Hey guys! A new chapter. There will be a small A/N at the end of it, so be sure to read it. But onward to the goodness.

Chapter 22

The sky was dull and the sun missing from up above. If it wasn't for the heat, no one would think that it was summer. Light showers drizzled down, sliding across the window of Renji's car. Cerulean eyes gazed out, the beating of Grimmjow's heart racing as he sat in the passenger seat. The other cars drove pass them, going the opposite direction as they sat stuck in the torturous traffic. Grimmjow knew God had to be punishing him for some reason, because he wouldn't have made him wait for this moment if that wasn't the case. He was trying to rush fate as if it had a fast-forward button, the idea of Ichigo being awake still not sinking into his mind. He needed to actually see it, view the proof with his own blue eyes. It had been weeks since he had seen Ichigo in a conscious state and he just couldn't wait any longer. Aqua eyes were wide and frantic, gazing out directly in front of him.

It was taking too long to be able to see those endless white pools, to hear that deep and strong voice. And it was taking far too long to see that smile, to kiss those lips and feel them kissing him back. Sighing, he slowly ran his sweaty hand through his hair, feeling it shivering slightly, just as much as his legs were shaking and his heart beating rapidly. He was nervous. He could admit that this situation was scaring the shit out of him, more than anything else had. Ichigo had done something to him and he couldn't find it in himself to be cool about anything that revolved around the orange haired man. God damn his nerves. God damn his state of mind and the fact that he was freaking out. His mind was racing at the million of things that could have gone wrong throughout the time after the accident.

What if Ichigo wouldn't be able to walk again? What if the brain damage had been more severe than they previously thought? But the worst thing that was going through Grimmjow's mind was; what if Ichigo didn't remember him? Months and months of dedication and cherishing moments gone down the drain, making him not be able to live with himself. It made his heartthrob and his chest grow tight at the idea of this all being his fault. He couldn't live with the guilt and heartbreak of Ichigo not ever remembering his family and friends, not being able to remember their good times together or the special and intimate times they shared. The thought of having to create new memories to override the hidden ones or that Ichigo wouldn't want him anymore was just too much to bear.

His eyes widened a bit more and he covered his hand over his mouth, hoping it would stop the bile that was threatening to rise. The wasn't something he could even bear. The thought of Ichigo not wanting to be with him hurt more than he thought it would. The love he had for the man wouldn't be accepted, the memories of what they had would be forgotten and Grimmjow would be just as alone as he was before.

If it came down to that, he didn't know if he would be able to handle it. He would disappear from everyone's life, as if he had never even existed.


Renji could tell Grimmjow was a nervous wreck. The man's body was quivering and he could see the perspiration forming on the man's skin. The red head couldn't blame him. It was stressful just pulling into the hospital parking lot. The thought of what Ichigo was going through was enough to make him just as nervous and he didn't know what the outcome would be. He had called Orihime and Ichigo's sister's to let them knew that Ichigo was awake and he hoped they would keep him calm when they got there.

Renji found a parking spot and started to pull into the area slowly, turning his car off and leaning back into the chair. He had thought Grimmjow would launch himself out of the car before it even rested to a stop, but there Grimmjow was, stiffly seating in the passenger seat. His body was rigid, almost looking completely petrified.

"Grimmjow?" he mumbled, but the man did nothing to respond. Renji was starting to worry and he reached his hand out, poking the blunet in the arm.

"…What-what if he doesn't remember me, Renji?" Grimmjow said, his eyes still trained in front of him. The man's voice was filled with confusion and anguish. The red head gazed at Grimmjow, his lips turned down. He knew it wasn't the time to be smart, saying that he would finally get his chance to be with Ichigo. He actually felt bad for the blue haired man. Grimmjow really did love Ichigo and Renji could understand what the man was going through.

Looking away, he sighed, his russet eyes glimmering with unshed tears. This situation was so depressing. But he knew he had to be strong, especially if Grimmjow was going to start breaking down. "…Ichi would never let himself forget about you. I haven't seen him so happy for a long ass time and I think he would never let someone like you slip from his mind. You gotta remember how strong Ichigo actually is." Look at him, trying to comfort the very man that he hated. That was his chance to say hurtful things and damage Grimmjow's pride a bit more, but he just didn't have it in him. He wasn't a heartless man and he hated seeing the blunet go through the pain.

Renji unlocked the car and opened the door. Deep red-brown eyes watched the falling rain, it sliding down the inside of the car door and window. "You have to be able to face all this, Grimmjow, and be strong for Ichigo. You are his rock, remember?" Blue eyes looked over and watched Renji step out of the car, closing the door behind him.

That was right; he was Ichigo's rock. He was the person that had been keeping Ichigo grounded. That was something he knew he would always be. No matter how much Ichigo forgot about him, he knew that somewhere the oranget would keep a piece of him. Grimmjow was the only thing keeping Ichigo in his happy state. The dependency on him from Ichigo was something he wanted to get rid of, but it would be the only thing that kept Ichigo remembering just who Grimmjow actually was. So he reluctantly pushed the doubt and fear down into the pit of his stomach and took a deep breath.

Pushing the car door open, he stepped out into the rain, the drops feeling good against his hot skin. Closing the door, he followed Renji towards the monumental hospital. The streets were a shade darker, drenched in the rain. Ambulances were lined up off to the side and the sky was still as gray as ever. The wet plants swayed in the soft warm breeze, a weird contrast to the cooling rain.

They stepped into the lobby, the place bustling with people. The waiting room chairs were filled with various visitors and nurses and doctors made their way to and fro towards the destinations. They ignored it all, knowing where they were going and headed straight for Ichigo's room. Grimmjow's nerves were on edge and jumpy. He still wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to see what was going to happen. Walking down the long white corridor was daunting, and Grimmjow felt like it could go on forever. He actually didn't mind if it did. It would give him some time to be ready to see Ichigo. It would maybe calm his nerves of the situation. He was about to see Ichigo. It didn't feel like any other time that he had been sitting next to he oranget's bed. The atmosphere was different.

The nausea was starting to come again and he had to stop for a moment to take a deep breath. He looked up seeing Renji still walking and his legs slowly started to move again, completely quivering. Finally making it to Ichigo's room, Grimmjow stood next to Renji, staring at the wooden door.

"...How about you go in first? I can wait until you're finished. I know when Orihime, Yuzu and Karin get here you won't have any alone time." Grimmjow stiffly nodded and slowly made his way towards the door, softly pressing his hand onto the cold wood. It was now of never. He wasn't ready, but he couldn't wait any longer to see Ichigo. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and passed through the threshold, letting the door slowly swing closed behind him.


A Few Hours Earlier

Ichigo sat on the edge of the only tall building in his inner mind, his long legs dangling off the side. His eyes gazed down at Shiro who had yet to leave the all white piano bench, the soothing sounds of the music echoing around him. He didn't know long he had been in there, but he was sure it had been quite a while. The calming voice of Grimmjow had been missing for a few days and he wondered if he had already been abandoned. Shiro told him to stop thinking about such nonsense, but he still had doubt. Grimmjow had been dealing with his inability for quite some time and Ichigo figured that the blunet was just tired of it. He didn't blame Grimmjow for wanting to leave. All he ever did was give and give and Ichigo had become selfish with it all. It was nice that someone had loved him no matter what, but he knew everyone had their limit and he guessed Grimmjow over jumped his.

Looking down at his fingers, he sadly smiled, thinking about all the good times he and Grimmjow had had. The man had given him so much happiness, had so much faith in him and whatever happened would never change the love he had for the blunet.

"What are ya' all mopy about?" Ichigo looked up when he heard Shiro's voice. The man was slowly sitting down next to him and Ichigo wondered when he had gotten there. The frown on the orange head's lips were unseen by Shiro, but he could feel the sadness rolling off of the man.

"Just thinking about Grimmjow."

"…Are ya still goin' on about that? I told ya to stop worryin'. He ain't goin' nowhere," Shiro huffed out.

"How do you know? He could be back in America for all you know!" Shiro frowned and fell back, landing softly onto the top of the invisibly white building.

"Do ya really think he would leave ya? When has he ever said he wouldn't be there? And why the hell say he loved ya then just up and leave? Stop being stupid, Ichigo." Shrio heard the oranget sigh and he turned over, leaning his head against his fist. "What's the real problem, King?"

Ichigo frowned and gazed out onto his white inner world. He really didn't know what was wrong. Maybe he was scared of being abandoned by the first person he had fallen in love with. Maybe he was scared of being hurt, realizing that Grimmjow had been playing him the whole time. Or maybe it was that he was just scared to be in love, of getting hurt. He had already been hurt so many times that he didn't know how much he could take. It wasn't so much the aftermath, but the initial action.

Hearing about his parent's death had struck something in him that he could never forget. At that very second everything had come crashing down around him and he knew life wouldn't be the same afterwards. But he had found happiness in his friends and life started to go back to normal. The hole in his heart was still there, but he was no longer sad about it.

When he had been at the train station, he had never thought he would be in that horrifying accident. It had been a normal day and he had been doing normal things. Going downtown was common for him and he always took the train, but something about that day had hit him hard, resulting in his loss of sight. The moment it happened, there wasn't much to think about. All he could remember was excoriating pain and all around fear for his life. When he woke up in the hospital, he didn't understand what had happened, but the fact that he couldn't see had been a shock, but he had learned to live with it, even though it was hard. And it was all thanks to his friends, family, but most of all, Grimmjow.

So, if Grimmjow just up and let him it would hurt, almost as much as his parents leaving him that tragic night. It would hurt to his very core. He knew he would probably get over it, but he didn't even want to think about getting over Grimmjow. The blunet had been a miraculous existence in his life and he didn't want to even think how it would be without Grimmjow around.

"…Nothing, I guess. I'm just thinking about stupid stuff." Shiro gazed out in front of him, listening to Ichigo's soft breathing before slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position and folding his arms across his knees.

"I wanna tell ya somethin', King."

"Wha?" Ichigo said, turning his attention towards the white skinned man.

"When ya get out of here, ya might not see me anymore."

Wha? But I thought you said-"

"I know what I said, but that might change. It all depends on ya decisions when you wake up."

"…What's that supposed to mean?" Shiro just smiled leaning his head down onto his crossed arms. Those white eyes gazed at Ichigo and the oranget could see a slight hue of gold shining, the pupils holding amusement. It made Ichigo wonder just what color Shiro's eyes had been before he had become blind.

"You'll find out. If you follow ya heart than we might meet again. But just know this might be the last time ya see me." Ichigo frowned, not liking the sound of that. He had come to enjoy Shiro's company and he really hoped that this wouldn't be the last time they met.

The pale man smiled wider before looking up into the air. "It's time for ya to go."

"Wha?"

"Yer waking up. I thought it would take longer, but I guess yer mind is tired of waitin'. Don't worry about me, worry about Grimmjow from now on." Ichigo's eyes widened when he noticed his vision starting to fade, only hearing the sound of Shiro's chuckling. "Just don't ferget about me when ya wake up. I'll make ya regret it."

Ichigo only nodded, still too surprised about what was happening. He could feel himself drifting from his mind, the soft feeling of bed sheets beneath him and the pain of tired and unused joints. Was he really about to awake? His smiled softly to himself. It was finally time to see Grimmjow.


Grimmjow stood in front of the door, watching the doctor standing over by the bed. He couldn't see Ichigo's face, but the raspy and deep voice was something he would never forget. His body shivered at just hearing it, it sending waves of comfort through him. Ichigo was okay, at least he hoped. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but he was standing too far away to see. His legs stiffly moved and he felt like he was about to make the biggest confession in his life. His breath hitched when he got closer, seeing the oranget's hand move about above the covers.

Getting closer he stood next to the doctor and the average sized woman smiled up at him. Her obsidian hair was long, pulled over her shoulder in a braid. He nodded at her and she nodded back before excusing herself from the room. Grimmjow glanced back over, seeing Ichigo gazing his way, a soft smile pulled across his lips. He didn't know what to do. His heart was pounding against his chest, threatening to jump out. Grabbing the chair that was near, he pulled it closer to the bed, only to stand in front of it. Aqua eyes gazed down, assessing Ichigo from toe to head. The man's legs were still covered by the blanket so he couldn't see much, but he gazed at the pale hands and arms, wondering how long ago had Ichigo lost the peachy color. He could tell that Ichigo had lost some weight even with the nourishment tube stuck in his arm.

"Grimmjow?" Said man shivered at the soft voice and he wanted nothing more than to pounce onto Ichigo. The man was fragile now and he knew Ichigo would break if he chose to be too rough. So he sighed dejectedly and lethargically sat himself down in the chair, pulling it even closer to the bed.

"Hey, Ichigo." He was so relieved that the oranget still remembered him. It brought him a small bout of joy and he could feel himself slowly relaxing again. "How ya doing?"

"…Good. A bit tired though. I guess the coma didn't do much good for me." Grimmjow just smiled, looking back down towards the oranget's hands. He wanted to hold them, hold Ichigo. He wanted to smother him with love at that very second, but his body just couldn't move. His limbs were trembling and he was apprehensive.

"U-uh, what did the doctor say?" That made Ichigo frown and he looked down towards his legs, a pained expression on his face. Grimmjow didn't enjoy the look at all and he feared what Ichigo would say.

"No-nothing much yet. They are going to do tests tomorrow. She just checked my vitals and stuff. She said she's not too worried about brain damage, but more worried about my muscles and nerves." Ichigo's frown seemed to deepen and he sighed before lying back against the pillows. "…It's really hard to move my legs. It might be just because I've recently woken up, but it's already been about an hour."

Sapphire eyes lowered and Grimmjow shut them tightly, fisting his hands against his pants. If Ichigo never walked again it would be his fault. "I-I'm so sorry, Ichigo. Thi-this is all my fault."

"Shut up," Ichigo mumbled, making the blunet flinch and look up. He watched Ichigo's hand rise and felt it slide across his own, calming his muscles. "I-I don't know what really happened, but it's not your fault, Grimmjow." The blunet shook his head, knowing that it was in fact his fault. Luppi had attacked the oranget and if Grimmjow had stayed away none of that would have happened. His heart was breaking at the sheer pained look on Ichigo's face and he didn't know what to do with himself.

Ichigo's fingers smoothed over the soft skin of Grimmjow's hand, realizing just how much he missed the man. This wasn't enough after being sleep for so long. He needed more, needed to be smothered in Grimmjow's warmth. It was his right to be selfish, right? He was allowed to have this time to get whatever he wanted. Gripping Grimmjow's hand, he slid his fingers around and pulled at his hand, getting the man to stand from the chair. He knew he wouldn't have to tell Grimmjow what to do. His ears could hear the soft creaking of the bed and the shuffling of sheets.

Before he realized it, strong arms had moved him slightly over and he felt Grimmjow in the bed next to him, the soft hair lying against his chest. His lips turned up and he leaned over, pressing his lips against the blue hair, then against Grimmjow's forehead, hearing the soft sigh. "I missed you, Grimmjow."

The blunet looked up, seeing those white orbs looking down at him, a soft smile pulled on Ichigo's face. "Missed you too, Ichi." The oranget's smile grew wider and he leaned over, pressing his lips against the blunet's softly. It made Grimmjow's insides explode with passion and this was what he had been waiting on for the last two months. Everything would be okay now. No matter what happened, he would make sure to give Ichigo the best life he could ever ask for. He would cherish every moment with the oranget and never take him for granted. Almost losing Ichigo before was enough to spook him and he never wanted anything like that to happen again.


When everyone arrived to see Ichigo, it was a frenzy of questions and conversations, but Ichigo never let Grimmjow leave. He kept the man locked in his tight grasp as they laid on the bed. He knew it was probably embarrassing for Grimmjow, but he needed to man there. He needed to make sure that Grimmjow never left him. The words that Shiro had spoke to him were still rolling around in his mind and he should believe in them, believe in their love. Grimmjow wasn't just going to up and leave him, and he hoped the three words that were spoken were true.

Karin and Yuzu had looked so relieved seeing Ichigo awake and the oranget couldn't be happier to see his little sisters. Yuzu took it upon herself to crawl into the bed with him and Grimmjow and she refused to leave. The blunet didn't seem to mind and neither did Ichigo, enjoying the comfort from his little sister. Inoue and Ulquiorra had come as well, Orihime leaving a large bouquet of flowers as well as some weird chocolates she had made. Ichigo wasn't going to eat them, but the gesture was sweet and he thanked her for it. Rukia only stayed for a little while, her grudge against Grimmjow still showing in her voice and words. Ichigo was glad to see her, but wished she would have stayed longer.

He really didn't understand the sheer hate she had for the blunet. Renji had been the same way, but they had become somewhat closer after this ordeal and Ichigo wished Rukia would act the same way. It was bothersome hearing that she was glaring, having a prominent look of disguist on her face, but he guessed everyone couldn't be happy about his relationship.

After a while everyone was getting ready to leave. Well, everyone except Yuzu and Renji. The little brown haired girl wanted to spend time with her big brother and Grimmjow and even though Karin thought they all should leave, Ichigo said it would be okay.

So there they were, three people huddled in a small bed while Renji looked on from across the way. It was an interesting sight to see in the red head's eyes, Grimmjow's large frame lying off to the side of Ichigo while Yuzu practically hugged against Ichigo's waist. He listened on as the small girl asked a series of questions, getting small chuckles and quiet answers from Ichigo. Renji decided that maybe it would be a good idea for him to leave as well. He wasn't needed and he had already said what he needed to say to Ichigo.

Rising up from the chair, he quietly made his way towards the door.

"Renji?" His feet stopped and he looked over his shoulder, waiting for Ichigo to speak again. "...Are you leaving?"

"Y-yeah, I'll come back tomorrow."

"...Good. I wanna talk to you. We didn't get to really talk much and I want to speak with you about something." Renji frowned, but nodded. He wondered what that could possibly be. There hadn't been anything going on between them two for a while and the sudden want of privacy was confusing. He said his goodbyes and left quietly, giving the three people their privacy.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu whispered after a while.

"Hmm?"

"Grimmjow's asleep." Ichigo just chuckled, lowering his hand down onto the man's head. He let his fingers ghost through course locks, loving the feel of soft strands between his fingers. "He hasn't been getting much sleep though, so I guess it's okay."

"How has Grimmjow been, Yuzu? He wouldn't tell me."

"Mmm," Yuzu responded, tapping her finger against her chin. She laid her head down and gazed up at the ceiling. "He's been having a hard time. He wasn't eating or sleeping much. Karin said he's been stressing a lot about your accident. I mean he flew all the way out here and he's missing work and stuff."

Ichigo frowned, looking down towards Grimmjow. He didn't like the sound for Grimmjow stressing or the fact that the blunet was being interrupted from his dream job. It made him happy that Grimmjow had come all the way there to see him, but he felt bad about taking away from the man's good life. Leaning back against his pillow, he thought about what would happen after he was released from the hospital. He would probably be leaving Japan for good. It was a big change, but he was willing to finally go through with it.

"Yuzu…how would you feel if I moved away from Japan and moved in with Grimmjow?"

"You're leaving?" Yuzu asked with surprise, pushing herself up from the bed.

"I-I don't know yet. Probably though. I think it might be better for our relationship if I move to America and live with him. Plus, it's nice for a change."

"W-would you still visit us?" Ichigo smiled and pulled Yuzu close, pressing his lips against her hair.

"Of course, I could never leave my sisters alone. You guys can visit America too. Might be fun." The brown haired girl beamed with joy and Ichigo could feel it radiating from her. "But first, there's a lot to take care of here," Ichigo mumbled, leaning back against his pillow and slowly closing his eyes.

Starting with Renji.


A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. There's still no clear information about what the accident did to him, but you will find out in the next chapter. Also since school will be starting next month, I'm trying my hardest to update/finish as much as I can before then. There is no telling how much time I will have to write during school. New stories will be posted as well so that they will be up on the site instead of sitting on my computer collecting computer particles.

As for Blind-sighted, it will probably be the longest story out of all my stories I am doing recently. This is only chapter 22 and there are still A LOT of chapters coming.

If you are following Catch Me if You Can, I will be updating it as well. It has been a long hiatus and I'm going to tweak the story line a bit. I will try to update Ripe and Ready Oneshots. I usually only write on there when I have writer's block for my other stories, but there are quite a few requests piled up that I should finish. My fem!Ichigo stories are behind so I will try to get to them.

I just wanted to update everyone and let them know what's going on. Anywho, hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please review and see you soon.