"Took you long enough." My dad stated, for once calm as he smirked as us. Shiro rolled his eyes.
"Come on old man, you're getting too old for this shit. Get yer fat ass to bed, ya idiot." I snickered, along with shiro as our dad gawked at us. He then smiled and opened the door for us.
"come on kids, I got something to talk to you about."
XXX
"I need you to leave."
As soon as Ichigo heard those words come out of his mouth, Ichigo couldn't help but stand there, awe-struck. L- leave? Why? Did he do somethign wrong? Did his Dad find out his affilations? And if he did...what would he do?
"I knew about it all along." Issin said, his serious voice penetrating the silence placed. Hichigo, who knew this already, looked to the side, not bothering to explain anything to his brother. The albino, who was still healing, looked back at his father. They exchanged a look. "But, recently there has been a gang realese, which was told to me by a friend. Aizen Sosuke. And he is out to kill you."
Still frozen in shock, Ichigo eventually turned his head to his brother, a completly serious look taking over his face. Hichigo nodded solemly. "He want's us to move and get a body-guard. Stark, being a close friend to Issin's friend, Urahura Kisuke, chose someone. Of equal, well a bit, less, maybe, but of around the same skill." Hichigo didn't know who it was, either, but fuck he wanted to find out. He needed to know who was gonna protect them if push come's to shove. Mostly for Ichi. God knows he doesn't really need protection, but he guessed it was for something like nerves more than anything.
"W-what?" the orangette asked breathlessly as he stood ridged.
"Everything is packed, son. If you stay here any longer...we're afraid you won't last long."
"What about...what about Yuzu and Karin?" he asked quickly. Surely they would know if he suddenly disappeared.
Issin smirked ruefully. "They think your moving in with your boyfriend."
Ichigo gasped, heat already coming to his face despite the serious situation. the other two couldn't help but crack a smile. No matter what, Ichigo was always so shy on that subject. He's often teased for it, too. Asses. "DAD!"
With a cough, Hichigo turned the attention to him. "Since our shit is packed, we need to head out. Where's our guard?" he stated out, as if mocking. He already didn't like the idea of a guard. But, he also thought it was nessissary.
"Here. Dipshit."
Ichigo, who froze at the voice, and Hichigo, who turned with a glare to the intruder, were both shocked at the person who stood behind them with a cocky smirk on his facial features. Once again, everything looked fake on his face - all but his eyes. Those cobalt blue eye's, that pierced both of their own twin eyes with a penetrating look, all of which sent shivers down the orangette's body. Hichigo rolled his eye's once he recognized the face, but nodded at him solomley. He didn't give a smart-alec comment back.
The bluenette nodded back.
Ichigo looked between the two, before sighing heavily. He already knew this was going to be a hefty ride. For one, they (including Ichigo) were all stubborn bastards, and for two, they would never get anythign done when it wasn't a serious matter. But Ichigo didn't exactly mind right then. The fact that Grimmjow was there, however, made the orangette almost want to pass out and rejoice at the same time. His life was placed in good hands - no shit - but, the problem was, he would end up being too destracted looking at Grimmjow fight from now on he wouldn't be able to focus on his own. Not like it mattered.
"Holy shit old man, what type of strings didja pull with Stark to let this one go?" Hichigo said, accusation clear in his voice. Issin only smiled.
"Good one's. Now go you two, and please, don't die on the family."
"Geeze, way to put the presure on us." Ichigo rose an eyebrow as his father, but nodded in understanding. He wasn't going to die, and he wouldn't let Grimmjow or Hichigo die either. On his own life.
XXX
A state and a half away, back at the hotel in which the three were staying, Ichigo exhaled. he was laying down on his bed, listening to Breaking Benjamin's I Will Not Bow single, the loud music in his ears not seizing to hurt his drums. It helped releave the stress more, or at least, he thought so. And he had plenty of stress he had to let go.
He stared at the ceiling. The ride to this new state was fun, but also kind of awkward. Hichigo was aware of the orangette's obsession with the other, and had labeled it liking the other. Before they left, he would have thought it was an ubsord thought. But now...he wasn't exactly sure. Grimmjow was just...something else. To the untrained eye, one would think he was a cocky animal and nothing else. But if you ever had the chance to look into his eyes, you would know the difference right away. You would see the hidden caring, even though it was barried so deep in the depressions that only a bare speck lay there. You would see anger, and love, and maybe even compassion.
A sigh escaped Ichigo's lips as he closed his eyes, furrowing his brow. It didn't matter. That man, if capable of loving, wouldn't want someone who pried into his life like Ichigo does. He probably didn't even want someone to understand him. And, beyond that, the other, even though gay, wouldn't want someone as plain as Ichigo.
Sometimes life was sad.
...
Grimmjow stood in the doorway, watching Ichigo as he drifted off to sleep with the loud music in his ears. He knew the other didnt notice his presence the whole time. It was kind of sad, but who could, with that music blasting as loud as it was from his ears?
This left Grimmjow time to think. He knew of the others obsession for him, but the bluenette oddly didn't find it as bad as he once thought it would be. Ichigo was alright, he guessed, if not drop dead sexy. But that wasn't the point. The point was that...well, it wasn't exactly a point, but more of an observation. It was like the other understood him. Most people...usually everyone, judged on his immediate smirk and cocky look, and dubbed him as an arrogant bastard. No one other that Ichigo loooked beneath that layer at all, or as quickly as he had. It was amazing. What was better\worse was that...Ichigo didn't question him on anything. It was strange. But welcoming.
Still leaning on the side of the open hinge, he didn;t move when he heard faint footsteps coming his way. They stopped, the hotel now growing silent.
"You like him, don't you?" the watery voice said, making Grimmjow almost snort. Well, that was the fuckin' understatement of the year.
"yeah. what gave me away?" the bluenette said, smirking to himself as he continued to stare at the sleeping youth.
Hichigo smirked as he walked up to the other. He ignored the comment, but looked at Ichigo also. "Don't hurt 'im, got me? If you do..."
"I won't hurt him." Grimmjow said in a stern tone, shocking Hichigo momentarily. He then shook his head.
"Hope so. You know, if you do, he really is a...good guy." Hichigo summed that up quickly. It was true. Ichigo reall was an amazing guy. He was smart, amazingly good-looking, and yet...modest. He passed excessivly at the Art's, he could sing, draw, write poems and stories, and read people like their an open book. even Hichigo could never read the bluenette, for the few days he was with the other, and Ichigo had already known his deepest secrets and desires without ever looking at the man. Sure, that was also kind of creepy, but Hichigo thought of his brother as a human god.
"He is. But I don't understand him." Grimmjow looked to the large window now on the other side of the room. "Why does he figure out everyone elses problems? why doesn't he work on his own? Why can he read me? How does he know that the fuck I am, why doesn't he view me as a monster? Everyone does." the bluenette hissed, his fists clenching as he looked angrily at the innocent man in the bed. He heard Hichigo snort.
"Oh, he views you as a monster alright. Just not the kind yer' thinkin' of." the albino could almost sigh at the other's confused look.
"Eh?"
"Dude, ya know, hot, sex monster type? Maybe he thinks yer' depressed too, but I can't say, I could never read that little snot-nosed brother of mine."
Grimmjow choked. "sex monster?" the smirk appeared back on his face. "Fuckin' pervert." the bluenette shook his head, his teal blue curls swaying in front of his face as they both turned away from the orangette.
They retired to their beds without another word.
XXX
The next morning, Ichigo awoke with a loud groan. Light was peering through the hotel window, making the orangette squint his eyes from the sudden light change. It was around eight o'clock, but Ichigo felt as if it was much earlier.
"Dammit..." Ichigo groaned as he sat up. He jumped when he heard a loud snort.
"Come on, get your lazy ass up. We gotta look for an' appartment." a voice said, one Ichigo just came to know over the weeks. He looked over, makign eye-contact with bright blue orbs, which almost wanted to make Ichigo flinch. He didn't though - just because he didn't want Grimmjow to know his weakness.
"Fine." Ichigo stated solemly, standing up from the bed. His cloths were wrinkled from sleeping in them.
While Grimmjow walked back away from the door, Ichigo let out a realived sigh. For some reason, he always found himself stiff around the other (in both ways!) - and yet he didn't know why. He wasn't scared or even threated by the man, but he was...scared in a sense. Not because he thought Grimmjow was gonna hurt him, nah, but because he felt like he was engaging way too much by snooping in on his personal life. and if Grimmjow knew...no, he wouldn't even engage in that possibility. It was impossible. Grimmjow didn't even know him. Grimmjow would think of him as overly creepy. maybe even phsycotic. Who would honestly want someone snooping in his life as much as he did?
He got up to get dressed. He didn't really notice what he was putting on, not really, as he moved blindly in his thoughts.
What if he was too suspiocious? What if Grimmjow already knew about his obsession? If his idiot brother could already figure it out, what's stopping Grimmjow from finding that? Is that why the bluenette wouldn't look at him during the gang meet? Or what if Hichigo told the other straight away when he found out? No, Hichigo wouldn't that. But there were so many possibilities and so little conclusions.
When Ichigo finished with preping himself, he walked out into the ilvingroom where the two teens waited silently. Hichigo was borderline dying, Grimmjow was staring blankly at a wall, and unfortunately, they looked like they had been waiting for him forever. Did he really take that long?
"Finally." Grimmjow smirked as he looked ovder to the orangette. You take just as long as a pubescent bitch." he stated rather humerously, making Ichigos face twist up in twenty different directions. This only proved to make Grimmjows smirk wider.
"I...I do NOT!" Ichigo shouted at the other, a clear blush printed on his face. He flinched then, and looked away with a grumble. He went into the kitchen. "It took me, like, twenty extra minutes to wake up dipshit!" he shouted, momentarily waking Hichigo up.
The albino blinked. "What's Ichi shoutin' 'bout so early in tha' mornin'?" he grumbled, glaring in the way of the kitchen. blantly, through the table, sine there was no wall, he saw Ichigo's blush still standing out prominant. "oh fuck, don't tease tha' dude too much. Ya migh' kill 'im." he shook his head then, looking back at Grimmjow on the couch, who was still smirking ruefully.
"Chill. Though I can't say I don't like that little blush on his face." Grimmjow stated as he also shook his head. Honestly, he thought the blush was cute, borderline adorable. Those little flecks on his cheeks poked out from his mixed irish and japanese heritage, his face still boney, but also stern and soft as the blush toned things down from the normal for a bit. Maybe, even, if he got to know the other enough, he would be able to see more than only the skin that was provided. Now was a great time to start.
"It IS cute, even tho' he's my brotha'." Hichigo rolled his bright yellow eyes and smirked, glancing at Grimmjow, who rose an eyebrow at the other.
"Incest, man. Illigal. He's mine."
"oh ho ho, territorial, ain't we?"
"You bet your skinny white ass."
"my ass is not SKINNY! Its fuckin' cute!"
"Dude, what the FUCK!"
"I'm serious!"
Ichigo walked into the room with a grin. "Don't comment on his ass. He's, like, gayly obsessed with it."
Hichigo snorted. "comin' form tha' gay one who obsesses about being fat."
"I do not OBSESS!"
"You check your weight every DAY!"
"That's because - !"
"You don't wanna get fat."
"Don't you -!"
"Interrupt you?"
"You JACKASS!" Ichigo shouted, throwing the closest object his way. which, of course, happened to be a phone. It bopped off of Hichigos head while the room became silent, Hichigos face screwed up to the point where he was glaring evilly at his brother. Ichigo, not able to hold it, burst out into loud laughs, even cackles, making Grimmjow snort and eventually join in too. Hichigo moved to tackle the other. And, of course, was held back by the big-ass blue army dude, who only smirked at him. his eyes said 'ya ain't gonna touch his face, got me?' Jackass.
"Comin' from the twins who need to shut up. And how the hell is someone obsessed 'bout being FAT?" Grimmjow looked at Ichigo with a cross between curiosity\humor\incredelousness. Who the fuck is obsessed about being FAT? Or obsessed with their ass? Really, these guys are a screwed up family. an'
"HICHIGO!" Ichigo screamed as he lunged for the other, angry that the albino just had to sprout that out and make him look completly stupid in front of his real obsession. The albino didn't move out of the way in time, and got tackled over their couch, where a fly of punches, kicks, and jabs occured for the next five minutes.
Eventually Grimmjow got tired of laughing his ass off and tore the two appart, both of them childishly dangling because of the fact that Grimmjow was so tall. both Hichigo and Ichigo yelled "PUT ME DOWN!"
"Nah." Grimmjow, with the two still in two, walked out of the hotel.
XXX
About thirty minutes into apartment-finding, they thought they had found one. It was classy, cheap, and a good hideout for the time being. Grimmjow tilted to the secrecy, because it was on the boarderline of a forest, so Ichigo wouldn't have any chance of getting hurt. It was his priority, and morely hope, to get the little berry safe from those idiot's grasp. He didn't really care about Hichigo, but Ichigo did, so he would keep the albino safe, too. Though he was actually a pretty good...thing. He wouldn't call the other a friend, no, because he would never call someone he knows a friend again. Ever.
Ichigo, being the smartest when it came to funds, set up the apartment account, and gratefully shook hands with the owner. He blandly knew the other was hitting on him as soon as he walked up. It was immensly annoying.
"nah, it's cool. You can stay for as long as you need to. I won't mind it one bit." the man, who actually proved to be very girly, said, a blush on his face. Grimmjow noticed this as he turned his way to the voicea tick flying out of nowhere on his face as he readied to stand up. Hichigo pulled him back down into the lobby chair.
"Don't. The guy is already gettin' on his nerves, it'll only take a' little bit now."
"Thank you." Ichigo said, trying to conserve his anger. The other kept batting his eyelashes out in such a girly way, it made him wanna puke. What was that on the side of his head, anyway? bird feathers?
"Your welcome, sweety. Call me if you need anything. I'll be ready to help."
Ichigo bit his lip to keep from lashing out as he twitched, his fingers curlin into a fist. Before he could actually punch the other, thankfully, another customer pulled in. Ichigo gratefully walked away.
"Aw damn, you were so close Ichi! Ya shoula' punched that prick!" Hichigo said in a hurried whisper, a grin already forming on his lips as he decided to tease the other quietly. "He really thought ya were a toppni' kina person. Please. You know you love someone who can dominate ya ass in bed!" he smirked again when Grimmjow heard this, but ignored the conversation. He probably wanted to see where it was going. They walked out of the building and hailed a cab.
As they got in, Ichigo started to hush a whisper again. "oh shut up! I can dominate perfectly fine!" he said again. Yes, he could pull it off rather amazingly - for the other person. He never really found a realease when topping.
"but we kno' ya like strong an' tough an' hard men ta fuck ya. Don't cha, Ichi?" Hichigo, as well as Grimmjow, was getting a kick at the hugs blush that spread over his face. Both teens knew he was fantasizing about Gimmjow right now, which made Hichigo feel a bit guilty at the helpless look that grew onto his face. Ichigo probably thought he had no chance with Grimmjoq - he was always that modest. He even though of himself as borderline ugly. Fuck, who the fuck who looked like that could think he was ugly?
"No comment." Ichigo grumbled as he looked out the window, his fingers flinching every now and then. No matter how bad he wanted Grimmjow, it really wasn't gonna happen. He guessed he had to give Hichigo points for trying to help him, but fuck, it kinda made him feel bad.
The rest of the ride back was gratefully silent.
XXX
By the time they exchanged from their hotel to their apartment, and unpacked everything, it was about midnight. They were wore out. So, with a faltering thought, they all decided to return to their beds to sleep.\
Thats when the storm started.
Ichigo hated storms. Oftenly, he found himself curled under something, like a table or a chair, trying to get away from the sounds of the thunder and lightening. This was what he was doing now. Generally, like always, he was sobbing, curled up in a ball under the open counter, trying to cover his ears from the penetrating sound of the wind whipping. His eyes were closed tightly, somewhat trying to sleep, somewhat not. The light above his head didn't help much either, it only proved to be brighter when the lightening struck.
Then the power went out.
Ichigo flinched as he heard the cut of electricity, now plummeling him into darkness as he curled tighter. He didn't dar ego to either of his room-mates, neither of them knew of his weariness of storms. He kept this secret, from everyone of course, because, what kind of gang leader was scared of storms? completly embarrassing.
Ichigo heard the quiet footsteps of someone strutting to the way to the kitchen. The orangette tugged tighter to himself as the light provided form a flashlight came closer and closer. He just hoped either of them wouldn't see him down here.
"I-ichi?" the voice said, gruffly, as it came from somewhere. Ichigo flinched, and looked from side to side, trying to find out where the voice came from. "Up here." He looked up, seeing Grimmjow leaning over the counter, loking directly down at him with his brow furrowed. He sniffled, looking awayquickly, trying to hide his tears. It didn't really work.
"W-what?" he tried to talk clearly, he really did, but it seemingly wasn't working.
Grimmjow, promptly worried for the other, looked at the orangette in curiousity. Was the other...scared of storms? Even, impossibly cute as it sounded, Grimmjow found himself worried. How long was the man sitting there? How long was he trying to get away from the storm? Ichigo seemed to be holding himself impossibly tight then, like he was going to fall apart as he tried to let go of himself. Ever so slowly, Grimmjow walked around the counter, and bent down to find Ichigo. He was still looking away from his penetrating orbs, still crying and sniffling every now and then. The orangette flinched in the silence as a bolt of lightening and a clash of thunder took place again, making Grimmjow sigh. He really was scared of storms.
"Come on." he told Ichigo, his tired voice prominant as he pulled on Ichigo to get up. It wasn't hard, he was already weakened from all the crying.
Without much trouble, Grimmjow pulled the light form into his arms, the other already taking refuge in his un-covered, slightly sweaty chest. It tickled the bluenette as he set the flshlight down.
"Don't tell anyone, please..." Ichigo whispered, slightly broken that someone had spotted him in this...state of being scared.
Grimmjow shook his head as he walked back into Ichigos's designated room,setting him down on his bed while tucking him in. the other curled up again, still slightly crying as he sniffled. "I won't." he said softly as he turned to leave. "get some sleep."
trying to walk out, Grimmjow found that he was promptly too stuck to walk. As he looked down, he saw a tanned hand curled into the side of his sweats. He looked up in confusion.
"d-don't leave...me." the other said quietly, just barely loud enough for Grimmjow to hear. Ichigo was blushing; he dared not look into the eyes that were staring at him in shock.
Grimmjow almost melted completly. How could he leave someone who looked so...helpless? Then he remembered. To beat him, he was sure the other wasn't helpless. At all. But it didn't stop Grimmjow from sighing, smiling lightly, and moving to the other side of the bed to lay down. Just as he did, he was already attacked by lean, strong arms that wrapped around his waist, Ichigos head already digging into his upper chest. In shock, Grimmjow almost, almost moaned.
"T-thanks." Ichigo said to the other as he flinched again when the thunder struck. He calmed slightly as he felt a strong hand come up to strok his orange tresses, making his breathing become normal as he ended up promptly passing out.
Even knowing Ichigo couldn't hear him, Grimmjow announced anway. "Your welcome, Ichi. Sleep well." he said tiredly, also retiring to his restless sleep, still stroking the others hair unconsciously.