Author's Note: I wanted to work on my other stories, but this one is being persistent. Ideas just keep popping up and I'm having too much fun!

Anyway. Prepare yourself for a lot of dialogue and information in this chapter. Some questions will be answered, but if there's anything you guys want to know or are confused about, then let me know. I also added a saucy piece of Ichigo's past.

Enjoy!

Lies Open Prison Doors

Chapter 8: Trust me

"In the flesh!" Ginjou gestured to himself with a wide grin. He looked just as sleazy and primped as Ichigo remembered; his fudge brown hair slicked back with too much grease and onyx eyes that twinkled in amusement—like he just got done laughing but he'll never let you in on the joke. He was about a few inches taller, with thick muscle, a sharp jawline, and a smooth face. The guard uniform fit him well in all the right places, but it was just as off putting to see on Ginjou as it was on Zaraki.

Speaking of which…

"Does Kenpachi know you're here too?" Ichigo slowly sat himself on the small cot in the corner of the room, his gaze never leaving the other.

"That dumb-dumb hasn't noticed I've been here for a whole month already. He doesn't really deal with any of the new recruits," Ginjou explained as he reached up to dig in his chest pocket, "Plus, I know how to keep a low profile, unlike a certain protégé of mine with neon colored hair." Ichigo huffed through his nose at the jab and then rolled his eyes when Ginjou pulled out that damned silver flask he always kept with him.

"You've been in the spotlight since day one, kiddo. I thought I taught you better." He patronized as he stared down at Ichigo, who was gradually shrinking in on himself. Ginjou shrugged a shoulder as he popped the flask open and took a generous swig. The scent of strong whisky reached Ichigo's nose and he actually felt his mouth go dry. As much as he used to hound Ginjou about his bad habit, Ichigo could really use a drink himself right now… "But I guess that's what happens when you quit—ya get rusty." Ginjou goaded, knowing just what to say to get under Ichigo's skin.

"I didn't get rusty…" Ichigo grumbled under his breath, but the words sounded hollow even to his own ears.

"Maybe you can still wash that rust off with the soap in that basket I got ya." Ginjou's snicker broke into an outright laugh at the incredulous look that scrunched Ichigo's face.

"Oh god! I should've known from the orange candy! Son of a bitch!" Ichigo cursed his own stupidity. Ginjou would always find some way to make a joke about his hair—like Ichigo had made a conscious choice before his own birth to have hair the same color as a goddamn traffic cone. "Fucking hell… what are you even doing here? Kenpachi I can understand—he explained he was related to the warden, but why you? With all this weird shit going on and to find you skulking in the shadows, that can't just be a coincidence." He grumbled accusingly.

Ginjou shrugged the same shoulder and then collapsed onto the cot right next to Ichigo, sitting close enough to let their thighs touch.

"You're smart, I have faith you'll figure it out." Ichigo stared at him with the same exasperation of a single mom nursing triplets, but Ginjou was completely unaffected. He even had the audacity to grin and wiggle the flask in Ichigo's face, knowing full well he couldn't grab it with his hands cuffed behind his back. "But I'll help you figure it all out; every time you guess something right, I'll let ya have a sip." His lips tightened into a playful smirk when he saw the way chestnut eyes sparked with interest. He chuckled before adding, "Howeverrr," Ichigo nearly groaned in annoyance, "If you guess something WRONG, then I get to drink."

"I don't want to play your warped version of 'never have I ever'. Just tell me what the fuck is going on." Ichigo tried to reason with his old mentor, but he already knew the man took sick satisfaction in tormenting him.

"Aw c'mon. Don't be such a spoilsport." Ginjou bumped shoulders with Ichigo and nudged him playfully with his elbow before hovering the flask right under the other's nose. "Let's play for old time's sake. Tsuki—that quitter, has been going to those useless AA meetings so I haven't had a drinking buddy for a while."

"You're insufferable…" Ichigo sighed when Ginjou's bottom lip jutted out into some sad imitation of a pout. Ichigo then wrinkled his nose at the strong aroma of butter, oak, and yeast that wafted into his nostrils. He was too tired and too curious to properly tell Ginjou to go fuck himself. "Fine. Scoot over." Ichigo pushed the larger man with his shoulder until he had some breathing room before settling back onto his own side of the cot. "You said you've been here a month, right?" Ginjou nodded. "That's around the time I got arrested…" Ichigo let that information mull around in his head for a moment. "Sooo… Does you being here have something to do with me?"

Ginjou shrugged with a patronizing grin slapped across his face.

"I dunno. Does it?"

Ichigo stomped both feet on the ground as anger began to boil beneath his skin. He was really not in the mood for this shit!

"God dammit! I forgot how much I hate you!" Ichigo snarled but Ginjou didn't take offence. He snickered and rose one thick brow in amusement as he watched the ruffled male try to compose himself. Ichigo breathed deeply through his nose to help smother the embers of rage smoldering in his chest. "Okay… okay…" He tilted his head, popping the vertebrae along his neck to release some built up tension before continuing, "You became a correctional officer because you already knew I'd be sent to prison once I was arrested." Ichigo stated and gratefully took the sip of whiskey he was offered for the correct assumption. Ginjou didn't have to say anything, and that was the point, wasn't it?

Ginjou didn't give up information easily. He liked to make others work for it.

The alcohol was rich and burned pleasantly all the way down to his stomach. Ichigo licked at his lips to savor the strong taste of the whiskey as he processed everything aloud, "But you didn't know what prison I'd be sent to… So you chose Hueco Mundo because… well…" His lips pursed and bent into strange shapes as he thought. "Because Grimmjow was already here and you assumed I'd be sent to the same place..?"

Ichigo's head fell back in a dramatic sigh when Ginjou lifted the flask to his own grinning lips.

So it wasn't Grimmjow…

"Because Kenpachi could—"

Ginjou took another shot.

Dammit!

Ichigo paused to think a little longer but then his spine straightened and he hopped up in excitement when it clicked.

"It's because you found out Grand Fisher was here!"

This time Ginjou let him take a nice long gulp. Ichigo hissed at the slight sting, but gave him a grateful nod when the flask was pulled away.

"But that still doesn't explain how you knew I'd... end up… here…" Ichigo's voice faded and his eyes narrowed suspiciously as all the events of the last few days seemed to piece themselves together. "Wait… You were the one that forged my signature, weren't you!?"

At least Ginjou had the decency to look guilty as he offered up the flask once more, but Ichigo was beyond pissed at this point. He quickly lifted his knee to knock the flask away, but all he managed to do was bump it in Ginjou's firm grip and make a few drops splash out of the opening. Ginjou looked insulted that Ichigo would dare to even do such a thing.

"Un-fucking-believable!" Ichigo snapped but before he could start to rant, Ginjou lifted his hands in surrender and turned his upper half to face Ichigo properly.

"Yes, okay?! I signed your name on those documents to get you here, but I thought I was doing you a favor, ya brat. I was gonna help you transfer back after, promise!"

"That's not the point! I stopped looking for him years ago. I was ready to settle down and try to live a normal life! Fuck! Inoue's pregnant and I have no idea if I'm the father, and she thinks I'll be stuck here for years because of this bullshit!"

"Oh boo-freakin'-hoo! I wasn't the one that got you arrested in the first place, so you can sit your butt back down." Ginjou scoffed and Ichigo blinked, just now realizing he'd jumped to his feet during his tantrum. The older, and more composed of the two, waited until Ichigo was seated before continuing, "And I'm no relationship expert, but it sounds like there was trouble in paradise before all this even started."

Ichigo's mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he tried to think of a clever comeback, only to look like some big koi fish.

Man… He may have had a point there. Inoue seemed to move on pretty quick… but she never called off the engagement or anything drastic like that. She was still taking care of Neliel and she…

Ichigo sighed to himself. He didn't want to think about her right now. There were still some holes in his current situation that needed to be filled.

"Ya know, I'd bet my left nut you were the one that set up Zangetsu as my scapegoat all those years ago." Ichigo shook his head in disappointment when Ginjou offered him the flask once again. Ichigo was tempted to knee it away again, but decided to take the shot. Something told him he'd probably need it for this next conversation.

"For the record, I'll admit that it was my idea to use a doppelgänger that lived in the area, BUT!" Ginjou quickly added when Ichigo's lips twisted with suppressed anger, "But! I didn't pick the guy out." Ichigo snorted in disbelief so Ginjou defended himself, "The whole idea was to distract the police and interrupt their investigation long enough to finish our job and get the fuck outta there. And it worked, didn't it?" As he spoke, he carefully sealed the half empty flask and tucked it away in his pocket. The look on his face was both nonchalant and a little miffed as he shrugged. "So, really, you should be thanking me."

"Congratulations, you got an innocent man sent to prison." Ichigo grumbled irritably.

"All we did was call in an anonymous tip. Your precious justice system did the rest. I know you were a lot more careful about not leaving evidence after that whole incident, but rumors of your achievements still leaked through the media. You'd think they'd realize they got the wrong man, right?" Ginjou tried to reason, but it was always difficult to wiggle back into Ichigo's good graces once you've pissed him off. "Zangetsu could've fought it, but he fucked up any chance he had to plead his innocence when he killed 5 inmates after his first year. He was transferred to the nearest federal max prison—AKA Hueco Mundo—and has killed A LOT more men since then." Ginjou sighed through his nose when Ichigo's eyes continued to glare holes in the floor. The guy didn't react, even when he reached out to place a hand on slumped shoulders. "Clearly that psychopath was gonna wind up in here anyway—he was bound to snap at some point. For all we know he was some serial killer that'd been on the loose 'til then!"

Ichigo shrugged the hand away as he stood back to his feet. His eyes melted to a deep amber in the fluorescent light as he stared down at the man who had taught him so much and treated him like a brother. A man he thought he knew… but Ichigo didn't understand a damn thing, did he!?

"You don't know that… If he's my age, then he was only seventeen at the time! He was probably just a regular kid living a normal life." He didn't give Ginjou another chance to try and talk his way out, "Just… Tell me why you're here, Ginjou…" Ichigo felt all his anger drain away like water in a frayed and beaten wicker basket. He had no fight left in him. He felt terrible and he would gladly let Zangetsu carve out his insides at this point.

Onyx eyes slowly scanned his pitiful, guilt-ridden form with incredulity. Ginjou had never seen Ichigo so… broken. It was nauseating.

"To be honest, I thought you'd be fucking ecstatic to find Grand Fisher here. I'm still surprised you didn't take that chance to kill him in the yard. He was right there! He was even distracted by the fight!" Ginjou's upper lip rose in a sneer as he climbed to his feet to stare the other down. Ichigo didn't lift his head to meet his eyes, and that just pissed him off more. "But you just had to go and be a big hero instead. And," Ginjou paused to laugh mockingly, "even after I went to the trouble of getting Shinji to warn ya—You still just HAD to shout to the whole fucking prison that you're Reaper. Well, guess what! Not only does Zangetsu want your head on a stick, but now Grand Fisher has his guard up. Good fucking luck getting to him now."

Ginjou was disgusted with the waste of flesh standing before him. This wasn't that same determined and vengeful youth he'd trained into a hardened warrior. This was a weak and miserable sack that was leaking good intentions. He brushed Ichigo aside hard enough to make the smaller male stumble onto the cot.

"You've gone soft, Reaper. Think of all the shit you put up with; all the fucked up things you've done to hear even a whisper of his name." Ginjou's voice darkened into a sinister growl as he hovered over Ichigo's defeated form. "So don't you dare try and take the high road now! I mean, shit, you almost strangled Tsukishima for even saying his name." Ichigo's eyes stared blankly at the wall as Ginjou's words stirred up those fragile memories. "But that's not the worst of it. You even tortured Grimmjow's own brother, who—may I remind you—was a military commander, just because the guy mentioned he once worked in the same circle as Grand Fisher." Ichigo blinked and curled in on himself, but otherwise kept quiet. "What happened to that bloodthirsty animal out for revenge?" Ginjou frowned at the lack of response. "Did that sweet woman kill your resolve? Did she manage to tame you..?" Still no reaction. "Or maybe it was that little brat you stole in the desert?"

Auburn eyes snapped up to glare beneath orange bangs and Ginjou smirked. Finally! Some sign of life.

Their intense moment broke when the heavy door at the end of the hall opened and closed. Footsteps were heading straight for Ichigo's cell. Ginjou quickly straightened and took a few steps back just as the cell door opened.

Ichigo had been expecting angry crimson eyes and a downturned moustache, but was instead greeted with a bald head and sleek raven hair.

"Oh… the fuck you doin' here, rookie?" Ikkaku narrowed his eyes at Ginjou suspiciously, but the larger man just tilted his head and then glanced pointedly to Yumichika.

"Just keeping an eye on the troublemaker." He jutted a thumb towards Ichigo, who was still curled up on the cot, looking rather pathetic. "And what about you? Taking your pet for another walk, sir?"

Ikkaku narrowed his beady eyes threateningly when Ginjou let his eyes roam up and down said 'pet'. Yumichika, instead of being offended, seemed to be enjoying the attention and even let his own gaze wander. Ichigo wanted to roll his eyes, knowing Ginjou was only doing that to piss Ikkaku off. Thankfully, baldy didn't take the bait, and only stepped aside to reveal the empty hallway. He jutted his thumb over his shoulder in a clear invitation to 'get the fuck out'.

"Sir, yes, sir." Ginjou gave a small, slightly mocking salute as he strolled passed them.

Ikkaku turned to watch him leave and sniffed when the scent of alcohol trailed in the man's wake. He looked more curious than upset about the obvious contraband, but he didn't say anything.

Ichigo blinked and slowly lifted himself when he felt his handcuffs being removed. Ikkaku tucked the metal bracelet around his belt and then stepped back to lean against the wall with arms crossed over his chest. Yumichika settled himself on the cot to be eye level with Ichigo, who had scooted back and tucked himself into the corner.

"What're you guys doing here?" Ichigo mumbled softly, not really in the mood to entertain guests. He glanced over to Ikkaku as the man shrugged but then he jutted his chin towards Yumichika, who was rummaging around in his own jumpsuit. Ichigo watched curiously as the smaller inmate patted and rustled around for a minute before pulling out a neatly folded stack of paper.

Chestnut eyes widened and then blinked with disbelief.

"Are those…?" Ichigo reached up to take the offered papers when they were held out to him.

Yumichika smiled as he explained, "Boss Yama asked me to bring them to you. He said it's something you wanted, and it really looks like you could use some good news right now…" He reached into his suit once more to retrieve a small canister. He popped it open and then grinned at the expression on Ichigo's face. At least he didn't look like a kicked puppy anymore. "This is for those ugly bruises. C'mere." Yumichika flexed his finger in a 'come hither' motion and Ichigo obeyed without much thought. He tilted his head and closed his swollen left eye when fingers slathered in cold goop spread across his cheek.

He slowly unraveled the papers as Yumichika continued to nurse his face. A chuckle managed to escape his throat when he saw the large signature at the bottom.

His transfer papers…

"How did he get them back so quickly?" Ichigo wondered aloud, not really expecting an answer. He knew he should be more excited to have them back; He could finally get the fuck out of here and pretend the last few days never happened.

"Boss Yama has been here long enough to know Hotshot's little secrets," Yumichika explained with a small shrug, "Plus, the fight was a great distraction. You kept them around long enough for us to even make a copy in the library." He noticed the wary look that crossed Ichigo's face and quickly added, "We put the copy back where we found the original—that way Hotshot still thinks he has your papers. So you shouldn't have to worry about him for now."

"Huh… clever." Ichigo gave the man a grateful nod, but Yumichika just waved him off. Ichigo winced when long fingers pressed into a particularly nasty bruise.

"Oop. Sorry. Almost done." His temporary nurse muttered apologetically while scooping up another dollop of cream. It didn't have much of a scent, but Ichigo could almost catch a whiff of… pine? Yumichika must have noticed his reaction to the smell, "It has some funny ingredients, but don't worry. You should notice a big difference by tomorrow—this stuff really works wonders. You'll be back to your beautiful self in no time!" Yumichika hummed positively with a reassuring smile. Ichigo tilted his head up, allowing gentle fingers to massage his throat. Without needing a mirror, he could feel the long bruise that circled his neck and knew it must have been when Zangetsu tried to strangle him.

Ichigo opened his mouth to ask something but before he could form any words, the radio strapped to Ikkaku's shoulder chirped to life.

'Ikkaku. Warden is on his way—better get moving.'

Ikkaku waited for the small beep before reaching up to click the button and reply, "Thanks for the heads up, Toshiro." Then he released the radio and waved for Yumichika to follow. "Come on, we better leave." He paused to wait at the door.

Yumichika wrapped his fingers around Ichigo's jaw and pulled him forward so he could plant a small kiss on the corner of his mouth, careful to avoid the split in his lip. Ichigo barely had the energy to blush at the contact and just blinked in surprise.

"That's my payment for delivering those papers." Yumichika left the flabbergasted male to stew in his embarrassment and jumped up to join Ikkaku. "C'mon, Kuku, let's see if our room is empty. I'm feeling frisky~!" He announced while grabbing the taller man by his collar. Ikkaku almost forgot to close Ichigo's cell and lock it before he was completely dragged away.

Ichigo collapsed back on the cot, a long sigh escaping through his nose. He lifted the papers above his face to take another good look at the signature near the bottom.

He still wasn't sure how to feel about having them back. It felt surreal and maybe even a little… disappointing? He wasn't sure why he felt that way, but he did.

When more footsteps could be heard outside his cell, Ichigo quickly folded the papers back into a tight roll and slid them into his prisonsuit the same way Yumichika had. He didn't bother sitting up to greet Yhwach when the man came storming into his cell. The warden raised a hand to stop a guard from coming in and motioned for him to close the door.

Crimson eyes stared down at Ichigo quietly until he heard the lock slide in place and they were finally alone.

"That was quite the performance, Ichigo… or should I call you Reaper?"

Ichigo didn't give the man any satisfaction of seeing him react. Instead, he calmly stretched his body out with a small groan and then crossed both ankles and tucked each hand beneath his head to get comfortable. The rich shots of whiskey pumping through his veins made him feel light and the pain from fighting all day was beginning to ebb away.

Ichigo peeked one eye open to see the annoyed look crossing the warden's face. Feeling brazen for the moment, and to get under the man's skin, Ichigo let a coy smirk crawl across his face.

"I don't know, I'm actually starting to enjoy 'King'."

Yhwach scoffed and looked down his nose at him. Ichigo took the look as a win and grinned in satisfaction.

"Normally I would add points and keep you locked here for the next month, but I also realize that if it wasn't for your… intervention… then I'd still be trying to explain a dead body to that nosey reporter." Yhwach ran a hand across his impressive mustache as he stared at Ichigo with irritation. "But don't think I'm entirely grateful. I'll be keeping you here for at least a week to give the others time to settle down."

Ichigo shrugged indifferently while keeping his eyes closed. If anything, he was thankful for a break from the madness.

"Sounds good, warden." Ichigo pretended to ignore the other man's presence, which worked like a charm. He refrained from smirking when he heard Yhwach huff under his breath.

"Is there anything you have to say before I leave for the day?" The man offered as he stepped towards the door, signaling that he'd grown impatient with Ichigo's lack of response.

"Actually yeah." Ichigo sat up and looked straight at the warden as he spoke, "Now that you have a good understanding of who I am and what I'm capable of," He narrowed his auburn eyes and lifted his lip in a threatening sneer, "Don't ever try to poison me again." Yhwach didn't even bat a lash at the growl, but he dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"Fair enough… Anything else?"

The way he said that made it seem like he was expecting Ichigo to mention something specific. He thought for a moment, but the only thing he could come up with was—

"Should you ever decide to change your mind about the transfer, come and find me."

The warden's cryptic message from this morning echoed in Ichigo's head and it was starting to make sense. If Yhwach knew that Ichigo was the boy who witnessed Grand Fisher's murder, then he'd assume that Ichigo would want to stay here to avenge his mother. But how he figured that out in the first place was impressive—a little too impressive for Ichigo's liking, and now that Yhwach knew of his identity as Reaper, then who knew what more he pieced together.

"If I decided not to transfer, would I be able to have my sentence reduced to its original 8 months?" Ichigo asked curiously, not that he was really considering it, but it would still be nice to know.

Yhwach seemed to be contemplating his answer as he eyed the inmate critically.

"If you promise to refrain from any more violence, then I'd consider it. However, if I hear your name mentioned in one more fight, not only would I return your sentence to 5 years, but I'd add another 3 on top of it. Those would be my terms, should you decide to stay." He waited until Ichigo nodded in consent before finally taking his leave.

Nothing more needed to be said and Ichigo felt overwhelmingly relieved to finally be alone.

…

..

.

Zzz…

.

..

…

Deft fingers quietly picked the locked doorknob with practiced ease. The door opened and Ichigo nearly sighed in relief when the hinges didn't make a sound.

He stepped into the dark room, making sure to use the same controlled breathing Ginjou had taught him. He carefully shut the door behind himself and then started making his way further inside, his footsteps muted by the socks he wore.

He made his way towards the bed in the middle of the room and crouched down low, silent as a ghost. He waited and watched as the man on the bed, his target, snored peacefully beneath the thin blanket. Confident that the man was fast asleep and completely unaware of his presence, Ichigo quietly retrieved the long ebony dagger that he kept strapped to his belt. It was a special, custom-made blade that was forged with obsidian around the edge, making it extremely sharp, but quite brittle. In other words, Ichigo only used it in quiet moments like this where just a single slice was all he needed.

Ichigo crawled onto the bed, his eyes intensely locked on the man, taking in every little movement with bated breath in case he woke. He delicately hovered himself over the softly breathing body and brought the dagger up, letting it glint in the moonlight, before gently caressing the man's cheek with the smooth side of his blade.

The cold feel of metal woke the man with a start and impossibly blue eyes snapped open. Ichigo smirked at the confused and startled look that crossed his face, but then it faded to realization and then sunk to frustration.

"You know…" Ichigo began, his lips spreading into a grin as he lightly dragged the tip of his weapon along the other's sharp jaw, leaving behind a paper thin slice, "If I had been an assassin, you'd be dead~"

Pink lips quirked into a smirk, one side spread wider to reveal a sharp fang.

Ichigo chuckled when large hands suddenly latched onto his ass and then scooped him closer. He reholstered his dagger when the man sat up, making the blanket drape down his torso to pool around his waist.

Chestnut eyes took in every inch of toned skin revealed to the moonlight. To the tempting dips and curves of his waist and between the lean alley of abs to smooth pectorals. No words were exchanged as the man watched Ichigo closely, basking in the rapt attention he was receiving.

Ichigo reached back to place his hands over the other's, but didn't remove them from his ass. Instead, he trailed his fingers lightly over the bumps of veins he could feel threading up powerful arms. His touches became more firm as his fingers slid passed hard elbows and powerful biceps. He paused to press down and feel the muscles beneath, chuckling when the man flexed purposefully.

Ichigo's journey continued over strong shoulders to a long neck and then his fingers dove upwards into silky strands of hair. Rather than the normal light-blue hue, his hair looked white in the bright moonlight and it was more chaotic than usual, but Ichigo thought it looked rather sexy.

"You gonna just stare into my eyes all night, Tensa, or you gonna kiss me?"

Ichigo used his grip on the back of his head to surge forward. Lips crashed together aggressively and teeth clanked as both men tried to pull the other closer. Ichigo felt fingers untuck his shirt and then slide up only to claw down the bare skin of his back.

Ichigo threw his head back with a hiss and then opened his lips in a silent gasp when he felt another hand dive into the back of his pants. Long fingers slid straight for the star shaped prize hiding between firm mounds of flesh.

"Grimmjow wait," Ichigo squeaked when said man suddenly shifted and then spun them.

"Yeah..?" Grimmjow hummed as he settled himself down between Ichigo's legs, letting their hips press together. He grinned at the desperate whimper when he rolled his hips then ducked his head down to let his teeth graze over the warm throat bared beneath him, making Ichigo's brain short circuit.

Just as Ichigo was about to open his mouth to try and form words, Grimmjow rolled his hips again and reached for the other's belt at the same time.

"F-fuck." Was all Ichigo could manage when a hand boldly slid into his boxers once his pants were undone. Tanned skin crawled from the intense heat and his insides twisted with arousal as fingers stroked his erection.

"Ya know what's funny?" Grimmjow spoke with a small grin and a quirked brow. He waited for Ichigo to try and reply, and quickly interrupted him by squeezing the hard dick in his grasp and speeding up his strokes. When Ichigo's eyes rolled up and his head collapsed back onto the pillow, he continued, "I was having a VERY similar dream to this before you woke me. Only, you were completely naked and tied up like a present." His grin twisted into something more wicked when deep auburn eyes snapped back to him.

"Tch. I told you no bondage." Ichigo rose his upper lip in a snarl when smirking lips lunged forward to nip and tease his own.

"C'mon. It'll be fun~"

"Don't like being restrained…" Ichigo grumpily explained in a soft voice. "Don't want to feel trapped…" He quickly averted his gaze when Grimmjow leaned back to hover over him. Cobalt eyes that reflected the moon stared down at him intensely.

"You don't trust me?"

Ichigo felt his cheeks heat and he squirmed when the fingers that had been stroking him stilled. He quietly stared off towards the right, noticing the carefully folded military uniform Grimmjow had placed neatly on the dresser. A tiny moan rumbled in his chest unconsciously when a rough thumb slid up the underside of his dick, smoothing along the large vein and then paused to tease the tip.

Grimmjow watched the man beneath him writhe in reluctant pleasure as he once again continued stroking. Deciding not to push the issue, Grimmjow gave in and ducked back down to nip and bite along Ichigo's neck and beneath his chin.

Fingers that had been latched to Grimmjow's sides slipped around to tease and caress his waist instead. Ichigo smoothed the tips of each finger over the hard ridge of his hip bone and down the curve of muscle to the hard erection lying in wait. It twitched and pulsed in his grasp.

Ichigo felt the breath against his neck shudder when he slowly pulled up, firmly stroking the hard length. He teased the slit at the tip and leaned his head forward to suck at the collarbone hovering over his lips.

"I'll never understand why you sleep naked…" Ichigo playfully chided under his breath and he could feel the lips against his skin pull into a smirk.

"Convenience, obviously." Grimmjow replied and then he ripped himself away to pull at Ichigo's pants. "You know the rules. No clothes on my bed."

A small laugh puffed from Ichigo as he was practically dragged across the bed, his tight jeans clinging to him stubbornly. He helped kick the article away before quickly removing his sleeveless shirt, chucking it into the same corner where he saw his pants disappear. His socks and boxers soon followed.

Ichigo scooted back up towards the headboard and leaned against the dark wood with his knees bent and parted invitingly. He watched with hooded eyes as Grimmjow paraded around the room, stopping to rummage through the top drawer of his dresser. He chucked a small, familiar item towards Ichigo, who caught it and blushed slightly.

It was a nearly empty bottle of tropical-scented lube.

When he heard the bathroom light turn on, Ichigo glanced back up to lock eyes with the man, but all he saw was his silhouette in the bathroom doorway.

"Prepare yourself." Grimmjow demanded in a deep, forceful voice before retreating further inside. Ichigo felt his face grow warm, but he didn't argue. He quietly popped the cap and poured a generous amount on his fingers before setting the bottle aside.

Ichigo wiggled and scooted down the bed so that he could lie down and then spread his legs apart. Breathing calmly through his nose, he reached down with both hands. He stroked and played with his own erection as he gently prodded two fingers inside himself. He tried to make it quick when he heard footsteps and the click of a bathroom light being turned off.

He threw his head back and gasped when the tips of his fingers barely brushed over his prostate. He couldn't find a good angle and it was hard to reach himself, but he continued and pushed in a third finger.

He could feel the gaze of those fierce blue eyes as if they were hands dragging across his skin. Grimmjow was watching him intently, but Ichigo kept his chin up and turned away to hide his embarrassment. He stroked himself a little faster but then paused to grab and fondle his balls as he spread his fingers, trying to stretch the tight ring of muscle until the burn subsided.

Ichigo heard himself squeak in surprise when a hand grabbed his ankle and then tugged him further down the bed, the soft sheets moving with him. When he opened his eyes, they widened at the sight of his dagger in another's hand. The familiar glint of metal shined down on him and he gulped when the blade's edge slowly descended until it was pressed against his neck.

Chestnut eyes looked up and a nervous sweat broke across Ichigo's flesh when he was met with frowning lips and narrowed eyes.

"I think you're stretched enough…"

Ichigo felt the sharp metal nick his skin as he gulped down the nervous lump in his throat.

"Grimmjow..?"

"Slowly move your hands above your head." He commanded. He pressed the dagger down a little harder when Ichigo started to do as he was told, "Slowly." He growled.

Ichigo let the back of his hands drag across the sheets and he stared up directly into Grimmjow's unblinking gaze. He saw the gleam of more metal and knew exactly what Grimmjow had in his hand without having to look.

"I'm serious, Grimm. Don't—"

"Shuddup.." Grimmjow gruffed as he crawled over Ichigo and sat across his chest, dagger never leaving the other's skin. With his free hand, he quickly handcuffed Ichigo's wrist and looped the metal around the headboard before clicking the final piece around his other wrist.

Once Ichigo was restrained, Grimmjow tossed the dagger aside and then smirked down at his helpless prey.

"See now? Ain't so bad, right?" His grin drooped a little when he didn't get a response. Ichigo pursed his lips and glared off towards the window with a deep scowl. "Ya know," Grimmjow began with an irritated sneer, "We gotta work on your trust issues."

"MY trust issues?!" Ichigo snapped and he finally turned to look back up at the man seated across his torso. "You're the one breaking my trust by tying me up after I said no!"

"Ey!" Grimmjow snarled before leaning down to get in the other's face. "Pipe down! You wanna wake the entire squad?"

"Yeah and I have a sudden urge to yell 'rape'..."

"Tch." Grimmjow rolled his eyes and then fell onto his side so he could lay beside the other man. He reached down to wrap his fingers around the still hard erection he found nestled in dark orange pubic hair. "'Rape' he says while sporting a raging boner." Grimmjow stroked said boner firmly and squeezed just hard enough to make Ichigo's breath hitch. "And, as I recall, you're the one that broke into my room while I was asleep… naked and vulnerable." Grimmjow whispered teasingly as he pulled up with a strong grip on Ichigo's dick. Beads of precum trickled out, coating his fingers and making each stroke a pleasant slide against hot skin. Grimmjow continued to pump the other as he leaned over him, keeping himself propped up on one elbow. He watched with quiet satisfaction as Ichigo's back arched beautifully, toned muscles stretching and straining beneath sunkissed skin. Ichigo closed his eyes and pressed his blushing face into his own arm to try and hide. Grimmjow felt his dick twitch at the sound of metal clicking against the wooden frame when Ichigo yanked down on the handcuffs.

Ichigo quickly snapped his legs closed when the fingers that had been jerking him off suddenly stopped and then slid down passed his scrotum to probe at his entrance. Grimmjow growled under his breath.

"See? Trust issues."

Ichigo huffed under his breath and then peeked around his arm with one eye to glare at the other. His anger withered when he saw the small smile tugging at usually smirking lips. Ichigo slowly relaxed the muscles in his legs, allowing Grimmjow to push them back apart. Despite his reluctance to their current situation, Ichigo's body throbbed in excitement when Grimmjow smoothly glided himself back between his thighs. Their hot dicks slid together only briefly as Grimmjow shifted himself into place. He sat back on his heels and tucked one hand beneath Ichigo's knee to lift his leg further apart before grabbing the base of his own leaking erection.

Ichigo relaxed as much as he could when the head of Grimmjow's dick pressed against his lubed entrance.

"Fffffuuuck." Ichigo groaned and let out a long sigh once the hard flesh finally pushed inside. It slid right through the ring of muscle to graze against his sensitive insides. Grimmjow was well endowed and only needed to rock his hips in order to press the special button that made Ichigo pant and squirm in pleasure.

Grimmjow gazed down at Ichigo from his seated position and then lifted himself off his heels to push deeper inside, hips pressed against the other's firm ass. Chestnut eyes were hidden beneath clenched lids and Ichigo tried to thrust his hips to make Grimmjow move, but the man stubbornly kept himself fully pressed inside.

"You want this?" Grimmjow asked in a breathy whisper as he granted the other just a small taste of relief by pulling back his hips and then slamming back in.

"Y-yes!" Ichigo gasped and his back arched off the bed once more. Sparks of pleasure shot through his limbs and white static fizzled across his eyelids.

When Grimmjow didn't thrust again, Ichigo snapped his eyes open to glare up at him. Blue eyes reflected with a sinister gleam and pink lips spread in amusement. He rocked his hips in shallow thrusts, but it wasn't enough to satisfy.

"Dammit, Grimmjow… Fuckin' move!" Ichigo snarled while yanking on the cuffs once more.

Said bluenette chuckled at the reaction. He placed both hands on Ichigo's thighs then leaned back and pulled until the body beneath him was stretched taught. Ichigo let out a hiss as Grimmjow pushed even deeper inside.

"How 'bout this—I'll start movin' when you tell me your real name." Grimmjow felt the air leave his lungs when those already too-tight muscles around his dick clenched in surprise but then he grinned down victoriously.

Ichigo tried to play it off, but Grimmjow could already tell he was lying by the reaction of his body.

"My name is Tensa Reiatsu… You already know that."

Ichigo gasped when Grimmjow suddenly ripped away and then spun him around so that he was facedown on the bed. The handcuffs twisted with the new position, making it harder for Ichigo to move his wrists.

SMACK!

Ichigo's eyes widened and his jaw fell in a silent gasp at the hard slap to his right ass cheek.

"Son of a—"

SMACK!

Ichigo felt his face burn when an intense heat began to pool in his abdomen. He huffed softly when his hips were pulled up and both knees nudged forward to keep his bottom half propped up, displaying his ass for Grimmjow's viewing pleasure.

"So... What was your name again?"

Ichigo tried to wiggle and squirm his way towards the headboard so he could curl in on himself, but Grimmjow only let him get a few inches before rolling his eyes and latching his hands to narrow hips. He tugged the orangette back into position and then slowly rubbed a hand over the blossoming red mark already spreading across Ichigo's ass.

"Would you quit it already. I told you my name is Tensa—"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"A-aahh~!" Ichigo couldn't believe the sounds that escaped his mouth. He'd never known he had such a kink until now.

"You might have my brother and the rest of those morons fooled, but I ain't buyin' it." Grimmjow growled as he rose his hand for another strike. "I've noticed the tiny delay when people call your name… Your acting needs a lil' work."

SMACK!

"Okay!" Ichigo finally exhaled. His body was vibrating and shivering and he tried to crawl away one last time, already knowing he wouldn't get far with handcuffs on, but Grimmjow just dragged him back. "M'name's Ich… Ku…ki…" Ichigo's broken voice muffled into the pillow.

"Sorry. Couldn't quite hear ya." Grimmjow smirked as he slowly licked a trail up from Ichigo's tailbone to the enticing dip of his back and up until he could latch his teeth onto his neck. Grimmjow then quickly reached down and brought the tip of his dick up to press against Ichigo's winking hole, but he didn't push in. Not until he got what he wanted.

When Ichigo stubbornly remained silent Grimmjow sighed through his nose. He slid his forehead against the other's tense shoulder.

"Look…" He started calmly, "I don't care that you lied to us… and I'm not askin' why you're here and what you're up to… All I want is for you to trust me." He felt Ichigo's body slowly relax, his upper half sagging against the sheets. Chestnut eyes peered over his shoulder to get a good look at Grimmjow's expression.

He seemed genuinely honest, and Ichigo wasn't sure how to feel about that.

This was just supposed to be a fling—a way for them to get their dicks wet while they were stationed at this boring desert.

Ichigo felt his chest clench and his heart beat against his ribs as a new feeling bubbled in his gut. He knew he would regret this, but he couldn't help himself.

Despite the warning alarms going off in his head, he trusted Grimmjow.

"Ichigo. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki…"

His voice broke off into a satisfied moan when Grimmjow finally thrust back inside. He didn't tease Ichigo this time. He immediately began to thrust in and out, using his grip on Ichigo's waist to pull him back with every stab forward. He kept up the brutal pace while reaching around to jerk the noisy orangette off in time with each thrust.

Ichigo came first with a long groan that drifted into a whimper when Grimmjow didn't stop. The hand that had been jerking him off moved and Ichigo hissed when he felt blunt nails scratch down the length of his back.

Between the soft groans of pleasure, Grimmjow said, "Ichigo…" in a dark, lustful growl that made said man shiver. A few more powerful thrusts and Grimmjow came with his eyes closed and teeth clenched. He pulled out, more carefully this time, and watched as his cum leaked from Ichigo's abused entrance. Smirking, he lightly bit down on each ass cheek where red, hand-shaped splotches could be seen. He then placed an apologetic kiss on the middle of his back before collapsing onto his side.

Ichigo slid his legs back down so he was lying flat and looked over to see Grimmjow stretch out his body with a content sigh. His eyes closed and a large grin spread his face as he rolled onto his back.

After a long minute of blissful silence, blue eyes snapped open when he felt a warm hand caress his face. He glanced up with a puzzled look when he noticed Ichigo had scooted closer to curve along his side, but what made him curious was the absence of metal around both wrists.

"Wait… You could've unlocked yourself this whole time..?"

Ichigo nodded with a devious smirk.

"So what were you saying about my acting?"

"Goddamn, you're so fuckin' sexy." Grimmjow rolled onto Ichigo again. The orangette laughed softly until greedy lips and an eager tongue took over his mouth.

Ichigo enjoyed the deep kiss and even closed his eyes to soak in the feeling. He let his hands wander, trying to memorize the feel of each hard muscle.

But then something strange happened.

His mouth retreated when a sharp tingle erupted along the bottom of his tongue and he tasted… raspberry?

Ichigo snapped his eyes open and his body froze when he found himself staring up into inverted, gold on black eyes.

"You got nowhere to run, King…" Zangetsu's metallic voice hissed and Ichigo hesitantly looked down. The dagger that had been tossed aside, HIS dagger, was now embedded in his own chest, right through the ribs where a heart once resided.

"FUCK!"

Ichigo snapped up into a sitting position. He blinked repeatedly and quickly looked around to find that he was alone and back in an empty cell.

In prison.

At Hueco Mundo.

Right...

Ichigo grasped his head with a grumble and collapsed back on the small cot with a sigh.

He laid like that for the next hour, just staring up at the ceiling, unable to fall back asleep, when a knock on the door had him upright again.

"Prisoner 156. You've got a visitor." A voice called through the thick metal door and Ichigo was on his feet when it opened.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo greeted eagerly at the sight of long, ebony hair and fair skin wrapped in an expensive suit. He stepped towards the man but was stopped by the guard who opened the door.

"Step back and face the wall." The guard snapped authoritatively. When Ichigo didn't immediately comply, the man stepped forward and grabbed him by the arm. "Now, inmate."

Ichigo fought his first instinct to fight back as he was shoved against the rough brick wall. His hands were tugged back and he had to swallow an annoyed growl when he could hear the clink of handcuffs.

Ichigo managed to muster up enough willpower to force down his blush as the cold sting of metal hit his wrist.

Mannn.

Not NOW.

Not after that dream.

Ikkaku wasn't kidding when he said the guards would be after him. All for breaking up that stupid White Fight.

"That's unnecessary." Byakuya placed a firm hand on the guard's shoulder and pulled hard enough to make the man turn. "Please leave. I'll knock on the door when I'm finished here."

When the guard opened his mouth to argue, Byakuya's grip on his shoulder tightened, fingertips digging into the tender spot. Onyx eyes narrowed and he didn't lighten his hold until the man finally backed away from Ichigo.

"Yes, sir." The guard grumbled before shrugging the hand away. He paused long enough to unlock the handcuff and hook it back around his belt before turning.

Ichigo let out a soft breath of relief as the door closed. He grinned as he turned around to face his friend, but his expression immediately dropped when he was met with a heated glare.

Byakuya was pissed.

"I thought Inoue was exaggerating when she described your condition." Byakuya's voice was calm and his face remained neutral, but his eyes were a storm of anger and extreme disappointment. Ichigo let his gaze drop to the floor and gnawed on his bottom lip. He missed the flash of concern that crossed Byakuya's face when he looked away.

"I'm really—"

"If the next word out of your mouth is 'sorry' then I'm leaving." Byakuya interrupted sharply. He watched Ichigo fall back against the wall and frowned at the way he shrunk back. Before continuing, Byakuya took a long moment to really assess Ichigo's condition.

The last time they were face to face, there had only been a small cut on his neck, but now you could barely see it beneath the hand-shaped bruise around his throat. Another cut was spotted along his left cheek which was surrounded by even more bruises.

Ichigo automatically flinched away when a hand reached up towards his face, but then he leaned into the gentle touch when a warm palm rested along his jaw.

"Ichigo…" Byakuya whispered, allowing a hint of emotion to break through his voice. "When will this end?" Ichigo closed his eyes as a thumb brushed across his temple. "If you keep this up I'm scared my next visit will be to identify your body…" Byakuya let the morbid thought sink in before finally lowering his hand.

"You? Scared?" Ichigo tried to tease, but his heart just wasn't in it.

"Please tell me you still have the transfer papers…" Byakuya asked after a moment of tense silence. He wanted to get on with the reason for his visit before one of the guards decided to cut his visit short.

Ichigo slowly reached into his prison suit and fished out the folded wad of papers. He held them up and Byakuya immediately reached for them.

"Ichigo?" Byakuya questioned when said man's fingers clung to the documents. He saw the conflicted emotions flashing across the other's face. "Don't you dare…" Byakuya tightened his grip when he felt the papers being tugged back.

Ichigo couldn't look him in the eyes as he spoke, "Do you know anything about a man named Zangetsu Shirosaki?"

When Byakuya remained silent, Ichigo peeked up to see the impatient look on the man's face.

"No. I have no idea who that is, but I'm sure you'll enlighten me." Byakuya was usually more composed than this, but the man standing before him always had a knack for digging through his icy exterior.

"I fucked up on a mission ten years ago. I didn't find out until yesterday that a man named Zangetsu took the fall for that mistake. He was arrested and put in this awful place because of me."

Byakuya immediately processed what was being said and replied, "No. I know what you're thinking, Ichigo. Don't do it."

"You don't know what I'm thinking."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me that you're NOT going to confess your mistake just to help that man get out."

Ichigo let his gaze drop once more.

"Unbelievable…" Byakuya sighed and tried to snatch the papers away, but Ichigo quickly pulled back and stuffed them down his suit. "Dammit, Ichigo. If you confess then I can't help you! Think of Inoue and Neliel. Focus on getting back to them." Byakuya tried to reason with him, but Ichigo crossed his arms protectively over his chest to keep the papers trapped with him.

"Inoue's with some other guy named Uryuu Ishida now," Ichigo grumbled defensively, "She doesn't want to be with me anymore and I trust her to take care of Neliel…" Byakuya looked like he wanted to argue so Ichigo continued, "Look. I realize this is risky… I don't want to be here but I can't leave yet. I feel like there's a chance to make things right. I can't let someone else take the blame for my fuckup." Ichigo hunched his shoulders as if to defend himself from Byakuya's intense gaze. "Plus… I finally found what I've been searching for. The whole reason I became Reaper in the first place was to find him, and now I know exactly where he is. Everything is coming back around like a giant circle. I can't hide from my past anymore…"

Byakuya was silent for a long time after that. The small bit of emotion that had leaked through slowly evaporated as he stood there and stared at Ichigo. It was unnerving.

When Ichigo thought that the conversation had died, he turned to make his way back towards the cot. He only managed to take a single step before he was suddenly pulled back against the wall. Onyx eyes pinned him there with a serious expression.

"I understand…" The man finally spoke, and it definitely wasn't what Ichigo had been expecting. "But, before you decide to confess, let me look into this man's file. I want to see what I can find out. If he didn't do anything before being sentenced, then there might be a chance he could get post-conviction relief. You said his name was Zangetsu Shirosaki?" When Ichigo nodded, Byakuya backed away. "Now… Let me hold on to those transfer papers for safe keeping." He raised his palm expectantly as he spoke.

Ichigo slowly reached into his suit but he hesitated. Byakuya snuffed the urge to roll his eyes.

"I swear I won't submit the papers until you ask me to. Just try not to get yourself into anymore trouble."

With that said, Ichigo gladly handed them over. Once the papers were out of his hands, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Thank you, Byakuya. You've been a really good friend…" Ichigo let a small smile lift his lips but it dropped when Byakuya didn't reciprocate. He was still pissed, but understandably so.

"Before I go…" The taller male carefully slid the papers into the pocket inside his suit jacket before locking eyes with Ichigo once more. He seemed reluctant to continue and Ichigo blinked when Byakuya's hand returned, but it wasn't empty. "She told me to give you this…" Pinched between the tips of his fingers was a familiar silver ring encrusted with three small diamonds. Ichigo's brows pinched in surprise and then rose with disbelief when he realized exactly what it was.

The engagement ring he'd given Inoue and the very same ring that his mother wore.

"She's really finished then…?" Ichigo had said it earlier, but he didn't actually believe it. He only mentioned that Uryuu guy to help convince Byakuya to let him stay. But…

Any hope he'd had of ever getting back with Inoue was brutally crushed when the small piece of jewelry was placed in his palm. His father had offered the ring to him when he expressed a desire to marry Inoue. The man had been ecstatic and insisted Ichigo use his mother's ring to propose.

"If you want… I can bring it to your father… I know how much it means to both of you." Byakuya offered, but Ichigo shook his head. "Ichigo…" He tried to get the man's attention, but he was completely oblivious. The orangette eventually made his way to the cot and sat down, eyes never leaving the ring.

Byakuya decided it was probably a good time for him to leave. He turned away without another word and lightly rapped his knuckles against the door.

It opened immediately and he was surprised to see Captain Zaraki holding the door open. Byakuya nodded up at the man in acknowledgement before walking passed. Another guard was waiting at the end of the hall to escort him back through the building.

Ichigo was so lost in his own thoughts that he never heard Zaraki's footsteps nor the bells that jingled at his hip. The door closed with a soft hiss and he finally looked up when he felt the cot shift beside him.

He tilted his head back until he could look Zaraki in the eye. The man said nothing. He just calmly sat there, no judgement or sympathy on his face. No disappointment. No anger. No expectation. He was just… there.

Ichigo blinked when he felt a large hand rest against the top of his head, long fingers threading through his hair.

He didn't realize tears were streaming down his face until they dripped from his chin to pool in the palm of his hand. The wet drops gathered around the precious item still in his possession and he couldn't stop himself.

For the first time since his mom's funeral, he broke down.

.

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TBC

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