down over a sloping sternum, and across an already pebbled nipple. Shinji's back arched and he let out a small moan, one hand fisting in the bedspread and the other threading in Nnoitra's hair. A pink tongue flicked at the corner of his mouth as Nnoitra swirled his tongue around Shinji's navel.

"Nnoi I…."

Nnoitra looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't know how much this bed c'n handle." he whispered, his eyes fluttering as one of Nnoitra's hands glided up over his thigh.

"Huh?" he asked, confused.

"I've… never had sex in this bed b'fore."

"Never?" Nnoitra asked, surprised and even more turned on at the thought.

Shinji shook his head in answer and bit his lip at the look in Nnoitra's eye. He lifted his hand form the bed and reached for the bandana around Nnoitra's eye, not stopping when the larger man flinched.

"Please." he whispered, sliding his fingers underneath it and pulling it gently back and off.

Nnoitra sighed and lowered his head once again, sucking a spot on Shinji's skin just below his navel where a thin trail of hair led to his hardening cock. Pale thighs spread and Nnoitra situated himself between them, kissing and licking his way back up Shinji's body and pressing his own cock eagerly against him. He sucked at a smooth neck, leaving a mark behind before trailing his tongue across the underside of Shinji's jaw, up over his chin and over full lips. Shinji's hands cupped the sides of Nnoitra's face, his breathing heavy and his eyes barely able to stay open. Nnoitra pulled back just barely, looking down at Shinji and licking his lips with a frown full of lust on his face. He bit his lip and sighed to try and catch his breath.

"Nnoi…."

The tiny plea in the voice had Nnoitra moving again, sucking lips into his mouth, pressing bodies closer, grinding hips and drinking down moans as if they could give him life. Shinji's body arched, alive and hot beneath him, and he grabbed his cock, rubbing the head against Shinji's entrance before pressing it against it. His tongue teased Shinji's before he kissed back along his jaw, to his ear. As soon as his blunt teeth latched onto the top of Shinji's ear he pushed inside him as deep as he could, one long thrust drawing a deep groan from the smaller man that seemed to echo back at them. Slow, so very slow. Control was slipping already but he wouldn't give in. One more tug to Shinji's ear and he was back at his mouth, swallowing each one of Shinji's attempts as words. He knew what he was going to say, he'd heard just about everything the blond could ever say in these sorts of moments, and while they turned him on, he didn't want to stop kissing him. He'd waited so fucking long to do this.

He moved, rocking his hips in and out, forward and backward. Shinji was so tight, so soft, so hot inside. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Shinji's.

"Ah, fuck. Shinji…."

"Nnoi… God, please, Nnoi…."

He was kissing him again, hips moving just a bit faster, whines and groans louder and leaking passed sealed lips. Nnoitra got to his knees, taking Shinji's hips with him and he rolled his eyes closed as those long thin thighs wrapped around his waist. Strokes longer, deeper, he buried his face in Shinji's neck, licking, biting, panting.

"Ahhn-ah. Shi… Shinji."

A long fingered hand reached for Shinji's cock, gliding over the velvet skin and bringing a purring moan from the blond.

"What… what wouldja do? If I said it now?" he asked, begging himself not to cum just yet.

Shinji's eyes fluttered open and he swallowed. "Said what?"

Taking his face away from that tempting neck he pulled back enough to look Shinji in the eyes, never ceasing in his movement. Both eyes seemed to search for something before he spoke, his voice straight and rough when he finally did so. He couldn't look at him for long, and lowered his mouth to the one below him, lips barely touching.

"I love you."

Silk walls clamped around him like a vise and Shinji's entire body tensed before he let out a deep moan, his body shaking with his orgasm. Nnoitra stopped moving, bowing his back and going in as deep as he could as he too came.

"Oh… oh Godfuckshit." Shinji nearly screamed before Nnoitra was kissing him again.

All his mind could focus on as he came was that he had said it, again. And it still scared the shit out of him. Still made his chest flutter and his stomach jump just a bit. He couldn't think straight as Nnoitra slowly stopped moving, his kisses softening as he tried to catch his breath. Nnoitra wanted to grab Shinji, hold him tight and make sure he didn't freak out again and run. He couldn't have that again. He was pretty sure he'd do very stupid things if that happened to him twice with the same man.

Instead of running, he cried. He wasn't even sure if they were tears of joy, frustration, hope, or maybe even anger, though he wasn't sure who it would have been directed at, at that point. Nnoitra pulled back and shook his head, licking a tear as it fell down Shinji's cheek.

"I toldja ta stop doin' that." he said huskily.

Shinji sobbed out a giggle and pulled Nnoitra down for another deep kiss. Fuck everything, he thought to himself. Fuck the pain, the anger, the drugs, the sex, the worry, everything. Fuck it.

"I love you too." he said quietly into parted lips, his eyes squeezed tight shut and his body still tingling with what this man could do to him.

Grimmjow walked around the one story building, opening doors and covering every inch of the place with a critical eye. Tomoe, perched on his hip and gnawing gleefully on her own fist, gurgled and slapped him with a gooey hand before shrieking at him.

He sneered a bit and wiped at his face. "You like it too?"

Tomoe wigged in his arms and he barely dodged drool covered fingers from being shoved up his nose.

"Tomo, you do that again and I swear I'll do it back." he said in a low, slightly irritated voice.

"That's gross." Karin said from behind him, Taichi asleep in her arms.

"What?" he asked innocently; or at least as innocently as he could with a wide, shit-eating grin on his face.

"What's gross?" Yuzu asked as she too walked into the room.

"Nothing." Grimmjow said, turning back to the room and smiling. "Well, I think this might just do."

Yuzu smiled widely. "Oh goodie!" Sorin fussed and she handed him a teething ring, silencing him almost immediately.

"Ichi-nii will love it too. It's closer to the hospital and the clinic. And the backyard is huge." Karin said, nodding to the window that showed a wonderfully overgrown garden.

"Yeah, once these guys can walk it'll be hell keepin' them inside." Grimmjow said, shifting Tomoe on his hip and sighing. "This is the one." he said with another wide smile.

He had been looking for some time for a home to raise his children in. Ichigo and he had been talking about it since before the kids were even born but hadn't done anything about it yet. Ichigo's schedule didn't leave him much room for house hunting. Grimmjow had finally given up and started looking on his own, knowing that the reality of the situation was that he was the only one with the money to buy a house anyway. Not that Ichigo didn't deserve a say.

The realtor cleared her throat and smiled at the three turned heads.

"Have we made a decision today, Mr. Jaegerjaques?" she asked hopefully. This was, after all, the twenty third house she had shown the man.

"Yes. I think we have. This one is perfect." he said, laughing when Tomoe put in her two cents in the form of another shriek. "She thinks so too apparently."

The realtor giggled, a part of her saddened that such a handsome man was already taken. It confused her as to which one of these young women was his wife though and even more confused when none of them seemed to be wearing a wedding ring. But, it wasn't her place to ask so she just smiled and handed Grimmjow a stack of paperwork.

"Fax me everything or bring it by my office as soon as you can. There are already a handful of bids on it."

"Fuck them." Grimmjow said, startling the small woman. "Tell me the highest bid so I can outbid 'em. I want this house." he wasn't about to let this one go.

By the time they left the house he was sure he'd get it. His credit was impeccable, he had offered over eight-hundred-fifty-thousand over the highest bid, and he had the cutest children ever. Part of him wasn't sure how that last part would help, but who cared. He was sure that he would be hearing from that realtor very soon.

A/N 'Bout fuckin' time I got this out huh? lol Sorry about the wait and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. More to come soon!

~Penny