The Worst Possible News

Friday evening after returning from the camping trip.

While talking on the phone to Rukia about a new anime that had appealed to them both, Ichigo washed the dishes from tonight's dinner. He figured it was about time someone gave Yuzu a break from her strict regimen, after all. It had literally taken both Karin and their father to restrain her from doing it herself.

"You're so mean, Onii-chan!" the auburn haired girl said from the couch.

"I know, Yuzu. I know." The boy responded as he rinsed the soap suds from plate he was holding.

"Ichigo, there's something I want to ask you." Rukia said.

"Go ahead."

"Well… I'm just wondering if you're okay… Are you…? Lately, you've seemed a little detached and depressed…"

Ichigo froze. This was the second time Rukia had wondered about his well being and noted his odd behavior. It would only be a matter of time before she learned the truth. Because if Neliel knew about Ginjo, everyone else would likely find out about him as well.

"I'm fine, Rukia. Thanks for being so concerned about me though. I appreciate it."

Rukia sat on her bed and held the phone to her ear silently. But in her head she was not so calm.

Ichigo was hiding something. Something big. And it appeared that he didn't trust his friends enough to tell them about it. The thought of him feeling that way unsettled her.

For a moment, the girl wondered if she should visit Grimmjow and ask him a few questions instead of trying to get anything out of Ichigo. But that would be even more futile than what she was doing right now.

Grimmjow didn't seem like the type to reveal his feelings or secrets to people he barely knew.

"Okay, but we're all here for you if you need us. You know that, right?" she asked.

"Right." Ichigo responded, "Hey, I have to go. I'll call you later."

"Okay."

Ichigo hung up the phone and finished washing the rest of the dishes before heading up to his room. On his way, Yuzu eyed him with a hurt expression on her face.

He smiled to her nonetheless, knowing he had done her a favor, and continued up the stairs.

Just as soon as he reached his room however, the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" Karin called.

Ichigo walked back to the stairwell and peered down when Karin opened the door.

It was Grimmjow, standing in all his handsome glory.

"Hi Grimmjow. It's been a while since I last saw you come here." The raven haired girl smiled.

"Yeah, I've been busy these days…" Grimmjow responded, "Is Ichigo here?"

"He is, come on in."

Ichigo walked down the stairs and into the parlor to meet the man.

"It's not often I hear you call me by my first name." He said with a smile.

"Kurosaki, can we talk?"

"Sure… Come on up to my room."

Yuzu and Karin watched as the two of them silently climbed the stairs and rounded the corner.

"I hope Ichigo's not in trouble…" Yuzu commented, completely forgetting her frustration about not being able to wash the dishes.

Karin stood in place for a few seconds before turning around and glancing outside. It seemed as if it was going to rain tonight. She sighed and closed the front door. The strangest feeling about all of this welled up inside of her.

Upon getting to his room, Ichigo closed the door behind himself and watched as Grimmjow went and sat on his bed.

The air in the room grew thick with anticipation, anxiety, and awkwardness. It took a moment, but he mustered the courage to speak, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Kurosaki, I want to be completely serious with you for a moment. Hear me out, okay?"

"Of course I will." The boy said without hesitation.

"I remember that night when you said I didn't need to change; that there was nothing wrong with the old me. And I'm glad you told me that, I really am. But I know my temper needs some tuning so I've been working on that, for my sake not just for the sake of getting you back. But after all is said and done, I know it'll benefit us both."

"…"

"And so, I want to know… Is it possible that after all we've been through, after how close we've become in this time we've been apart… Is it possible that you want to get back together?"

Ichigo froze for a second time tonight. He knew this was coming, but he had hoped it wouldn't be this soon. Ginjo was still in the picture even while being out of the picture, which meant he couldn't accept this offer.

As painful as it was for him, he responded, "Grimmjow, I care about you a lot. You've really become one of my best friends and now I… I don't want to see you in any other way… So no. I can't be with you again. Please understand my feelings about this too."

After staring at the boy for a few seconds, the bluenette brought his hands together and looked down to them. He was completely crestfallen thanks to that response.

"Do you still love me, Kurosaki?" he asked.

"Grimmjow…"

"Do you still love me?" Grimmjow asked again, after looking up into the boy's brown eyes seriously.

Ichigo averted his gaze and looked to his desk, "… I… I can't answer that… I'm not sure anymore…"

"'You know, I think I do understand your feelings. You're much colder than I expected you to be, Kurosaki." The man said before getting up off the bed and walking to the door.

"Grimmjow… Grimmjow where are you going?"

"Out for a drink. I can't deal with my emotions right now. But you probably don't care about that, do you?"

Ichigo stood in place, unable to speak, and could only watch as Grimmjow left his room. Now he was determined to deal with Ginjo as soon as he returned to Karakura. For his ow sake, for Grimmjow's sake, and for everyone else's since they all seemed to be figuring things out on their own.

"Be safe, Grimmjow." He commented before going to sit on his bed.

…

The same night.

After taking a hot bath and watching a little television to distract himself, Ichigo decided he would go to sleep early tonight. He was really depressed about what had happened between him and Grimmjow just a few hours ago.

Sleep would hopefully quell his forlorn thoughts.

After looking over his homework for a few minutes, he got into bed and burrowed under the sheets.

The rain falling outside tapped heavily against his window and for a moment, he kind of wished it was Grimmjow trying to get in like the old times.

Upon sitting up and pulling back the curtains, he was disheartened to find that it was only the rain.

He stared at the hopelessly dark shy. A terrible storm had rolled into Karakura, but he was at least grateful that he didn't have anywhere to go tomorrow.

Hopefully Grimmjow hadn't drank too much tonight, considering the weather and the fact that driving while intoxicated was just a bad idea.

"I think… it's time to tell Grimm about Ginjo…" he said quietly before falling back onto his pillow.

He deserved to know at least. Hopefully he'd just walk away from the situation and have the future he was unknowingly granted.

Suddenly, his replacement phone vibrated.

He pulled it from underneath his pillow and unlocked it. Hopefully it was Grimmjow wanting to come over.

"I'm back in town, Ichigo and looking forward to seeing you again." – Ginjo

Words could not express the devastating disappointment Ichigo felt upon reading that. First Grimmjow comes and asks to be together again and he turns him down. Now the problem had returned to town. It was as if things were going from bad to worse.

But this was the chance he'd been waiting for. It was time to finally put an end to this ordeal, once and for all.

"I'll end things with him tomorrow" the orange head said before closing his eyes and giving in to sleep's overpowering embrace.

*BANG BANG BANG BANG*

"ICHIGO! ICHIGO, OPEN THE DOOR! PLEASE!"

Said boy, having nearly fallen asleep, sat up abruptly from his bed. It was Neliel. She was banging desperately on his front door in the pouring rain.

He jumped out from under the sheets and dashed out of his room to the front door.

Once he opened it, he could see that Neliel had obviously run here. She was out of breath and in tears, not to mention drenched from head to toe.

In the dropping temperature, she'd surely get sick if she didn't get into some dry clothes.

"Neliel, what's wrong?" he asked, with a confused expression on his face after letting her inside.

The girl panted heavily and fell onto her knees before sobbing uncontrollably. It took a moment before she could calm herself enough to speak, but she was able to get out what she needed to say. "Grimmjow… He's in the ICU at the hospital!"