There was a loud crash, whether thunder or the bang of the closet door slamming shut he didn't know but it woke him. Grimmjow glanced up from his couch to see the corner of the blanket sticking out of his wardrobe, just briefly in the flash of lightning that followed the thunder. Stretching out his back he got off the couch walking over to the wardrobe where Ichigo was hiding. He knocked on the door gently.
"Ya okay in there Ichigo?" He asked, wondering if he should climb in after her, regardless of her answer. Her reply came back completely muffled, but he vaguely made out the word 'Shiro' she wanted her brother. He opened the side that didn't have the blanket jammed in it, he wasn't her brother but he hoped his presence would help her a little. Ichigo looked absolutely terrified, cheeks streaked with tears. Grimmjow shut the door gently; opening the side she was on and scooped her up in one arm. Ichigo screamed, kicking him in the leg repeatedly until he stepped into the wardrobe still holding her.
"Sorry Ichigo only way i could do it," he muttered, fumbling around in the dark until he was sitting at the bottom of the wardrobe with her on his lap. Carefully without jostling her Grimmjow tucked the blanket around the pair of them loosely, his arms resting on the blanket not holding her. If Ichigo felt the need to move away from him she could, he made sure everything was in her control.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, slowly relaxing against him, wiping tears and snot on her shirt sleeve.
"It's okay; i'd rather spend a night in the closest then live with the fact that i didn't help ya at all. Can't have such a lovely girl hating men for the rest of her life." A tiny grin worked its way on her face and she snorted, if she had known Grimmjow wasn't such an ass earlier she would have been a lot more respectful of him.
"But why help me at all? You don't have any obligation to help me," ichigo said, looking back to see his face. Grimmjow frowned for a second, he didn't really like explaining his reason but he had to.
"Have ya ever questioned why a young fit healthy General like me is stuck here training new recruits?" She shook her head, it wasn't something she had ever really thought about but now that Grimmjow had said it she didn't see a reason why he was here and not on the front lines.
"PTSD, i came back a broken man and there was no one waiting for me. No parents, no siblings, no partner, i got taken in by an aunt i never knew existed a couple of months after i returned. I was so bad, it took her close to a year to fix me. Reason being was because i had no help for the first few months, the clinics don't give a shit about the soldiers that come back mentally scarred. I was 18 when i went to the front lines, i was there for 16 months and i did extraordinary things. It destroyed me. If i can help someone then i will, i don't want to see another human being go through what i did alone." Ichigo pulled away from Grimmjow so that she could look at his face, even in the dark she could see the truth and sadness in his bright cerulean eyes. Without warning she hugged him tightly, glad it was him that had found here and not anyone else.
"Thank you," Ichigo whispered. Grimmjow hugged her back just as tightly.
It looked terrible, deep dark purple bruises peppered her ribs.
"Looks like it hurts," Grimm muttered, appearing behind her in the mirror. A blush worked it's away across her cheeks as she hastily yanked down her shirt. It looked hideous as it blended in with the bruises down the side of her face. Ichigo had fallen asleep in his arms last night, it didn't help that she found him attractive.
"It does hurt but luckily enough none of my ribs are damaged," she muttered having painfully checked them one by one tis' morning.
"What are ya going to tell the guys at breakfast?" He asked, breakfast in ten minutes and neither he nor Ichigo owned concealer to cover the bruises on her face.
"I'm gonna tell em the truth, Gin got fucking wasted and thought he could bash the crap outta me as a reward fer putting up with all mah shitty attitude terwards 'im," she muttered, adopting Shiro's unique way of talking once more, that shit eating grin slowly consuming her face. She gave Grimmjow a middle finger salute, slipping out the room with as much grace she could muster. A barking laughter following her as she left.
