Disclaimer: don't own anything

Note: Yeah I know I decided the Genre should be romance/humor, but what comes now is really important! So I hope you will like it nevertheless…

JuuxShun fan: I didn't mean for Rukia to be anything like Goldilocks :D but you're right ^^ I simply needed a reason for her to sit with Ichi ;D and yeah Grimm, Ren and Bya… those three are just great and they will interact in later chapters more :)

TokenAsian: Thank you ^^ here you go :)

puutiti: happy that you had something nice for the day ^^ I hope you like this too :)

Eva Galana: yeah as I said in a PM: I don't want to burden my beta-reader ^^ the other story is quite enough… I really try to let them be in character as much as possible, in an AU story one tends easily to put them out of their characters, I try not to (what is sometimes difficult) ^^

PaulaGay: Thank you for the review, I don't mind it being late, we all are busy :) here you get more of big brother Grimmy :)

Chap 8: Past revealed?

She didn't know how that happened… but it happened… somehow that red-head was able to coax all of them into washing the dishes… that was the moment when she became certain that the man was even more wicked than her brother! Or at least he came close to it… seeing as all three of them were degraded to wash they separated the work: Ichigo washed, Rukia dried and Grimmjow put everything into its rightful place.

"How did he do that?!" she asked both men, she really had to know; maybe it would work with Kisuke and Yoruichi too?

Both men regarded her with blank expressions, neither knowing what to say and seeing as Grimmjow was annoyed with the small woman in their kitchen Ichigo tried to explain: "We don't know either… he just… does it… somehow. Well we DID make an agreement that Grimm and I would clean, after all he cooks for us, but how he was able to get you to tag along… well we don't know," he replied and with a simple shrug resumed his task… in a very slow pace, he really wasn't in the mood, but he never was so washing the dishes always took its time…

Annoyed Rukia resumed her task too; she would watch the red-head now even more closely…

Renji couldn't believe he was able to coax the girl into helping the idiots… now he had lots of time with Byakuya, and damn if he wasn't going to use it! But how to approach him? Oh well he just to ask something… a conversation was sure to come out of it… he decided while sipping some of his water.

"What you whispered last night into my ear… mind explaining that?" the raven-head next to him asked suddenly, causing him to nearly choke on his water. After a heartily coughing fit he turned his head to look at his companion and regarded him with a sheepish smile, rubbing his neck awkwardly.

"Uhm… well… I was quite drunk, but… uhm… *sigh* well you see I didn't mean it that way… I mean I DID mean that we could see each other again, if you want, but I didn't mean for you to think I just want sex, I mean I don't even know if you want or if you even like me that way, but if you really think so than I think we should get to know each other, but only if you want to, if not that's okay too of course!" Renji ranted in such a fast pace Byakuya wasn't sure if he followed correctly. Nevertheless a smile came to his lips; it WAS quite cute how the red-read tried to explain it to him, the way he gestured wildly with his arms and hands, trying to get his point across.

"So you simply want for us to get know each other?" the raven-head asked, a sly smile coming to his lips.

"Well yeah… no… I mean yeah… Well it would be great, but I uhm… I wouldn't mind if it would evolve into something more, you know? But if you just want to stay friends that is cool too of course," somehow he liked toying with the red-head; it was kinda cute how he tried to talk his way out of things, like just now, but it would be too cruel to toy further with him.

"I think similar, although I have to admit that I don't care of the gender. Love shouldn't be restricted by any sort of boundary," he admitted and he could see the relief that came to the red-heads face.

"Are you sure about this? I mean you are Kuchiki Byakuya… wouldn't it reflect poorly on your image of you involve yourself with a man?" Renji asked curious, he wanted to know the whole time, but there was no good moment to ask.

"Hm, the public really is indeed not that open to same gender relationships, but it gets better… And who should be an example of tolerance if not those with influence? Things just change when those with influence take the first step, showing that it is indeed all right to follow the desires of one's heart," the raven-head explained in deep thought, making the red-head smile at him, what somehow irritated him…

"What is it?" he asked, hoping he would get an explanation out of him…

"Ah it's nothing… just… not all people are that tolerant… so it's nice to meet someone like this once in a while," Renji explained smiling and relaxed more in his corner of the couch. He was at a loss again… he really hoped a conversation would ensue, but that only lasted for so long. Now he didn't know what else to do, but little did he know that Byakuya was thinking the same and so an awkward silence descended on them.

'Oh shit! What now? I just can't say nothing to him! Uh… way to go Abarai… way to go.' He thought in dismay, scolding himself and not seeing that he was being watched.

Since Byakuya didn't know what to say further he decided to watch the man next to him… maybe he could ask about the tattoos? No those things are always very personal and he would just pry too intensely in the man's private life, but what else? That was when he saw the man frowning. Well now Byakuya wasn't that nosy, but he couldn't help himself and just asked, "Is something the matter?" it seemed he startled the red-head, seeing as he nearly jumped out of skin and looked at him like a deer caught by light; he had to chuckle at that, it was somewhat cute.

"Oh well no not directly… It's just… Here we are sitting and not talking although that is what we wanted to do… we wanted to talk and now that we have the opportunity we simply can't find a good topic; just seemed kinda ironic to me," he replied sheepishly and rubbed his neck awkwardly; a habit of his when he was nervous, something that wouldn't go away, ever.

Byakuya couldn't help but agree with him, but then something suddenly came to his mind. "You seem to be right, it is ironic, but now I do have a question… How come you know my whole name? I never told you."

"Ah that was easy to figure out. I overheard Daichi yesterday, he called you Byakuya and all clicked. I mean come on how many guys are there who are named Byakuya? But why do you asked? I thought it was somewhat obvious who you are when I heard your name," Renji responded, glad to have a topic to talk about even if it is just a small one.

"Your friend, Grimmjow, was asking me what my name is when you were changing. I simply thought you wouldn't know too so it came as a surprise to me when you said my full name," he answered truthfully, he really thought the red-head didn't know too, what on further thought was a bit naïve of him…

"Ah Grimm is a bit dense sometimes. He was probably watching him and not really listening when he spoke to you… sounds strange but that is Grimmjow for you," the red-head replied with an affectionate smile. He appreciated Grimmjow's protectiveness, but sometimes it was a bit too much, such as that moment when threatened Byakuya. He can be mean to Daichi as much as he wanted, Renji didn't care, but not Byakuya… he had a good feeling regarding the raven-head.

"I don't want to pry too much, but what kinds of relationship have you with him? You act like siblings and yet there is no similarity at all," the raven-head asked, hoping to get an answer and if not that would just be as good as well, there was no reason to tell him at all after all, if it was private he understood if the red-head wouldn't like to share the information, they didn't know each other that good at all yet, but surprisingly he really got an answer.

"Ah, it's okay I think, it's not that much of a secret anyway. We grew up together, that much he probably told you already. But we didn't grow up in a normal family and our parents knew each other, although that would have been just great, but life wasn't that good to either of us.

"I can just remember that Grimm was always that my side… All we know is that we were found in the front of an orphanage… The woman who managed the orphanage heard the bell ringing and when she opened the door she was faced with nothing, just when she looked down did she see two baskets, we were in them. A note was sticking to it reading that we should always stay together and not be separated. She guessed it was our parents joined wish, but no one knows why. All our official documents were with us, such as birth certifications and stuff like that. She tried to respect the wish of our parents, but that was easier said than done. I mean one child with such a strange hair color is for the most parents attention drawing enough so that they wouldn't take the other with them, if that happened either of us always made a fuss, annoying the foster family that much that they brought us back.

"We rather stayed there together as being in a nice home alone. But there were families that would take the both of us, but of course we couldn't simply accept them as our family… How could we? We knew the truth and the families became annoyed with us, bringing us back. And then… there were others… The one thing we learned pretty fast was to grow up.

"The system has no place for children who stayed in the orphanage for too long so every family that would take us with them was fine for them, but we were just children, we were powerless and couldn't defend ourselves. That made it easy for abusive people to get their way with us. We went through a lot of crap and someday when we were 8 years old decided to just flea from there, the orphanage I mean… Unfortunately we couldn't take our documents with us, they were always in the care of the manager and there was no way for us to get a hold of them. But fate wasn't on our side; it wasn't long after our escape that the authorities were searching for us, trying to bring us back.

"We didn't got good education either… sure we could write and read, but the changes in family made it difficult for us to attend a school more regularly… and when we escaped there was no way for us to visit a school ever again.

"We protected each other and when someone like us crossed our path we let them join us, knowing how hard it was and I couldn't let them be alone. Grimm always scolded me for that… Saying I was too weak in the heart to let them be on their own, reminding me that we couldn't even take proper care of ourselves, but what should we have done? There was no way they would have lived that long without us. Life wasn't easy… we had to steal to get some food, we are not proud of it, but we had no other choice, but someday the children in our group died and not long after that I became ill.

"We tried to find shelter under the one or other bridge, changing our place every now and then to keep the authorities from finding us. I still remember that one day… I don't know what date it was, but it was winter and we were about 10 years at the moment I guess… We found shelter under the bridge at the Karasu river, I think it is in the Kasazaki district or the Minamikawase I'm not sure, but that's not important now; I was ill this time around and we hadn't any medicine, Grimmjow was worried sick, I had a really bad coughing fit and I guess that caught the attention of Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's dad, he is a doctor and was just on a winter stroll with his family. I don't know what he told his family to separate himself from them, but he was coming to us, we were unthinkable worried.

"I mean you probably don't know him, but with our experience a man such as him was not a good guy at all, if I would have been healthy we would have outran him, but we knew that it would be pointless, so we stayed; Grimmjow stood before me, arms outstretched and growling at him. Isshin stopped his movements in that instant assessing the situation. That was when I looked at him and he saw our poor states, when I coughed again he told us that he is a doctor and that he could help us, but we didn't believe him. We thought he would call the authorities as soon as we would go with him, so we didn't budge. He was a really patient man, but after a while his wife was looking what he did that long and joined him, Masaki is a very good woman.

"Isshin told her what was going on, that I needed help but refused, somehow she succeeded in bringing us with them, we still don't know how she managed that, but she did. Ichigo was with them at the time and he looked curious at us, we were underfeed and clothed in rags; you don't see that often after all, but Grimmjow snapped at him, he hated it when someone looked strange at us. From that day on our lives changed for the better, we stayed with them for a while, first we just wanted to stay until I am better, but then Masaki insisted on us staying at least for the winter.

"We stayed of course and Masaki and Isshin noticed that we were poorly educated and asked us about school, we explained them our situations reluctantly and they educated us themselves, when Isshin or Masaki had time. We grew so comfortable around them that they insisted we would stay. They were something like parents to us and Ichigo and his sisters, Karin and Yuzu, became our siblings, but there was always a distance between us and them, but they never pressured us and that was what made us stay. They knew we wouldn't see them as our real parents and that there always would be something we would discuss between ourselves, but they accepted that. Unfortunately they couldn't adopt us… we would have to go back to the orphanage for that and we had to face a severe punishment… they accepted that too.

"Not one year ago did Kyouraku-san found us strolling through the town… he asked us to work for him, when we explained to him that that was not possible because we hadn't the required documents he just waved it away and gave us his card. We were curious and came the afternoon to him; that was when we got our jobs… Ichigo the idiot wouldn't leave us so he tagged along and yeah that is pretty much how we ended up here. Oh gosh here I am talking and talking… sorry I didn't mean to bore you…" he didn't know why exactly he told him all that, but somehow it felt just right and usually he was never lost in the moment and forgot where to stop that explanation, because the truth is that only few knew of the whole story… few being Grimmjow and him, of course, the Kurosaki family and Kyouraku-san… the other just knew that they lived on the streets and not more. Made he a mistake by telling all this? He could claim that he was lost in his thoughts, what would be the truth, but he felt really comfortable with him and that probably made him spill everything.

Byakuya listened intently to the story; he was stunned. "You didn't bore me… I-I don't know what to say, I guess not everyone knows this, so I will speak to no one of this; I promise you that," that was all he could think of to say… He could see that they had a rough live but that went beyond believe and when the red-head looked grateful at him for keeping this he couldn't help but smile at him with sympathetic eyes.

They stayed silent after that, neither knowing what to say, both too overwhelmed; Renji because of the returning memories and Byakuya because of the fate both men had to face.

Just that moment the other came back all oblivious to the states they were in.

"I can't believe we took that long for these few dishes! You two really are slow, you know that?" Rukia scolded both, forgetting that before she was in an awkward situation with the oragenette, now her anger got the better of her.

Grimmjow scowled at her, sitting down on his couch. "What is your problem? It's your own fault you tagged along so don't go all bitchy at us now," he reminded her, he didn't know what it was but something was bothering him regarding her…

"Be quiet Grimm… don't listen to him he is a complete idiot and can't mind his own business," Ichigo told her, but looked at the blue haired man, scowl not having the desired effect.

"Whatever… but what do we do now? I mean until you have to go work," the girl asked while making herself comfortable on Ichigo's couch.

Byakuya and Renji could only watch them, neither of them really cared what they decided, they just wanted them to get along. But when Grimmjow suggested a drinking game they had to interfere, now certainly wasn't the time for that.

"Forget it Grimm, we won't play that… he have to be sober for work remember?" Renji asked with a raised eyebrow making Grimmjow groan in annoyance… He should have known they were against the idea… these prudes.

"Okay how about we play Halo?" Grimm asked annoyed, granted they were one too many but well than someone had to just watch or they would change, he didn't care.

"But we are 5 and not 4 people Grimm… what are you thinking?" Ichigo scowled again, somehow he was more annoyed with him today…

"That will be alright, I will just watch then," Byakuya spoke up and all nodded their heads in agreement, well there was one exception: Renji didn't want for him to just sit there, that would be impolite…

"We change if you want I don't mind and that way you aren't left out," he suggested with that kind smile of his, Byakuya could only nod; something about that man just made him accept that, maybe it was the smile? Or the glint in his eyes? He didn't know, maybe he would know someday, but for now it was enough.

After some hours they all made their way to Sodom, Byakuya and Rukia went with them, much to Byakuya's dismay, but his sister was 18 so she was allowed to go into Sodom and he could do nothing about it.

Grimmjow was muttering the whole way that it was impossible for a girl to be that good at a videogame she played today the first time, much to Rukia's, and everyone else's, amusement.

That's it for chap 8! I hope you liked it:) and that you leave a review for me to tell me what you liked/disliked ^^

I try to update again soon!