Sunlight Shimmering Love

Time passes and feelings change. However, some feelings can transcend even time. What was once a strained and contained love for such a long and strenuous period is now flourishing and free.

Late summer.

"Hey Yuzu, where are my swimming trunks?" Ichigo called from his room. He was looking through his closet like a madman trying to find them.

"I washed it last night with the dark clothes! It should be in the dryer!" Yuzu replied from the kitchen.

Ichigo got up quickly from his knees, managing to hit his head on one of his shelves, but hurried out of his room. "Thanks!" he said. After finding them in the dryer, he grabbed them and went into the bathroom then put them on, switching them out with his pants and underwear.

"You'd better hurry or you'll be late." Karin said as she saw her brother rushing back to his room.

"I know." The orange-head said.

Grabbing up his booksack full of beach supplies, he quickly left the house, making sure to tell his sisters and father that he would see them later.

"Have fun, Ichigo!" Ishiin said from his seat in the kitchen just before the door closed.

"I will!"

And with that, he was on his way to the beach to meet up with his friends.

Sitting at one of the beach tables, Ishida read his book while the rest of the group played a round of beach volleyball.

"Oi, Ishida! Come play!" Renji shouted.

"No thank you, Abarai. I've got to get through this book before the next issue comes out-which is in a few days."

"Bookworm!"

"Beach bum."

While Renji was distracted, Senna took her chance to send the volleyball at him. Shuhei saw it and tried to stop it from hitting the distracted redhead, but he wasn't fast enough, and the ball hit Renji with an echoing smack. Rukia cringed and Inoue gasped. Chad stood quiet, trying not to be involved in the argument that was sure to follow.

Renji rubbed the side of his face where the ball had hit him and squinted at Senna. "You are going down!" he exclaimed, then picked the ball up off the ground.

Ishida shook his head, then turned his attention back to his book.

Ichigo headed down the hill that led him to the beach, but stopped when he heard his name called.

"Grimmjow!" he smiled.

Said man came up the dock from one of the shops with ice cream in one hand and a hot dog in the other. "Which one do you want?" he asked when he came up in front of his boyfriend.

"I'll take the ice cream." Ichigo said, taking the cone from the taller man's hand. "Thanks."

"Where're you headed?"

"I was going to meet the guys on the beach."

"Let's skip that for now."

"Why?"

"Heh, I know of this cave not far from here that we could use."

"One-track mind…" Ichigo said. He licked the ice cream and quietly let Grimmjow lead him away from where he saw his friends playing on the beach.

"Hey, where's Ichigo? He should've been here by now…" Shuhei commented after everyone decided to stop playing volleyball. The girls were off playing in the water, Chad was relaxing on his stomach on a towel, and Ishida was still reading his book. He and Renji had started building a sand castle, which neither of them could completely agree about.

"Beats me. Text him." Renji replied, then started digging a moat.

"Hey, I said no moats!"

"Stop me then." The tan man said provokingly.

Shuhei closed his eyes and one of the veins on his forehead appeared. "Oh I'll stop you!" he declared, then jumped on top of Renji. The two of them tussled about, destroying what they'd already built on the sand castle in the process.

"What are you two doing?"

Both Renji and Shuhei looked up and saw Ichigo approaching with Grimmjow not far behind him. He looked a bit flustered, and his lips were a little swollen.

"You're looking like a star right now from how bright you're glowing." Shuhei teased, then pinned Renji on the ground for a second. Satisfied with having been the victor of their little go-round, he released the larger man and got up.

"I let you win!" Renji said.

When Ichigo reached the two, he smiled. This summer had been a very nice one, and when everyone could get together like this, it was nice.

Of course, they'd all still be together next year, but split up at the same time.

All of them were going to university in Tokyo, just different ones. Inoue, Rukia, and Senna were all planning to stay together in a spacious loft. Inoue would be going to culinary school. Rukia decided to give fashion a chance, but she also wanted to work with biology as well, so she was double-majoring in both. Senna was going to school for art and design, and would be minoring in film. Something about film just interested her so much, so she was excited about the chance to study it.

Chad would be going to school for architecture, and he and Renji were sharing an apartment. Through his decent entrance exam scores, Renji, to everyone's surprise, got into the same university that Rukia did, and decided he wanted to study Astronomy. Shuhei would be staying with him and splitting rent with them. He'd decided to take up a job offer from a popular bookstore as an assistant manager, plus he would be going to school for design.

Ishida got his own apartment and was going to medical school. No one was surprised, considering that was what he spent most of his time doing during high school. He was giving up his job at the game store in a few days, meaning he would have a little free time before going to Tokyo. What would he do with himself… was the general question. Ishida was not one to be crazy about having nothing to do. He would surely find something to preoccupy his time with.

Grimmjow told Ichigo they were staying together in an apartment where cherry blossoms bloomed in spring. He chose the complex he did because he knew how much Kurosaki liked cherry blossoms. That night they'd spent together under them last summer was where he found that out. He was going to school for engineering, and his executive position at his current job was secured for him until he graduated. Nelliel surprised him when she said she would be visiting on the weekends, but he had every intention of pawning her off on the girls, who would be staying about twenty minutes from where he and Ichigo would be.

Ichigo got into the same medical school that Ishida did, and he managed to get a few scholarships. He didn't get a full ride like Ishida did, but what he got was enough to cover his tuition and other expenses. Not to mention he would be working as well at a manga shop. Inoue said she would visit him every day because she got a job at a pastry shop that she'd be starting that was only a block away.

Everyone had their own plans, but thankfully none of them would be out of reach. Tokyo was seeming like another chapter in their lives, and Ichigo welcomed it more than any of them because he wouldn't be apart from Grimmjow like they'd been for most of this year.

A bit of unexpected news came about a week ago. Tsukishima visited the clinic and sat Ichigo down to tell him that Ginjo was doing a lot better, and also to tell him that they were together now. It was such a relief. And when he felt ready, he figured maybe he and Grimmjow could maybe have dinner with them sometime.

Ichigo was thankful for how everyone had stood by his side through this, especially Grimmjow. Even while they were broken up, they'd been close to each other as if nothing had happened. And from that, Ichigo knew they could make it through any more challenges that came their way.

Looking up to the blue sky overhead, he smiled. "Mom, I managed to keep my promise to you so far. Help me be able to continue keeping it. And watch over dad and the girls while I'm not here to do it." He said.

"Oi, Kurosaki, stop spacing out and come help me choose a board to surf with!" Grimmjow called.

Ichigo shook his head, "And help me keep my promises to him as well." He spoke under his breath, then headed over to where Grimmjow was. "You don't even know how to surf." He commented as the two of them made their way over to the surf shop and temporarily left the others to their beach activities.

"It's never too late to learn. Besides, you're surfing with me."

"Wha-"

"Don't be a pansy, Kurosaki."

"Don't be a dick, Grimmjow."

"… You want it again?"

"What? No, that's not even what I-"

"Haha, your buttons are so easy to push!"

Ichigo shook his head. He couldn't deny that, not even a little. Grimmjow got to him like no one else could, and he now started to believe it was because he let him.

Pulling Grimmjow off to the side, he smiled, "Grimmjow, I- I really do love you. I can't wait to go out to Tokyo together. You'll have to show me around."

"I'll show you everything you want to see, Kurosaki. Everything and more." Grimmjow said with a toothy grin, and then kissed the shorter man on his forehead. "I love you, too, sexy strawberry."

End

Thank you all for your reviews and support of this story. I'm really glad I was able to finish it, though it took a while, and I hope you all enjoyed it.