New Chapter! Hearts to Racey!
Chapter 07
Grimmjow groaned and turned over to his side. He slowly blinked his eyes open. Sky blue orbs glanced around the room and Grimmjow noticed he was not in his own bedroom. He looked down and smiled when he caught sight of unruly, but gorgeous tangerine hair. He leaned closer, brushing his face through the hair, enjoying the aroma. He couldn't believe he actually fell asleep in the smaller man's bed. Ichigo mumbled something incoherent and pushed closer to the warmth radiating from the blunet, making him smirk.
The mood was relaxing and calm. Though his arm was numb, he could care less. He felt amazing just laying there. He heard a soft mewing and looked over the edge of the bed. Pantera was pawing at the door, trying to get someone to open it for her.
"You are so needy." She just mewed and pawed at the door again. Grimmjow sighed and looked back down at Ichigo to see him still in a deep sleep. He slowly slipped his arm from under the man's head and pushed himself off of the bed. He made his way over and opened the door for the feline. He watched as she trotted down the hallway to wherever she needed to go. He peeked out and looked down the hall trying to see if anyone was walking around.
"What the hell are you still doing here?" Grimmjow sneered at the voice and turned his attention to the opposite way. He rose to his full height and glared at the red head standing before him. He was really trying to hold back his temper, but the man was just making it so difficult.
"Don't worry about it." Grimmjow was about to turn back into Ichigo's room, when he felt a hand grip his forearm. He looked over his shoulder to see Renji glaring at him.
"This is my fucking house and I asked you a question."
"I could have sworn this was Ichigo's apartment."
"I pay the fuckin' bills. It's my apartment." Grimmjow's mouth turned down and his brows creased in frustration. Was this guy really serious right now?
"Dude, can you just chill the fuck out for a minute? Why are you so against me being here? I don't do anything to you, so what's the problem?" Grimmjow turned his full attention to the red head. He really wanted to know what the problem was with him being around Ichigo. It couldn't be because of Renji's feelings, because it seemed like the man wouldn't screw up his friendship, so why?
"Ichigo doesn't need you fucking up his life. His heart has been broken enough times and you are just going to add to the list."
"So, you think you can do better?"
"…No, but…Orihime can. He needs a woman, someone gentle to take care of him. You are too much of a fucking barbarian to even be gentle for one second." Grimmjow sighed and started making his way out of Ichigo's bedroom, closing the door behind him. He leaned against it and folded his arms. He really could care less who Orihime was. If he had recalled correctly, he was the one that was pursuing Ichigo and no one was going to get in the way of that.
"Ichigo doesn't need someone to take care of him. Once you get that through your thick head then maybe you can realize the kid ain't helpless. And I don't understand how a woman is going to help any more differently than I would. So, explain to me what's so different between us, other than breasts and the fact that I don't have a vagina."
"…" Renji looked down and tried to search his mind for anything. He really didn't know what Orihime could do that Grimmjow couldn't. He knew the girl was everything Ichigo needed, so why was he speechless? He glanced up to see Grimmjow gazing at him with piercing eyes and a thin arched brow. "…Ichigo needs to feel like he's the man in the relationship." Grimmjow's eyes widened as he continued to gaze at Renji. "He needs to feel like he has control. Ichigo is in a vulnerable state right now and you are just completely overpowering him. He's not some woman, dude. He doesn't need to be with another man to make him feel that way. I just think it would be better for Ichigo's state of mind, if he was dating a woman."
Grimmjow looked away, surprised that that had even come out of Renji's mouth. In one way, he could agree with the red head. He had always treated Luppi as the woman in their relationship, but that's because the petite man acted like one. He really didn't see Ichigo as a woman, but more as a partner. They were so much alike that he just saw him as someone who he could get along with on a daily basis. A guy friend, but it went beyond that. It was hard for him to explain, but he did not see Ichigo as a woman.
"Do you think Ichigo sees himself as a woman?"
"…No, but if he stays with you, he might start to."
"You've known Ichigo way longer than me and you really think his mind would even venture to that thought?" Renji frowned as he listened to the change of tone in the bigger man's voice. "You are supposed to be his best friend. You've known him since you two were little. I don't give a damn what he's been through. You really…think…he would start to see himself as a woman?"
"Yes," Renji said in a final tone. He would not change what he thought. "You hold him like you would hold a woman. You take him out; treat him as if you are going to spoil him. You stand up for him. You…kiss…him the same way you would kiss a woman. He is your woman."
"Ichigo is not my woman. Ichigo is my partner. My companion and if you think any different, something is seriously wrong with you. To be honest, I really don't give a damn about what you think. No one but Ichigo is going to stop me from being with him. End. Of. Story. Now if you excuse me, I'm going back in the room." Grimmjow turned around and reached for the knob and began to turn it, pushing the door open.
"Hey, don't just brush this off! I'm serious."
"And so am I. You really think I'm going to take advice from someone who can't even express his own feelings correctly?" Renji seemed to keep his mouth shut after that. Grimmjow huffed out a breath and looked up to see Ichigo sitting on the bed, gazing in his direction. "Now just leave Ichigo alone. Let him live his life and decide for himself. He's not a child." Grimmjow stepped back in the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned against it, eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed.
"You heard us, didn't you?" Ichigo frowned and looked down. Grimmjow opened his eyes and glanced at Ichigo. He sighed again and made his way towards the bed. He slipped back on the bed, sliding closer to the smaller man and waited for him to speak. "Didn't you, Ichigo?"
"Yes…," Ichigo whispered. "I'm sorry for how Renji acts towards you. I don't know what is wrong with him."
"Don't worry about it. He has his reasons."
"You see me as a partner?"
"Do you want me to see you as something different?"
"I-I don't know. It's all so new. I'm not sure what I want. First, there's you and then there's…Inoue."
"Inoue?"
"Orihime. Sh-she has feelings for me. Renji said she's been in love with me since high school." Ichigo chuckled at the funny thought. "High school, Grimmjow. I knew nothing about it."
"That only means that you don't feel the same way about her as she does about you. It's nothing to be upset about."
"That's the thing. I'm not upset. I feel sorry for not seeing her feelings, but I'm not upset because I'm not in love with her. I'm upset that everyone thinks that just because she loves me, I have to be with her. It's so ridiculous. What happened to me being able to choose who I want to be with? I don't remember putting anyone else in charge of my decisions."
"Maybe they thought they could because of what happened to you." Ichigo chuckled again and shook his head.
"I'm so tired of everyone thinking I need to be babied. I really wish I had my eye-sight back."
"Well…maybe after I work this job long enough, I could-" Ichigo shook his head, knowing where Grimmjow was going with that statement.
"No, Grimmjow, I really couldn't ask you to do that. I'll get the money one way or another."
"That sounds like you're going to rob a bank or something. I don't want to see you on the night news." Ichigo smiled and leaned back in the bed. He was still tired, but he couldn't go back to sleep with all the yelling happening right in front of his door.
The blunet watched Ichigo for a moment before leaning over him and pressing his lips to Ichigo's. The oranget's mouth turned up at the edges and Grimmjow felt a hand running across his cheek. "What was that for?" Ichigo asked.
"I didn't get to say good morning." Ichigo giggled and leaned up to softly press his lips to Grimmjow's as well.
"Good morning to you, too."
Luppi paced back and forth, his fingernail being chewed off with aggravation. He hated when people were late. It was one of his biggest pet peeves. He growled, looking up at the lavender kitty clock on his kitchen wall. She was taking too long. He loved his best friend dearly, but her lateness always made him want to kill her.
He stopped and took a deep breath. He needed her. She was the only one that wouldn't think he was crazy. She was the only one that had the resources he needed to get Grimmjow back. She was always a logical thinker and her plans were always perfect. He heard his doorbell ring and quickly rushed over to answer it.
He threw open the door and glared at the dark haired woman. "Loly! What took you so long!"
"Chill out, Luppi," she said as she sauntered in. "It's not like you were going anywhere."
"That's not the point. If you say you are going to be here at a certain time, then I expect you to be here." He slammed his door shut and stomped his way back into his living room. He watched as she softly sat herself on the edge of the petite man's couch.
"Yeah, yeah. Now, what is it that you wanted? You said something about Grimmjow? I really don't understand why you want him back. He is such a brute."
"He's not a brute. He's the perfect man."
"He's a brute!" Loly yelled, stunning Luppi. She looked away and cleared her throat. "Now, I see that you love him, so I will help you. Have you gotten in contact with him since he left?"
"N-no. I was going to call him, but he probably wouldn't…answer his phone."
"That is why you have to go to him. He can't ignore you if you are in front of him."
"But-" She glared his way, waiting for him to deny that she was wrong. "…"
"Now, I think you should go to his job. He works at that fancy club, right? Just go there and pull him aside. Tell him how much you care and blah, blah, whatever."
"Wh-what if he still rejects me?" Loly hummed and tapped her finger against her chin in thought. She did wonder about that, but why would he. Luppi was perfect.
"Is he…dating someone else?" Luppi's eyes went wide and he could feel the prickling and pain in his eyes. "Lu-Luppi?" Loly watched as tears started to shed from her best friend's eyes. She quickly rose from her seat and made her way over. "I'm sorry, hon. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." She pulled him over to the couch and let him cry on her shoulder. She felt so bad for the boy. She knew he was always the happiest when he was with Grimmjow and now that he was gone, it was disappearing.
"H-he's…he's on-only sup-supposed to be with me," Luppi sobbed, making Loly frown. This was killing her. She hated to see her best friend feeling so down.
"It'll be okay. We will find out if he's with anyone. And if he is, we'll figure out how to get rid of them. Grimmjow was made for you, sweetheart, and if he makes you smile, then you should still be with him." She refused to let her friend be sad. She would do anything, just to make him smile again.
"Rukia…are you sure about this? I mean, I don't really mind and I think this is going a little over the top."
"Hime, do you love him?"
"Ye-yes."
"Then we are doing this. Get ready!"
"Ye-yes!" Rukia nodded and turned her attention to the walnut colored door. She raised her hand and knocked on it, waiting for someone to answer. When it opened, she had expected it to be Renji. She didn't expect a tall and very handsome man with blue hair to open it. Though she thought that, she also thought why was he even opening the door. He was the reason Orihime felt like shit for the last few weeks. He was the reason Ichigo's head was so fucked up.
She glared up into glorious, deep blue eyes. "What are you doing answering this door?"
The man arched a thin, azure eyebrow. "Well, I'm answering because Ichigo asked me too." She snarled, her petite body shaking with anger. She grabbed her best friend's hand, making her squeak in fear as she pushed her way past Grimmjow and into the apartment. He looked wide-eyed, but couldn't help but laugh at the action. "Well…wont you come in then?"
"Shut it you. Ichigo!" She let go of the orange haired girl's hand and stomped down the hallway. Grimmjow just stared as he listened to the small woman having a yelling contest with his orange haired partner.
"Uh…is she always like that?" Grimmjow asked Inoue, without removing his eyes from the hallway. When he didn't get a response from the woman, he glanced over at her to see her looking at him. When she caught his eyes on her, she turned away, a blush rising across her face. "You must be Orihime? Heard so much about you."
"Re-really?" She turned her full attention to the blue haired man.
"You love him." She looked down at her quivering hands. He knew? He wasn't supposed to know. Only Rukia was supposed to know that. Did that mean…Ichigo knew? Her eyes went wide and she looked back up at Grimmjow.
"D-does he know?"
"You should ask him that yourself." Grimmjow watched as Rukia revealed herself from Ichigo's room and started dragging the boy down the hallway. He wondered what the hell was wrong with this little woman. She was way too forceful for no apparent reason.
"What is that doing here, Ichigo?" Grimmjow made a noise at being called "that". He really didn't have the patience to deal with her. He already had to deal with Renji earlier that morning. "Why is he answering your door? Why is he even here? And why is he only wearing pajama pants?"
Grimmjow didn't think she had any right to even be asking those questions. Ichigo was a grown ass man and he could have whomever he wanted in his house. When the small woman didn't get an answer, she got pissed and started hitting the oranget. Grimmjow was stunned and his eyes flashed with anger. He reached them both in two strides and gripped her tiny wrist in his strong hand. He would never hit a woman, but her hitting Ichigo wasn't something he was going to just stand around and watch.
She looked up at him with wide, dark blue orbs and could see the fire in his eyes. She jerked her hand, trying to remove it from his grasp. Ichigo didn't know what was going on and Orihime stood wide-eyed at the spectacle.
"Let go," Rukia hissed. She couldn't believe this man was actually trying to hold her against her will.
"I will when you start acting as if you have some sense. You lay another finger on him and I might not be so nice next time." Rukia glared up into piercing, sky blue eyes. No one had ever stopped her from hitting Ichigo, except the orange haired man himself. It had been a back and forth thing between them since they were in high school and even though Ichigo never hit her back, she continued. She always thought of it as some little game between them.
"Why should I? I can act anyway I want." Ichigo scowled in the direction of Rukia's voice and was about to speak, when a soft voice interrupted him, surprising everyone in the room.
"N-no you can't, Rukia." The petite woman glanced over to her friend to see determined slate eyes. "I-I can't let you keep dragging me around." Grimmjow slowly released Rukia from his grasp.
"What do you mean, Hime?"
"I-Ichigo is happy. I don't want to jeopardize that. I do…lo-love him, but I will not stand around and let you break him and Grimmjow apart. It's not right."
"But Orihime-"
"No!" Rukia's eyes enlarged as she continued to gaze up at her best friend. "I don't want to do this anymore! I can't…I can't stand here and let you do this. Ichigo didn't choose me." The orange haired man could feel his insides crumpling at how hurt Inoue sounded. He couldn't see her, but he knew she had to be crying. Grimmjow was stunned, his mouth slightly hanging open. He didn't know the girl, but it seemed that she had just been following whatever the smaller girl was doing. It only made him angrier with the petite woman.
"Inoue…" Grimmjow glanced over to Ichigo, waiting for him to say something else. "I'm…I'm sorry I never realized."
The orange haired girl shook her head. She could never blame Ichigo for not seeing her love. She tried her hardest to keep it from him. She just wished she had had enough courage in high school to tell him how she really felt. Indeed, she was upset now and the tears spilling from her eyes were a sign of that, but she couldn't blame anyone but herself. She watched with blurry eyes as Ichigo cautiously made his way over to her with Grimmjow's help. The blunet wouldn't get in his way. He would stay silent and watch how everything played out.
Ichigo slowly wrapped his arms around Orihime's neck, pulling her into a hug. The girl responded by burying her face in the crook of his neck and sobbing. She wrapped her arms around his frame, gripping and pulling at his t-shirt. Ichigo felt so heartbroken as he heard her cry, but he wouldn't push her away. Though he never loved her that way, he still loved her as a friend. Inoue had always been there for him and though he never saw it as that kind of affection, he saw it as a good friend being just that, a good friend.
Inoue was a great friend and he would never give her up for anything. Even at times when Rukia and Renji annoyed him, the orange haired girl seemed to lift his spirits. She literally was an angel sent from heaven. All she ever wanted was for him to be happy and Ichigo wished he could help Inoue find happiness too.
"I'm so sorry, Inoue. I don't know how to make it up to you, but I still love you. You are an amazing friend and I love you for it. It may not be the kind of love that you want, but it's what I'm offering."
"N-no, Ichigo. It is alright." She slowly pulled away and wiped a hand across her eyes, trying to wipe the tears away. "I'm glad to have you as a friend and I'm willing to accept that offer." Inoue watched as Ichigo's lips slowly turned up, revealing a lopsided smile. He leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead, making her cheeks blush a nice rosy color.
Rukia couldn't believe her eyes. All the hard work she put into making Orihime ready to confess her feelings and even if she did, it wasn't in the way she had imagined. She frowned to herself. This wasn't right at all. Ichigo and Orihime were supposed to be together, but the orange haired girl just didn't see it that way anymore. She glared up at Grimmjow, who was watching the two orange heads.
"This is your fault," she whispered. Her voice laced with poison and her eyes burning with heat. "You are the reason they can't be together," she said louder.
"Did you ever think that you were the reason they weren't together?"
"What?"
"Orihime seems like a sweet girl. She seems shy too. But I think the reason why she never confessed to Ichigo was because of all the pressure from you to do so."
"I didn't pressure her!"
"Well, I don't know for sure, since I've just recently met you two, but from what just happened, it seems that way." He held up his hands in defense. "I'm only going by what I see with my own two eyes."
Inoue listened to what Grimmjow was saying, but didn't have a logical answer for it. She just thought she was being a coward. She sighed. Whatever the reason was, it no longer mattered. She and Ichigo no longer had a chance and there was no point in speaking about it anymore.
"Rukia, let's go. We've stayed long enough."
"But Hime-" Inoue made her way to the door, but not before she stopped and looked up at Grimmjow. The blunet stared down at her. He had to admit, she was beautiful. He wouldn't be surprised if Ichigo had chosen her over him. She loved him deeply and she seemed to be a strong girl, even if she didn't always show it. He watched as a small smile curved across her face. Her eyes spoke everything he needed to hear and she quickly turned away. She didn't wait for Rukia to follow her, but she didn't care. The petite girl could do whatever she wanted. Orihime was going to go get herself a smoothie.
Ichigo and Grimmjow laid on the couch in the oranget's living room. The sounds on the TV were subtle and were creating some kind of background ambiance. After the two women left, Grimmjow managed to make them both something to eat. After eating, they had retired to the couch where they did nothing by lay around and watch cheesy daytime drama shows. Grimmjow knew he had to go to work later on that night, but he would deal with that later on. Right now, he just wanted to relax with Ichigo and do absolutely nothing. He knew he had to think about what he was going to do when he got to America.
He already had a passport, but he didn't know what he would do about an apartment. He wondered about the little things as well. He worried about food and furniture. He worried about how he would deal with going to a new place, where he couldn't really speak the language. He knew once he got there, it would probably be okay, but his mind was in a whirlwind of panic. He looked down at Ichigo laying his head on his chest, their legs interlocked and hands lying closely together.
He wondered what Ichigo was going to do while he was gone. He knew the man wanted to start becoming independent, so he wondered what that meant for the smaller male. He hoped it wasn't something that would be dangerous, though he knew Ichigo could take care of himself. He still wanted him to be careful. He sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.
"What are you sighing about?" Grimmjow looked down to see Ichigo had turned his body around and his face was looking upward. He raised his hand and ran his fingers through soft, persimmon hair.
"Just thoughts."
"Care to explain?"
"…I was just wondering what you were going to do while I was gone." Ichigo sighed and turned his body back around, trying to snuggle closer to Grimmjow. He could still feel long, smooth fingers running through his hair.
"I was thinking about…" Ichigo could feel his lips pulling into a pout at the thought in his mind.
"About?"
"Don't laugh, okay?" Grimmjow snorted. Now he really wanted to know.
"I won't."
"Promise." Grimmjow just grunted and Ichigo sighed again. "I-I was thinking about taking up…sculpting or something." Grimmjow stared for a moment. That actually didn't sound so bad. It would give Ichigo something to do and it wouldn't be boring. "I'm not really sure. There are so much different things to do, but I just can't set my mind on doing one thing."
"Then why should you? Do them all. You can't limit yourself to one thing."
"But it sounds overwhelming."
"What did I tell you before? One step at a time. You don't have to push yourself too hard. I mean look at what you are doing at home. You're taking care of Pantera. You've gotten better about finding your way around. You can't rush perfection." Ichigo snorted and smiled.
"I'm not perfect."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Perfect," Grimmjow responded, making Ichigo giggle. "Just take it one step at a time and you'll be fine. No one is rushing you."
"You-you'll…help…me, right?"
"Only if you ask, but I think you will be able to do it on your own. I'll be here for a month, so I won't be able to help you much."
"Don't remind me. I wish you didn't have to go or at least…I wish I could go with you." Grimmjow's eyes widened as he looked down at Ichigo. He couldn't believe he had never thought of that idea. He probably wouldn't feel so out of place with Ichigo in San Francisco with him. "But…I have a life here. I can't just up and leave my sisters. Everything would be so new and different, not to mention that I wouldn't be near all my friends."
Grimmjow frowned. Ichigo was right. It wouldn't be a good idea to take him away from everything he was so familiar with. He cared about Ichigo, but he didn't want to rip him away from his life. "…That's true. Don't worry about it, though. I'll visit every three months when I have a break." He watched as Ichigo turned back around and gazed up at him, his brows pulled together, which Grimmjow always hated to see. He always enjoyed the relaxed look on the boy; though his scowls were cute, they always worried him.
"Promise?" Grimmjow chuckled and leaned forward, brushing his lips against Ichigo's. He watched as the boy's face relaxed and his brows smoothed out.
"Promise."
Orihime walked out of the smoothie shop with a kick in her step, slurping on her peanut butter and kiwi smoothie. She felt free as a bird and not weighed down by her feelings. She could still love and care for Ichigo, but she knew that they would be nothing more than friends. She smiled. She seemed fine with that. Ichigo cherished their friendship and so should she. She skipped down the sidewalk, as happy as could be and rounded the corner. She squeaked as she bumped into what felt like a wall, falling to the concrete ground and dropping her smoothie. She stared down at it with a frown before a deep monotone voice broke through.
"Are you alright, woman?" Orihime looked up into large and bright chartreuse eyes. She seemed to be in a trance, loving how they shimmered as they gazed down at her. "Woman?"
"I-it's Orihime," she said as she felt herself reaching for his pale outstretched hand. He helped her to her feet and let go of her hand. He looked down to see the spilled smoothie before looking back towards her.
"I apologize if I hurt you. I should probably buy you another smoothie." Inoue's large gray eyes enlarged more and she jumped back in an animated way.
"Oh! No, no! I'm fine!" She waved her hands back and forth in a wide fashion. "You don't have to. I was the one that bumped into you."
"I insist." She froze and slowly went back into a standing position. She scratched the back of her head, nervously, a blush slowly rising on her face.
"O-okay, if you insist." He nodded and led her back towards the smoothie shop. "By the way, I-I didn't catch your name," she said as he pulled the door to the smoothie shop open for her.
"I am Ulquiorra."
:D, Yes, I love Ulquihime. /biased I couldn't leave Inoue without love. She's so sweet. The part with Ichigo and her actually made me cry. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and please review. Also, thank you to all the reviews so far as well as the alerts and faves. They seriously keep me going. No Joke!
