So we are moving right along into chapter two. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the concept of the story. Throughout this story there will be piano music selections. They well be in italics and put into parenthesis. You don't have to listen to them, but most of the songs I chose set the mood for the story and the emotions between Ichigo and Grimmjow. Most of the songs can be found on youtube and I've given the name of the song and it's composer/artist. Also thank you to my Beta, Racey.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Chapter 02
The quiet, almost unnoticeable chatter filled the dimly light club. Dark woods, deep red colored booth chairs surrounding black granite tabletops. Silver tinned ceiling and leathered bound walls. Grimmjow had never thought this place would be where he would spend most of his nights, but it seemed that was the case. Dangai Lounge Club. The place wasn't widely known, but it was popular. It catered to young entrepreneurs trying to impress clients, hard-working businessman tired after a long day of work, young and old women who were looking for a classy man to court them and on the occasion, music lovers and people who were on their last leg and needed a good drink.
Dangai was for everyone and no one all the same. Grimmjow thought he fit in well with the swing of various people. The first time he set foot in the club, he had been dragged there by Nnoitra and Ulquiorra, his other good friend. It had been one of the worst days of his life. After working at a job he had been at for two years, he had been fired. It was lucky that he had stepped foot in that club that day.
Their club pianist had walked out because of an altercation and they needed a stand in, which made Nnoitra jump at the chance of putting Grimmjow on the spot. Grimmjow protested, but in the end played like it was nobody's business and instantly got the job.
Music had always been something that he loved more than life itself. His mother would always find him sitting in his room, with headphones over his ears and his face always in some kind of music book. It wasn't just mainstream music, no. He would listen to unknown r&b, soul and jazz musicians, violinists, saxophonists and pianists. He had started looking into wanting to play an instrument and create his own music.
It was hard for him to focus at first, but the more he listened to the blow of the saxophone and the strumming of violins, it made him want to try that much harder. He asked his mother if he could learn how to play the piano and from there he worked as hard as he could to get better and better at it. At the age of eight he was considered a piano prodigy. Playing was second nature to him and it seemed easier then learning how to write or spell.
He was learning the hardest kind of sheet music by the age of eleven without breaking a sweat. He started to write his own music at the age of fourteen, trying to compose new melodies to challenge himself even more than before. When his mother heard him for the first time, she couldn't believe her ears. She entered him in contests, had him play at local events and even went as far as having him play in pageants. He didn't care much for them though. Most of them always had snobbish kids with upturned noses and more money than they knew what to do with.
Of course he won trophies and awards and was featured in newspapers, and magazines, but he didn't care about all that. He just wanted to play music and enjoy the harmony of it. After hearing him so much and loving the way her child smiled after playing his music, Grimmjow's mother spent a good amount of money to buy her son his own piano. It wasn't a grand piano like the kind Grimmjow's eyes always sparkled for, but it was still something he would never regret having.
It was something that he cherished for a very long time. Sometimes he wished he would have kept it to remember how much his mother loved to listen to him play and he would keep playing just for her.
He stepped into the club around 6:15pm. The snow had yet to stop falling outside, but people were still sitting in those booths and chairs, conversing and enjoying the calm, romantic scene of the club.
Grimmjow sighed as he made his way to the back of the club where he usually had got ready. He wondered if his asshole of a boss was in that day. He didn't need him trying to tell him how to work his music or how to play the piano as he had been doing for the past 3½ years.
He slipped off his jacket, shaking the snow from it and hung it in his locker. He was so glad that his headaches had not come back during the time he was at home. He had had another cup of peppermint tea to sooth his mind before stepping out into the cold weather. He wished he could thank that little girl again for being a complete saint and helping him in the first place.
If it wasn't for her, he probably wouldn't even be able to work that evening without drugs in his system. He pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket and slipped it into his coat before closing the locker door. He made his way out to the front of the club and gazed at how many people were already there. He didn't go on for an hour so he had enough time to chill and maybe grab something to eat.
He made his way over to the bar and sat on the stool at the counter. The bartender came over and he grunted a hello to him. "Grimmjow, how are you this evening?"
"I'm doing fine, Shunsui. Do you think I can get something to eat?"
"Absolutely! Anything specific that you want my little Nanao to cook you?"
"Whatever she feels like whipping up in a quick minute. I don't want anything extravagant." Shunsui smirked before making his way over to the cook's window.
"My Nanao always makes things extravagant! Isn't that right, my dear?"
"Silence, Shunsui!" a womanly voice came from the other side of the wall. Grimmjow chuckled as he listened to them bantering back and forth. No one would have ever guessed that those two were happily married for ten years. He turned around and looked out at the rest of the club. It seemed there were a lot of ladies there that night, which was a little unusual, but he didn't seem to mind. He was glad the women there didn't jump on him as if he was some pop music star. He enjoyed the subtle touches, even if he was gay.
He did like women once upon a time, but it seemed that boat had sailed somewhere far away. Women did nothing for him now and he took it all in stride. Luppi was actually the only boyfriend he had throughout his homosexual awareness. He had checked out other guys throughout that time, but he never had the energy to pursue them, with having to deal with the petite man. He was glad he nipped that relationship in the bud finally and now maybe he could pursue someone new.
"Here you go." Grimmjow looked over his shoulder to see Shunsui placing a plate of food on the bar. He set down a bottle of water as well.
"Uh, Shunsui, do we have any peppermint tea?" The tall brown-skinned man looked at him funny. He knew of Grimmjow's hatred for tea. "It's for my headaches." Shunsui ignored his thoughts and went to see if there was any tea in stock in the club. Grimmjow sat there picking at his French fries before he actually put one in his mouth. He wondered what kind of music he should play for the night. He usually received a list of requests before he went on, but he needed a large variety of music to play to pass the time. 3½ hours on and off of playing was still a very long time. He smiled to himself. He was still glad that he got to play though, whether it was for three hours or even a lifetime.
"Renji!" An orange haired man stood in the hallway of his home, trying to listen for his long time friend and roommate. He couldn't believe he felt so panicked and confused in his own personal surroundings. Everything was so frustrating and he didn't think he would ever get used to seeing nothing but darkness. "RENJI!" His body shook at the thought of no one else around and him being abandoned without a way to see.
He never felt so pathetic in his life. It had only been eight months since he lost his eyesight from an unfortunate accident. It haunted him and he tried to keep his mind off of what happened. All he knew was that he was blind and the doctors said he may not be able to see again.
"Ichi, chill, I'm here, I'm here."
"Where were you!"
"I was getting your jacket. How can you be so disoriented in here when you were fine earlier today, walking around by yourself?" Ichigo reached out for the red haired man, trying to feel for him when he felt a hand clasp his. He sighed in relief and made his way closer to his friend.
"I don't know," Ichigo whispered. "This is all so new to me. Sometimes I'm fine and other times I just feel…I don't know."
"Lost?" Ichigo nodded as he stared in the direction of Renji's voice. He missed the red head's face already. He missed that smug look he always had, the long red hair, the prominent black tribal tattoos and those russet colored eyes. He hated that he wasn't able to see. "Don't worry about it. I'm here for you and so are your sisters."
Ichigo frowned. That really isn't comforting. "Uhm, where are we going anyway?"
"Rukia told me about a place that you might like. I thought we would go there tonight."
"What kind of place?"
"A club." Renji tried to help Ichigo put his jacket on, but the man snatched it from him.
"I can do it myself! I'm not handicapped!" Ichigo grumbled to himself as he put on his jacket. He hated having to have people help him with normal everyday things.
"Ichi…" The orange haired man ignored his friend. "Ichi it's…"
"It's what, Renji?" He continued to slip his hands into the sleeves of the jacket, scowling when it felt awkward.
"It's on…backwards." Renji watched as Ichigo flinched at the words and the red head frowned. "Let me just help you a little."
"I don't want any help, Renji! I just want my damn eyesight back!" Ichigo began to fiddle with the sleeves, trying to pull the jacket off and threw it to the floor. "I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay home, okay?" He turned away from Renji and reached his hand out to feel for the wall. He hoped he was going the right way and frowned when he couldn't figure out where he was.
He felt a hand in his and let it guide him to his bedroom. His brows creased in frustration and he felt like some little child. "Ichigo, I know this is hard, but you aren't meant to go through it alone. Don't go yelling at Yuzu because she keeps showing you where things are. Don't ignore Karin because she's so sarcastic about everything, just let us help you."
"What about you, Renji? Can I yell at you?" Renji just chuckled as they made it into Ichigo's bedroom. He sat the smaller man down on the bed and watched as he crawled up to where the pillows were located.
"Yeah, you can yell at me all you want." Ichigo smiled as he laid his head down on the pillow. "Just get some rest, okay?"
"Okay." Ichigo laid there for a moment before speaking again. "Renji?" He was surprised to hear the man respond to him. "We can go to the club tomorrow. What kind of club is it anyway?"
"A lounge club. Rukia thought that since you have a thing for music it might help you feel a little less depressed about what's going on. She said that there's an amazing pianist there."
"…Sounds good." Renji sat on the bed and listened as Ichigo's breathing began to even out. He waited for a while before rising from the bed and heading out the room, pulling the door slightly closed behind him. He walked down the hallway and bent over to grab Ichigo's jacket and made his way to put it back into the hallway closet.
He walked down the hallway and around the corner and looked up to see Yuzu staring at him, her normal brown hair pulled into a side ponytail and her eyes filled with sadness. "He's okay." She just nodded and went back to what she was previously doing. Renji sat at the kitchen table and watched as Yuzu worked on cooking dinner.
He was amazed at how much she, Karin and Ichigo had been through over the years. Losing their parents in a car accident and then Ichigo's ability to see. They had to grow up faster than normal kids did and most of the time didn't have enough time to do anything for themselves. They were lucky they had a relative left that was willing to adopt and take them in. Their Uncle Urahara was a strange man, but they loved him all the same.
He was there for them, no matter what the problem was and everything seemed like it would get better. That was until Ichigo got into an accident that took his eyesight away from him. It was something he was never ready for, but who would be?
To have something since you were born, know what everything looks like and then to have it taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Ichigo was devastated when the doctors told him that his eyes were damaged so badly that he wouldn't be able to see again unless he received an eye transplant.
They weren't made of money and even after insurance it was still a hefty price to pay. Ichigo was willing to get a job, but it would take some time before he would even be able to walk around the house without running into something or getting lost. Renji sighed. He was worried about his friend. He knew Ichigo could take care of himself, but sometimes he went into fits of confusion like before and didn't know where or what he was doing.
Sometimes he could go a whole day finding his way around and not feel panicked, but then there were days where he felt out of place and too afraid to move one step. It was going to be a long journey, but he knew with some time and patience Ichigo would be able to live almost normally again.
He wondered if he should call Rukia and tell them that they weren't going to be able to meet her and Inoue at the club, or to let them just go by themselves. It was a little depressing that Ichigo hadn't really been many places since his release from the hospital, other than out for a walk every now and then. He always said he hated having to hear the sympathy in people's voice when they saw he was blind or the way people tried to help him with everything.
Ichigo was never the type of person who depended on someone else to do something for him and he mostly fought his battles alone, but now that he wasn't able to see, he hated having to rely on someone else for help.
"Kurosaki residence." Renji looked up from his thoughts, not even realizing that the phone had been ringing. "Oh, hello Rukia…Yes, Renji is here." Renji watched as Yuzu conversed with Rukia. "Yes, hold on." The small brown haired girl pulled the phone from her ear and handed it to Renji, who reached out for it. He rose from the table and headed to the hallway to get a little privacy.
"Yeah, Rukia-"
"Are you two coming?" She sounded aggravated and slightly impatient.
"Ichigo said he doesn't feel like it. He said we can go tomor-"
"NO! Bring him TONIGHT! I'm tired of seeing him moping around."
"But-"
"Do I have to come over there and drag the both of you down here?" Renji cringed at the thought of the small woman coming over to cause hell.
"No, but he won't listen to me."
"Hand him the phone."
"He's sleeping."
"Hand. Him. The. Phone." Renji quickly made his way down to Ichigo's room. He could hear music drifting softly from the room. He stood in the doorway and watched as Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed and let the soft melody wrap around his oblivious figure. He had kind of figured Ichigo wouldn't be sleeping. He hadn't done much of it lately and when he did it was only when Renji was in the same room.
"We'll be there, Rukia." He disconnected the call without even getting a response from the little woman. He would deal with her rage later. He pushed open the door, listening as the creaking of it sounded much louder in the room.
"Renji?" Ichigo looked over his shoulder and in the direction of the noise.
"Yeah, it's me Ichigo." He made his way over and sat next to Ichigo on the bed. "I thought you were sleeping." Ichigo shook his head and turned back to look forward. He wasn't sure what it looked like outside, but he guessed it was the evening. "Then…how about we go to the club? Rukia just called me."
Ichigo clenched and unclenched his fists against his dark blue cotton pants. He didn't feel comfortable being in large crowds right now. The thought made him shiver at what could happen. "I don't know, Renji. What if something-"
"Nothing is going to happen. Stop being such a worrywart. You were never like this." Ichigo frowned at the comment, but he knew it was true. He never worried that much about silly things.
"Okay. It might be nice to get out. Just for a bit."
"That's the spirit."
"Renji, I don't know about this." Ichigo and Renji had finally made it to the club. The drive over was a hassle, being that since the snow was heavily falling. Renji was going to call Rukia and say it was way too stormy, but he just ignored that feeling and tried to make his way to the club as fast and safely as possible.
He was surprised when he noticed the parking lot was almost full to its capacity. He had only heard of the club from Rukia and never thought it would be that popular. When they stepped out of the car, Ichigo instantly felt the need to move inside. It was just far too cold to stand in one spot. His forest green military peacoat was pulled tight and buttoned up completely and his black beret hat covered most of his hair and ears.
Renji insisted he wear sunglasses, but he didn't want to hide his blindness, just because it always gave him sympathy and special treatment, he just wanted people to treat him like a normal person. They made their way inside, Ichigo holding on to the edge of Renji's jacket because Renji said it was far too crowded for him to use his walking stick.
They walked around people, making sure not to bump into anyone, even by accident. They walked down a small set of stairs and Renji saw Inoue and Rukia sitting at a booth that was a little close to the stage. Renji thought this was going to be like a normal club, but it was more like a concert hall or some kind of theatre the way that the place was situated.
"Renji, Ichigo, you made it!" Orihime waved at Renji as they made their way over to the booth. Ichigo began to pull his jacket off, but left his hat on to keep from drawing attention to himself. He slipped into the booth seat with the red head's help and came a little too close to Inoue, which made her cheeks blush a dark rosy color. No matter what had happened, she still had the biggest crush on the orange haired man.
Rukia smirked at the blush across Orihime's face. She knew Ichigo had always been oblivious to the way Inoue looked at him. He would be more oblivious to it now, and if the orange haired girl didn't say something, she would never get a chance to be with him.
"I'm glad you came out, Ichigo." Said man turned his attention to where Rukia's voice was coming from and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm glad too." She could hear the sadness in his voice, but he seemed like he was genuinely happy to be out with the rest of his friends. She watched as his hands were slightly shaking, making her frown and glance at Renji. The red haired man was frowning as well when he caught sight of the shaky hands. He guessed Ichigo wasn't lying when he said he felt nervous in big crowds.
"Are you guys hungry?"
"Yuzu made sure we ate a snack before we left, but it couldn't hurt to eat again if we get hungry." Renji looked around, wondering where this so-called amazing pianist was. "So when is this guy suppose to go on?"
"In a few minutes. He doesn't start until 7:15 and its only 7:10. I'm surprised you guys were actually able to get in here with so much commotion going on. I've never seen so many people here, even if it is a Friday."
"Is this guy really that good?" Rukia just nodded, but didn't elaborate. She would let him see for himself. "Well, I'll let Ichigo be the judge of that. He's the music addict out of the group."
"Shut up, Renji. I am not. I just enjoy music."
"There's nothing wrong with being addicted to music. It's better than being addicted to food or drugs or even shopping." Ichigo just snorted, but didn't say much else. He was glad he was relaxing a bit. This was a good sign for him after feeling so nervous while he was out most of the time.
"Oh! There he is. I swear he's got to be the most gorgeous man I've ever seen." Renji rolled his eyes while Inoue just nodded, but she only thought he was the second gorgeous. Ichigo would always be her number one.
Grimmjow peeked from behind the circular window of the backroom door and saw that the place was packed far more than usual. It was making him feel nervous. He hadn't played in front of so many people since he was a teenager. He wondered if his boss was behind this. It was a lounge club, not some theater. He ran a hand through his blue locks and took a deep breath. He had to relax before he had a nervous breakdown.
"Grimmjow, what is the problem?" Speak of the devil. Here came his boss. The blunet glared over his shoulder at his smiling boss. The man always was such a pain in his ass.
"The problem is that if you are turning this place into some concert hall, than you need to be paying me more."
"Alright." Grimmjow turned his full body around to watch his boss. He narrowed his eyes at the smiling man, trying to gauge if he was lying or not. "You were getting paid twenty dollars an hour, so how about sixty dollars an hour?"
"Seriously?" The brown haired man's smile widened and he nodded. Grimmjow lowered his eyes and bit his lip. That, plus the money he made as a waiter, would be more than enough for him. "Okay, I'll do it."
"Good, I'll need you to wear this." Grimmjow sneered at what his boss was showing him. He hated those damn suits. He always felt like he was going to choke to death in them.
"No, I wear what I want or no deal."
"Grimmjow…"
"Aizen…no suit or no deal. You have a packed house. Do you really want me to walk out of here just because you want me to wear some monkey suit?"
"…Must you always be so difficult?"
Grimmjow turned his back to his boss and began to walk out to the front of the club. "Yes." He made his way down the dark brown-carpeted stairs and around the side towards the raised stage. He watched as people conversed amongst themselves, laughing and enjoying the atmosphere the club provided. He was glad all eyes weren't on him or he would feel even more nervous. He watched as the spotlight brightened a bit and moved toward the grand piano situated in the middle of the stage.
He sat upon the bench and opened the lid that covered the rows of white and black. He looked down at them, blowing out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He cracked his knuckles and then his neck. The loud chatter began to quiet down and Grimmjow could feel a lot of eyes on him. He let the weight fall from his fingers and let them rest against the keys of the piano before he started to play a short and jazzy piano improvisation to calm his nerves and relax his fingers.
The whole club was silent and all that could be heard was the melody coming from the glistening black piano. Shunsui looked on, completely stopping the cleaning of glasses when he heard Grimmjow getting into his normal vibe. Even Nanao peeked out from her cook's window for a quick view and sound to dance through her ears.
Aizen leaned against the door that led to the back of the club with his eyes closed. He would have never thought that such a brash man would be able to play the piano so beautifully. When he heard him the first time, he was utterly speechless, which wasn't a normal thing for him. The blunet had amazing talent and Aizen always wondered why he wasn't playing in Paris or Germany, even in America for some well-known orchestra.
He guessed it was because Grimmjow didn't see himself fitting in with it, but he wouldn't get anywhere playing in a simple lounge club that was in the middle of a small town like Karakura. He couldn't really complain though. He was a person who loved a little classical music and he enjoyed listening to the boy play.
Ichigo sat in the booth with his eyes closed as well. He couldn't believe such a person actually lived in Karakura. Most of the great musicians stayed in Tokyo, even Osaka, but there was one right in his neighborhood. He seriously couldn't believe his ears. The harmony was making his heart flutter and his body relaxed at the way the man's fingers flowed across the keys. He massaged them as if they were the skin of the one he truly loved and Ichigo could tell whoever this man was, he really did enjoy what he was doing. Everything else around him died away and the music penetrated him straight to his soul.
Grimmjow was finally getting into his normal swing of things. He could feel his mind soothing with the harmonic crescendo. He let his fingers glide across the ebony and ivory rectangular keys. This was his haven away from the problems of the world. He could play the piano until his fingers fell off and then play a little more after that. It was his lifesaver and he owed the music he played everything for helping him through the tough times.
He could feel the sweat across his brow at the intensity of the moment and the brightness and burning of the stage lights, but he wouldn't move an inch away from it. He would let that liquid roll down his face and enjoy how he felt when he was in the middle of working his music the way he normally did. He watched as his fingers fleeted across the keys as if he was working a hammer to a nail, hammering away at them like it was the best job in the world and he realized that he had just begun.
2½ hours later
Grimmjow chuckled at the people applauding him as if he had just finished singing the hardest song in the world. There were people screaming for encores and extra songs to be played, but he didn't think he could play another piece at the moment. As much as he would love to, he had played his soul out for the rest of the night and was ready to take a breather. He eyed the crowd and thought it wouldn't hurt to play one last song as an encore and a cool down. After he got an ear full of praises he sat back down at the piano. He watched on as Shunsui came down with a bottle of water like he normally did after Grimmjow played. "Thanks man."
"No problem, just keep that music coming," the brown haired man threw over his shoulder, as he made his way back up to the bar. Grimmjow opened the bottle and took a swig of water before closing it back up and setting it down on the hardwood floor. He started undoing his long-sleeved button down to let some air hit his sweating and hot chest and he heard a group of ladies whistle and ask for his phone number. He chuckled at the antics, and let his fingers run across the piano.
"Sorry ladies, music is my only woman." The females giggled, enjoying how playful Grimmjow was being.
Ichigo sat at his booth with wide unseeing eyes. He had heard that voice before. He couldn't place where, but he knew for sure that he had heard it recently. He furrowed his brows together in frustration, trying to pinpoint where, but gave up when the mysterious pianist started to play a soft melody.
[Indigo by Yiruma]
The club was silent yet again as Grimmjow played a tune that was beautiful in every way. The softness was totally opposite from Grimmjow himself, but he was used to playing romantic melodies. He spent a whole year playing nothing but classical and amorous music so that he could learn how to play the piano softer. He had always been a man of variety, so of course he didn't want to limit himself to one type of music. No one would have ever thought a man like him would love the softer sides of some things, a man who in high school -despite playing the piano- fought in more fights than he could ever remember. He was always a badass kid. He stole from people, even though he knew that it was wrong. He would get caught in compromising situations that always lead to his mother finding out and punishing him. She even went so far as to ban Grimmjow from playing the piano, which hurt him, more than anything else did.
One would say he was and still is obsessed with playing the piano, but it was like someone who was addicted to some drug, or in love with a show that they religiously watched every time it came on TV. It was his weakness, his addiction and he would do anything, just to have it.
He let his fingers flow through the song. He always enjoyed playing this song. It always reminded him of his mother. He would never forget anything she had ever done for him. Even after his father left, she was still as strong as ever. It was always just him and his mother. He could care less where his father was, whether he was dead or alive. He had left and he wasn't waiting for him to come back. He was coming to the closing of the song when he looked up. He scanned the club full of people in the dim light.
His eyes narrowed on a table that was situated somewhere in the front. Two women and two males, he was sure of. That spiky, long maroon colored hair was something new. It was nothing like that orange spiky chaos he had seen earlier that day, but it was still interesting. He looked back down at his hands, so that it didn't seem like he was staring. He didn't really need to watch his hands to play the piano. It was all about touch and feel so he lifted his head up again.
His eyes zeroed in on a sea of white. Is that the blind man from earlier today? He could be seeing things because of all the bright lights. The man had on a hat and was hiding the crucial piece to figuring out if the man Grimmjow was gazing at had fiery orange hair. He played the last few notes of the song before it was completed and he rose from the bench, the crowd clapping and whistling at him with more praises.
He was tired and he still had to work his normal waiter shift. He couldn't make a living off of just playing the piano, so Aizen had hired him as a waiter as well since there weren't that many employees. He quickly made his way to the back of the club and headed for the bathroom. He relieved himself and rinsed his face off. When he stepped out of the washroom, Aizen was leaning against the wall, eyeing him.
"Che, what is it, Aizen?" He asked as he walked over to his locker to slip on his dark green apron.
"Nothing. I just wanted to say you did an exceptional job tonight, but that's really nothing new."
"Yet you're always trying to tell me how to play the piano." Grimmjow glared over his shoulder at the always-smiling man. "And what the hell are you so damn happy about all the time?" Aizen's smile grew wider and he chuckled at Grimmjow.
"Why wouldn't I be happy? I have nothing to really complain about. Is there a reason why I should be upset? Did you break something that I should know about?"
"Don't answer questions with questions. Just…it's kind of creepy when you're always so smiley."
"Well, you don't want to see me while I'm frowning or angry. Now…why don't you mingle with your fans and maybe serve some food? That is your job." Grimmjow slammed the door to his locker closed and grumbled as he walked back out to the front of the club. He glared in the direction of the bar and noticed the other waiters already doing their jobs. The normal background music was back on, playing quietly and the guest and club goers were back to conversing and having a good time.
He relaxed and smoothly made his way towards the bar, grabbing his normal pen and pad and set off to take some orders.
"I told you he was amazing. When have I ever been wrong?"
"A lot of times, but I have ta' admit. The man's got some skills." He turned to see Ichigo still looking in the direction where the music had been coming from. "What about you, Ichi? What did you think?"
Ichigo continued to stare, trying to find the words for what he felt. He was in love with the music that had come from the fingers of the pianist. That was the only explanation he could think of at the moment. That last song had absolutely taken his breath away and he needed to find a way to hear it again.
"I-it was…amazing." Ichigo knew that wasn't the right word, but that was all he could think of. He closed his eyelids and sighed. He was a little tired now that he had stayed there and listened for two hours straight. The fact that he didn't get much sleep the night before might have been adding to the problem as well. He was a little hungry too and wondered if they could get something to eat soon.
"Oh, he's a waiter too!" Rukia seemed excited that the blunet was heading over to their table dressed in a dark colored apron. Her eyes glistened with excitement at being able to see the gorgeous pianist up close.
"Good evening." Ichigo perked up at the voice he immediately realized was the man from earlier that day. He had remembered bumping into someone with a nasty attitude only to show a little sympathy afterwards. Ichigo frowned to himself. He hated getting sympathy, but he guessed it was a normal reaction.
"You were so good. I come here all the time to hear you play."
"Well that's good to know. I'm glad you enjoyed." Rukia smiled big at the blue haired man, before realizing she was staring.
"Oh, uhm I guess we should order, huh?" She softly chuckled to herself. Renji just glared in her direction as she gave Grimmjow her order. Everyone around the table ordered before it came to Ichigo.
"And what about you?" Ichigo was looking in the direction of the voice, wishing he could put a face to the velvety deep tone.
"Ichi, he's talking to you," Renji whispered.
"Oh, uhm, I'm not sure. What's good here?"
"Depends on what you want to eat."
"Uhm, do you have fish?" Grimmjow chuckled low before responding with an affirmative answer. He could figure something out for the man he finally realized was the one from before. He was about to leave to give the order when that voice spoke again. "Uhm, I might sound a little crazy, but I recognize your voice." Grimmjow smiled to himself before turning around.
"I thought I was the only one hearing things. I'm sorry about bumping into you earlier today; I had a lot on my mind." Ichigo gave a soft smile that made Grimmjow's heart flutter, but he ignored the feeling.
"You really are amazing at what you do. I would love to hear you play again."
"Well I work here five times a week, but I only play three days out of the five."
"Are you playing tomorrow night?"
"Yeah. If you want, I can save you the same seat for tomorrow." Ichigo's smile seemed to get brighter at the thought of hearing the man play again and Grimmjow wanted to smile back. He kept his cool though. He didn't want to seem overly happy about the prospect of seeing the orange haired man again. He may not be able to see his smile, but his friends would.
"That would be great. Uhm, I'm Ichigo by the way, just so you can remember."
Chuckling, the blunet responded, "It's kind of hard to forget your voice, but I'm Grimmjow." Ichigo blushed a little at the hidden message. He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.
"Well it was nice to…meet you."
"You too. I guess I should go get these orders in before you all starve to death, ne?" Grimmjow made his way towards the bar, oblivious to the glare coming from the petite woman or the frown on the orange haired woman's face. He really couldn't believe his luck. Life seemed to be turning around for him and it all was because of a little music.
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