A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Sorry for the long wait! I already had this written up, just forgot that I didn't upload it when I was done (What? it was 6am by the time I finished! Sue me - no wait, don't please)! Anywho! Here she is - chap 6! In response to Mayuzu's comment - thank you, you actually helped me shape this chapter a lot with that tiny comment about Ichigo being a player :P as for clarit, I may or may not try to incorporate some Starrk love but after this chapter he pissed me off a little, you'll see why! heh heh heh
Please tell me if this chapter is garbage. I'm not even sure how I feel about it yet and I've read it over more times than I can count on my fingers...
Chater 6 – Could've Gone Better
Ichigo was frustrated. Yesterday's dates were still wrecking his mind and the resulting dreams that evening were a little too hot to handle for being cooped up at home. And so, he'd decided to go out and relax.
But where did he go out to relax?
Yup. You guessed it: Reishi.
Consequently the current workplace of one of his fantasies.
Ichigo sighed and drummed his fingers on the tabletop. He'd been trying to get Grimmjow's attention for the past hour. Of course, it didn't help him any that it was Friday and consequently one of the few busy days for business that the little café saw (Saturday and Sunday being the other two). All the morning and afternoon professors liked to come and grab a cup after work together (since it's apparently a trend to grab a drink from barely-known coffee shops) as sort of an end-of-week celebration, and were effectively taking up all the barista's time. He'd barely even glanced Ichigo's way.
He sighed again.
'This is pathetic, I'm not getting anywhere like this.'
He stood and walked out, figuring he'd stop by later on when the rush died down. Maybe then he'd be able to corner the blue-haired fantasy.
'Well I guess I could try contacting Starrk, Ren must have his number or something…' He stopped walking, 'Should I though? The kid thing – what do I do about that? My sisters are her age? If we ever got serious they'd be aunts to her, that's strange isn't it?'
"Argh!" growled Ichigo, resuming his pace, "Why'd he have to go and adopt at such a young age?" He noticed the strange looks he got from some teenaged girls walking by and ducked his head in embarrassment, having realized he spoke out loud. 'Did he not expect to find anyone to date? I'm not exactly ready for a family-setting when I'm still living at home, damn it!'
He groaned, "I can't pick him, as much as he says he'll wait as long as I need… he's gonna want me to meet her. He can't go hiding a relationship from his kid forever - and he probably won't want to introduce me unless we're super serious. She's just little." He dragged a hand over his face, "He's a dad for crying out loud!" 'A really, really handsome one too… but I can't keep going between the two!' He suddenly added, 'Jeez, what am I, a player? I need to choose… '
Ichigo sat on a bench by the edge of the park, 'Grimmjow… Everything he does is entertaining… he's so easy to be around. Well so's Starrk but he's more professional and… intense! – crazy intense – Grimmjow though,' He smiled, 'He's a bit of a dork - in a totally adorable way! – and I think I'd have more fun with him…' Ichigo nodded to himself, glad to have finally set things straight.
'Grimmjow it is.' His stomach did a flop in agreement.
Just then his phone buzzed, announcing a text from Renji, "Heyyy Mr. Popular! Starrk wants your number! think he wants to move things along! ;) ;)"
Ichigo felt a slight twinge of regret but held fast to his decision, "Ren I literally just decided to myself im gonna pick Grimmjow. dont give him my number"
Ichigo received a message at the same time as he sent his own out. It read, "Just gave it to him, good luck big guy! better get your game on ;)"
"For the love of – God damn it Renji!" He didn't even respond, his friend fired another text back nearly right away.
"Oh… shit"
Ichigo snorted, "Yeah Ren 'oh shit'. next time ask properly idiot" he took a deep breath and calmed himself, it's not like Renji could read his mind or anything.
"Sorry dude, really. I didnt know."
"Yeah I know, its cool. Ill just talk to him and tell him." Ichigo sighed, 'Well this will be awkward.'
Renji's thoughts apparently mirrored his, "Awkward alright sorry again. I owe you a coffee or something, good luck!"
"That coffee better be an extra-large"
"…fine, if itll clear my record?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes, "Fine" He could just picture Renji's face at that – the guy was always looking for a way to get off the hook in the cheapest fashion possible, 'Coffee is definitely the cheapest I've gone yet – I must be going soft…'
He didn't have much time to dwell on that thought before his phone rang out, an unknown number flashing on the screen.
'Shit shit shit! That was too soon! I'm not ready! I'm not – ' "Hello?" 'Don't be him! For once let it please, please, please be a telemarketer! Please!'
Not today Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Ichigo…" breathed Starrk, "Are you free to talk for a couple minutes?"
'Shit Shit Shit Shit - ' "Uhh y-yeah sure, what's up?" He cringed, 'I need to tell him – damn even on the phone he sounds great – focus Ichigo, focu – '
"I'm sorry to have to get your number off your friend there but I forgot to give you mine yesterday." He chuckled softly – it sounded amazing.
"H-ha no problem." Ichigo cleared his throat, 'The sooner the better.' "H-heyyy so Starrk, listen I had a lot of fun yesterday and al – "
" – Ichigo I'm sorry to cut you off there but I feel like you're going to give me bad news. Just," Starrk sighed, "just wait a minute, alright?"
Ichigo waited, 'God I hate this, he sounds so sad!'
Starrk continued, "Alright... alright how about we go out for dinner next week? We can talk and get to know each other a little more," suddenly his voice dropped to a low purr, "and who knows? Maybe you'll really like what you discover…" he let his sentence drift off there, his point very clear.
Ichigo nearly dropped his phone as he felt his skin flush all-over, "W-we-w," he cleared his throat and tried again, "Well we'll j-just have to s-see about that…"
He heard an amused chuckle over the line and swallowed hard.
"How's Friday night sound? Sorry it isn't any sooner but with work and baby-sitters" Ichigo silently cringed, "it's the best I can do. I'll pick you up at Café Reishi at 6. How's that sound?"
"S-sure!" 'No way!' "Sounds great." 'No it doesn't!'
"Excellent," Ichigo could hear the smile in Starrk's voice before he dropped his voice again, "I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Come… hungry." He hung up after that. As if that were a perfectly acceptable way to end a phone conversation.
'Oh my god, he definitely isn't referring to food!' Ichigo fretted, quelling the need to fan himself in public. 'That guy – dinner will be interesti – SHIT! I wasn't supposed to go along with – oh no… NOW what? I'm so screwed!' He was definitely panicking, 'What do I do? What do I – RENJI!'
He had dialled the number before the thought even completed itself.
"Ichigo! How'd it go? I've been dying over here!"
Ichigo laughed awkwardly, "Well, uh, funny story about that…"
Renji gasped, "Oh no, you didn't tell him, did you?"
Ichgio shook his head, completely forgetting that Renji couldn't see him but apparently the silence was enough for his best friend.
"How bad?"
The still flustered male flopped back into the bench, "Bad, Ren."
"How bad?"
Ichigo shrank further down on the bench, hiding his face under a sweating palm, "I sorta… have a dinner date next Friday…"
"… … What the hell dude?! How does – how did that turn into a date? You're kind of sending the opposite message there, buddy! What were you thinking?"
As Renji loudly chastised him through the phone, Ichigo was having trouble melting into the very woodwork of the bench – although he was giving it a valiant effort. "I know, I know, I know. Ugh I wasn't thinking Ren. His voice… it was too much!"
"What are you going on about?" Renji growled, making Ichigo cringe back from his phone.
"W-well, I mean I was in the process of telling him – honest! – But then he… uh sorta cut me off and sounded all sad so I let him talk…" Ichigo took in a breath, "And he came out with the sexiest voice I'd ever heard Ren, oh my god. I swear I think even you would have appreciated it!" He exhaled with a nervous chuckle, worried about the silence on the other end of the phone. "Anyway, he told me to give him another chance and … well … I … accepted?" He cringed again, a little scared about what Renji would say.
First he scolded, "Congratulations, you are now leading him on. Shame on you, Ichigo." That caused his friend to hang his head, 'He's right…' Next Renji sighed, "What a mess! Well? I'm guessing you'll want out before the date happens, hmm?"
Ichigo nodded again but remembered to speak this time, "Yeah…"
"Alright, give me some time. I'll think about something and get back to you, okay? Just for the love of God, don't do anything else! Got it? Don't even think about him."
Ichigo gave a weak laugh at that and eagerly agreed, thanking his friend fervently and feeling just a little bit better already.
"Yeah yeah, you know I got you're back." He paused, "Still can't believe you fell for that old trick though… I mean even I've used that one. You talk all low and seductive and – "
"Hey Ren? Shut up, alright?"
"Gotcha. Talk to ya later man."
"Later." Ichigo hung up and stared at his phone in thought, the smallest grin tugging at his lips.
'So, Grimmjow eh?' He let his head fall back on the bench while a huge (and decidedly creepy) smile stretched itself over his face. 'Alright, what do I know about him? The guy really likes Gotei's 13, rare steak, long walks on the beach,' he snorted at that, rolling his eyes in mirth, 'oh my bad, moonlit walks on the beach... hmm maybe I could make our next date happen like that - would he even appreciate it?' Ichigo frowned, 'What if that was a joke and he thinks I'm stupid for trying that?' He jolted up, tense everywhere as his next thought barged aside his other musings:
'Wait I didn't even figure out if he's into dudes! - well we had a date - he sat down in the Hot Seat - without being forced... but does that mean he likes me? or making his boss happy? He seemed flirty but - shit probably should've figured this out before picking him... Stupid! He probably doesn't feel that way! He had that amazing girlfriend... girlfriend... ugh I'm so stupid! Stupid! Stupid!'
His self-deprecating thoughts didn't last, however, when a football sailed out of nowhere and suddenly smacked him upside the head. "Uoff! What the – ?" He looked around himself, rubbing his head in irritation.
"HEYYYYYYY! DON'T TOUCH MY FOOTBALL, JERK!"
Ichigo was suddenly tackled by a small, hard body straight to the gut – knocking him off the bench and simultaneously out of breath. He looked up and caught sight of a young girl picking up the offending football and shooting him dirty glares. "Oh HELL no! You're gonna apologize for that, you twerp!" He scrambled to his knees and got right in her face, "You can't go around attacking people with a football, only to walk away without even an apology! Those things hurt you know!" He rubbed at his head.
"Screw you! You just got in the way and now you're all butt-hurt about it!" She scoffed, planting one hand on her little hip while the other lazily tossed the offending object up and down again.
Ichigo snatched the ball from her grasp and stood, "How can you be so rude? You're clearly in the wrong, just admit it, apologize and be on your way! Why is that so hard?" He took his turn throwing it up and down, but this time higher and out of her reach.
She made a try for it anyway, clearly used to 'act now, apologize later' and threw herself onto Ichigo's arm. He grunted, she wasn't that heavy – just a little girl after all – but she was doing something weird with her face…
Before he knew it was going to happen, the girl was hanging off of his arm by her teeth.
"ARRRGH WHAT THE HELL?! YOU CRAZY ANIMAL! GET OFF ME!" He yelled, shaking his arm, trying to tear it out of her grip. "GetOffGetOffGet OFF!" She finally couldn't hold on any more and fell backwards a few feet from him. She blinked up at him for a minute, surprised, before something behind him caught her attention and she started crying.
Not just crying, but bawling her eyes out, crying.
"Hey! Hey! Heyy! What's wrong honey? What happened?"
Ichigo froze. 'N-no way - there's no way!' He took a startled step backwards as he took in the scene playing out in front of him: Starrk kneeled down in front of the little demon – girl – cooing and petting her to calm her down while checking for injuries. The girl – whom now Ichigo realized had green hair and large, deceptively innocent pink eyes – gave him a sly smirk before pointing straight at him and wailing, "The bad man took my ball and pushed me down Daddy!"
'Fate; thou art a heartless bitch.' Cursed Ichigo, as he held up his hands and waved them frantically. "N-No! That's not what happened at all! Let me explain!"
"Ichigo?" Starrk frowned, looking back and forth between the two, "Why is my Lilynette crying and blaming you? Did you hurt her?" His gaze hardened when the girl – Lilynette – nodded furiously.
"No! No I didn't!" Ichigo insisted, feeling defensive. "She attacked me! With a football! I was only – "
"Is that true dear? Did you hurt this man with your ball?" Starrk turned back to the girl, still petting and coddling her.
Ichigo had a bad feeling about how this was going to go down.
Surprisingly, the girl nodded. "I *sniff* I kicked the ball and it *sniff* accidentally hit him *hiccup* and I came and apologized as fast as I could *sniff sniff* but he was so mad Daddy! He woul-wouldn't listen and *hiccup* he pushed me down! Wahhhh!" She then threw her arms around Starrk's neck, bawling hysterically as she looked over his shoulder.
Ichigo felt his insides boil as she shot him a wicked, challenging look. He balled up his fists and took a step back, 'What a little witch!'
"Ichigo," Starrk stood, eyes shaded with a serious edge to his tone that had the younger male instantly on alert, "I think if you are immature enough to attack children for a simple accident then you may be too immature for me."
He snapped, "Are you kidding me? How can you be such a perceptive person and not see how much she's faking?!" He gestured at the triumphant smile that quickly melted into a look of innocent fright when her father-figure looked on. Ichigo sneered at the girl, "She's playing you like a fiddle!"
"That's enough! I had no idea you were – such a – such a child!" Growled the detective, unconsciously shielding the girl behind his leg. He pointed at Ichigo, fire in his eyes, "You better leave, right now, if you don't wish to be charged with harming a child – my child."
Ichigo threw his hands up in surrender and shook his head, giving up defending himself any further, 'What's the point? He's obviously going to pick her side every time. I'm just a nobody he wanted to fuck.' He thought harshly, turning on his heel and storming away.
"I guess this means the date is off." He chuckled to himself bitterly, not feeling any better about the situation.
He shot Renji a text, "So you dont need to worry about Starrk anymore…"
He got a phone-call as response and sighed, planted himself under a tree and punched the accept.
"What happened?"
"He threatened to press charges for hurting his child."
"… What the actual fuck? Tell me everything."
It didn't take him long to relay the incident to Renji, adrenaline keeping Ichigo's memory crystal clear.
"Holy damn, that's one way to do it! Figured a civil phone conversation would cut it but – Jesus dude, you really know how to burn your bridges!"
Ichigo barked a humourless laugh, "This whole thing sucks. I thought I'd be happy but I'm actually really depressed right now…" 'It sucks that he thinks I'm some immature brat – I know I was gonna break things off but – I don't like that he thinks that, it's wrong…'
"No shit, you just got charges threatened for hurting a kid – wow and she was such a little brat too! – no, you were better off not to even bother, he probably wouldn't accept anything you had to say."
"That's what I was thinking." Ichigo agreed, rubbing his temple where it throbbed.
"Well, that's that then! No need to feel depressed or anxious, alright? It's over with and you most likely won't ever see him again: I made sure all your dates weren't in any of your classes or hung out near the Reishi. Just in case, ya know?"
Once again Ichigo was struck with his friend's thoughtfulness, "Thanks man, really. You've done so much for me this week and it means a lot."
Renji chuckled, "I only take 'thank you's with dinner, you know…"
Ichigo grinned, "No problem, I'll let Yuzu know right now. See ya in a bit."
"Later!"
