Warning: Unbeta'd

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Shirosaki released a slow breath trough his nose as he watched Renji carry the precious dandelion towards the bathroom and kick the door shut. Grimmjow was sitting on the couch, looking rather pissed off.

Not that Shiro could blame him.

At the same time though—Renji was Ichigo's brother and the situation was still a little unbalanced, so Shiro was willing to side with Renji on this one. They were lucky that Ichigo wasn't having a mental break-down from what he's endured, but, in any case, it was safe to have family close by for comfort.

He looked down at his hands to see the large patches of blood on his fingers, which were already drying up and becoming a gross, crusty mess. He quickly made his way to the kitchen, only pausing when he heard shouting from the bathroom.

He and Grimmjow shared a quick look before he shrugged and continued walking.

Shiro turned on the faucet and scrubbed his hands clean; making sure none of Ichigo's blood was left. He even scraped up under his fingernails just in case.

He let the water continue running as he leaned against the sink and stared down at his pale hands, his thoughts swerving about. He wasn't sure why exactly until he remembered that look on Grimmjow's face when they spoke outside. That peaceful smile that made him look so… happy—no the dick looked positively giddy.

All because he loved Ichigo and hoped with all his heart that the man would give him another chance.

Apparently he got his wish.

And for some reason it pissed Shirosaki off.

Don't get him wrong, he wanted his best friend to be happy, of course—but his so-called friend was dragging down a person that deserved a lot more than what Grimmjow was currently capable of giving him.

It wasn't because he was jealous…

Okay maybe he was a little bit.

Plus, he knew how… passionate Grimm could get, especially when he had a few drinks, so he could only imagine the heated arguments he and Ichigo would get into. And granted, Shiro hasn't known Ichigo for all that long, but from what he's been able to observe, the dandelion was a little firecracker when he wanted to be. Which probably only added more fuel to Grimmjow's rage filled fire.

Another thought that bothered Shiro was the fact that just yesterday Grimmjow had told him that he'd fucked their business partner, Byakuya.

Again, Shirosaki was fully aware that the great and powerful Aizen had demanded it, but still—the thought chipped away at Shiro's patience.

He didn't realize how long he'd been staring down at his hands, but he finally snapped out of it when another round of shouting boomed throughout the apartment. He turned off the water to hear what was being said, but as soon as he did, it went silent. He quietly made his way towards the empty doorframe and locked eyes with Grimmjow's questioningly, but the man just shrugged and looked towards the bathroom door. It was dead-silent for a good while, and they both just continued to watch the door.

Anticipation spilt into the air, making it thick and tense.

Shirosaki's brows furrowed and he noticed Grimmjow jump to his feet when the sound of a slap came from behind the door. They both took a couple steps forward, but then jumped back when the door was slammed open revealing a red-faced dandelion who was fuming so much that Shiro wouldn't be surprised if he started spitting fire at them.

Grimmjow—the poor douchebag—wanting to be the hero, went to hold Ichigo and calm him down, but the dandelion wouldn't have any of that.

"Don't touch me! Leave me alone! ALL OF YOU JUST FUCK OFF!"

Shiro had the urge to cackle when he saw Grimmjow, man of fucking steel, flinch and cower slightly at the sudden outburst. None of them moved until Ichigo finally spun around and stormed into Shirosaki's room, slamming the door behind him.

Both males peered inside the bathroom to see Renji still standing there, looking stunned, mortified, and terrified. Shiro really tried not to smirk, but when his eyes locked with the large red hand print which glowed against his cheek, he couldn't help it.

Ichigo must've scared the shit out of him and then left behind that little present.

Shiro took a quick glance at the man's middle, resisting the urge to clap his encouragement when he saw that Renji hadn't pissed himself with fear.

Grimmjow crossed his arms and narrowed his blue eyes towards the redhead, who still had yet to come out of his shock.

"What in the holy fuck did ya say to him?"

Renji snapped out of it and quickly composed himself, as well as he could, before looking up to meet their eyes.

"I don't know w-what you're talkin' about." Renji tried hard to put up a good front, but the small tumble in his speech, the slight waver in his voice, and the red blush that dusted his partially swollen cheeks was enough for Shirosaki to put the pieces together.

"Seriously Renji?"

Said redhead locked eyes with him and instantly knew that Shiro had figured him out. He glanced at Grimmjow worriedly before addressing Shiro, trying his best to bury the conversation before it got any deeper.

"Don't worry about it. He's just a little cranky because he needs some sleep and he's been through a lot. I'm sure he's still hurting too, so let him get some rest, okay?" He didn't wait for a reply as he quickly escaped to his own room, brushing past both men without looking them in the eye. He shut the door behind him, leaving the two males to try and figure shit out.

Grimmjow raised a brow and then looked to Shiro for an explanation, but his friend merely shrugged his shoulders and then made his way back to the living room to play more games. Grimmjow was about to knock on Shiro's door to try and get Ichigo to talk to him, but after the recent verbal lashing he got, he decided better of it and instead followed Shirosaki back to the couch.

He'd interrogate the two redheaded idiots when they were ready.

Unfortunately, though, that didn't come for quite a while.

The rest of the morning had been rather uneventful.

Renji and Ichigo had decided to keep themselves shut up in their rooms. The only time they would come out would be to use the restroom or to get something to eat, and they would always peek out first to make sure that the other wasn't around before quickly running to their destination. It was starting to piss Grimmjow off and he tried to corner Ichigo for answers the couple times he actually came out, but the orangette would just glare and keep quiet until Grimmjow would throw up his hands in frustration and storm away.

Shirosaki watched everything unfold quietly, knowing exactly what was going on, but refusing to get involved. Just for the very reason that he wasn't involved.

This wasn't his fight.

Although he did feel a little bad for the dandelion when a look of guilt crossed his face each time Grimmjow turned his back to storm away.

His chance to help would finally appear later on.

But first~

He looked at the clock and realized that he and Grimm would need to head to work soon. They relatively had the same work schedule, although Grimmjow probably had a little more time to get ready then he did. Not that Shiro was worried about being late. He could even probably skip work today and Aizen would just have to suck it up.

"Yo, Blue." Said man glanced up at him for a second to show that he heard him before returning his hard gaze to Shiro's closed door. "We gotta head in pretty soon." He got a grunt in reply, but it didn't look like Grimmjow was going to get up. "Dude. Get the fuck up. Go home n' take a nice long shower, clear yer head, and then meet me at yer office, 'kay?"

For a while Grimmjow didn't answer, but then a sigh finally escaped his lips and he slowly got up and walked to the very same door he'd been glaring holes into.

He knocked twice and then immediately started talking because he already knew that Ichigo wasn't going to reply to the knock.

"Ichi… I need ta head to work. I'm gonna run by our place and get ready. Do you need anythin' before I go…?"

When he didn't receive an answer right away, he was about to leave, but he froze when he heard the doorknob turn and then Ichigo appeared in the doorway, looking like he just woke up. His spikey hair was all disheveled on one side while the other half was flattened against his head—probably from the pillow, his eyes were half-lidded, and, to top it off, he was rubbing his eye tiredly.

Fucking. Adorable.

Shirosaki felt his cheeks burn a little at the thoughts that decided to surface.

Many, many perverted thoughts.

Grimmjow must've had the same thoughts running through his head because he coughed into his hand and had to compose himself before addressing the orangette.

"Ya okay…?"

Ichigo raised a brow and looked around for a second, seeming confused until reality finally sunk in. A scowl set onto his face, but it did nothing to deter his cuteness. If anything, it made him even more delectable.

"M' fine." He grumbled bitterly, but when he looked up into Grimmjow's sincere, worried eyes, his expression softened and he let a tiny smile tug at his lips.

"Good." Grimmjow smirked down at him and lifted a hand to ruffle his orange tresses, making it even more chaotic and then he leaned down to kiss the other's lips. Ichigo seemed surprised by the sudden gentle affection from Grimmjow, but he soaked it up eagerly and kissed back. "I'm headin' out now. I'll be back 'round eight. If ya need anythin' ya know my cell number."

Both Shirosaki and Ichigo rolled their eyes.

Before the dandelion could start his verbal attack, Shirosaki pulled the man away by his ear.

"He 'aint a lil' kid, ya smurf. Just get goin' already. I don't wanna get ta work and hear tha' ya got fired because you were fuckin' late."

Grimmjow huffed and smacked Shiro's hand away before straightening himself by the exit.

"You're one ta talk, chalk-face! Ya know how many times you've been late this past year? I'm surprised Aizen hasn't thrown your pasty ass out the top-story window!"

Ichigo snickered at the two dummies before shuffling his way to the kitchen to grab something to drink.

"I just so happen ta be an irreplaceable asset to the company~! So Mr. Stick-up-his-ass-Aizen can kiss my—as ya so eloquently put—pasty ass. Youuu, on the other hand, jus' recently pissed him off, so I would try not ta get on his bad-side today."

Grimmjow glared at his friend and went to lightly punch him, but Shiro blocked it and then retaliated by flicking the other's nose. While Grimmjow was busy rubbing at his poor nose, Shiro quickly pulled him down by the front of his shirt so that he could whisper in his ear.

"What are ya gonna say to Ichigo about the whole thing with Byakuya?"

When he pulled away he could see the guilt and slight shock, which told him that Grimmjow had completely forgotten about that.

"Shit." He hissed under his breath and then he looked to make sure Ichigo wasn't around before bending down to whisper, "Ichi and I have decided ta start things over, so I don't think there's any point in bringing up Byakuya… Best to leave it in the past… So don't say anythin' to him, okay?"

Shirosaki narrowed his eyes and stared at his friend for a long time, making Grimmjow fidget uncomfortably.

He knew Shiro would disapprove, but he really didn't have the heart to tell Ichigo what had happened with Byakuya. He didn't even really want to do it with the stuck-up bastard, so it wasn't like he was being completely unfaithful… Right?

Shiro eventually sighed and then opened the door for Grimmjow. He didn't say a word and didn't even meet the other's eyes as he waited for the man to walk out. This told Grimmjow two things.

One. That Shirosaki definitely didn't approve.

BUT. He won't say anything at least.

"I'll see you at work, glue-face."

"Later, Mudkip."

Shiro smirked when he heard Grimmjow's amused chuckle and then closed the door behind him.

He turned to walk back into the living room but he jumped back and pressed himself against the door with a small yelp when he almost tripped over the person who had been standing behind him.

"Fuck, Dandelion! Scared the shit outta me!" Shiro grabbed at his heart dramatically, making Ichigo roll his eyes.

"First. Don't call me that." Shirosaki smirked at that and then shrugged as if to say, 'I make no promises.' "And second. Who is Byakuya?"

That mischievous smirk quickly flipped into a frown and golden eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Fuck…"

Grimmjow sighed and buried fingers into his thick blue locks, tugging lightly to relieve some of the frustration of the day, but it did nothing to lighten his mood.

He had taken Shirosaki's advice and went home to take a nice long shower.

Of course, he'd conveniently forgotten about the mess his living room was still in, which immediately reminded him of what a complete asshole he'd been the night before. Which then led to thoughts of Ichigo, and how if he hadn't done what he did, then the berry wouldn't've ran to his brother's, and he wouldn't've ran into that one giant dick with the eye-patch…

Eyepatch…

Grimmjow let a wide, evil grin stretch across his lips. He then signed one last paper before neatly stacking them together into a nice little pile at the corner of his desk. He stood and began walking towards the door to his office, all while smoothing out the wrinkles in his black suit and straightening his dark purple tie so that he looked presentable.

His clean black leather shoes clicked against the marble floor as he made his way towards the familiar office down the hallway.

He passed a few people on his way, but he ignored them in favor of keeping his eyes on his goal.

His prey.

Grimmjow stopped at the door with the number '5' written across in elegant cursive, then lightly tapped his knuckles against foggy—almost white—glass which most of the building was made of.

It was silent, but he was pretty sure the bastard would be in right now.

Grimmjow had to knock at least three more times before he finally got an answer.

"Fuckin' hell. WHO IS IT!? I'm busy!"

Meaning he was probably masturbating while looking at porn on his computer when he should be working.

Typical Nnoitra.

Grimmjow didn't answer him though. He just continued knocking, because he knew the door would never open if the asshole knew who he was about to face.

"Dammit… ALRIGHT! Hold your horses!"

As soon as the door swung open, Grimmjow didn't give him a chance to register who he was or what was going on before slamming his heavy fist against the asshole's remaining eye.

Nnoitra shouted in both pain and surprise as he stumbled back and pressed a hand to his face. He kept backing up until he could lean against his desk while hissing in pain. Grimmjow took that time to look around and make sure no one saw what just happened before stepping inside. Once he locked the door, he looked up to notice that Nnoitra was bent over and he was blinking his eye repeatedly to make sure that it was still working.

Grimmjow smirked when he could see the bruise and swelling already beginning to form. If he was lucky then Nnoitra wouldn't be able to open that eye for a good week after today.

"Bastard! What was that… for…" Nnoitra's voice died in his throat when he finally looked up and saw that it was Grimmjow fucking Jaegerjaques in his office, sitting on his "thinking" couch and smiling at him like the devil himself. "Woah, okay, look Blue! I 'ad NO idea that the kid was yours, okay!? If I had known, then I wouldn't'a tried anythin', I swear!" Nnoitra was scrabbling his way to the other side of his desk, hoping to put some distance between himself and the blue-haired menace.

Grimmjow raised a brow and then leaned against the back of the couch, settling himself into the cushions before looking up. "Nnoitra…" Said man slowly sank into his chair, and took a quick glance at his office phone before returning his gaze to Grimmjow. He was probably thinking about calling for security, but that would've been a pussy move. "Who was the giant asshole you were hangin' out with last night?"

Nnoitra pursed his lips and looked like he was going keep a lid on that information, but when he saw Grimmjow jump to his feet and start walking towards him, he immediately opened his mouth.

"His name's Kenpachi Zaraki! H-he said he used ta go to school with the kid!" The information was good, but it didn't make Grimmjow stop walking.

Nnoitra stood and went to grab the phone, but Grimmjow was too fast.

Due to Nnoitra's extreme height, Grimmjow had to jump up a little to grab the back of his head, but once he had a good hold, he slammed the man into his desk, face-first. Nnoitra groaned in pain and his nose stung horribly from the impact. He wanted to make sure it wasn't broken but he couldn't move. He choked on a gasp when his face was pressed further into the desk.

"C'mon man! I swear I didn't even get ta touch the kid, okay! It was all Kenpachi!"

Grimmjow kept him there for a few more minutes, feeling the satisfaction of overpowering this asshole and reveling in the slight panic he could feel while holding the back of his head. He huffed and finally released the man, but Nnoitra didn't move an inch until he heard the door to his office open and close. He looked up to see that he was alone and finally released a sigh of relief.

"Fuckin' asshole…"

Grimmjow felt a content grin plaster itself on his face, and he couldn't help the little hop in his step as he started making his way back to his office. However, his good mood fell when he saw that his office wasn't empty. Seated in the two armchairs in front of his desk were Shirosaki and Ichigo.

He'd never brought Ichigo to his work before, nor could ever recall even telling him what company he even worked for. The most he ever told him was that he worked from some dick named, Aizen and he does business shit for a living… So it was quite surprising to see him sitting there, looking absolutely sexy in a black suit. His He wore a red shirt beneath the black jacket and forwent the tie so he could leave a few of the buttons undone. Grimmjow recognized the suit as Shiro's and was surprised by how well it fit him.

Now that Grimmjow could stare at both men straight on he could finally see just how alike they were. It was really, really unnerving. They looked like long lost-twins—but Grimmjow seriously hoped that wasn't the case…

Grimmjow shook out of his thoughts when he realized he was currently on the receiving end of Ichigo's death-glare.

He looked to Shiro for an answer, but he blinked in surprise when he finally noticed the slight discoloration right below his left eye.

Was that a… bruise?

No way! Shirosaki Ogihci with a bruise on his face!

Too good.

"Drop the fuckin' grin, asshole." Shirosaki snapped bitterly when he noticed what Grimmjow had been staring at.

"Sorry. Just never saw ya with a bruise b'fore."

Shirosaki shifted in the seat and sunk low while propping his long legs up on Grimmjow's desk.

"What can I say… Dandelion's got a helluva right hook…" Grimmjow couldn't help the snicker that escaped his lips, earning him a middle finger from Shiro.

He knew all too well what Ichigo's fists were capable of. And yet, it made him wonder what Shirosaki could've done to rile Ichigo up enough to resort to fists.

Ichigo remained silent, his eyes never leaving Grimmjow as the man made his way to his chair behind the desk. He waited until Grimmjow was seated before opening his mouth.

"Who the fuck is Byakuya?"

Blue eyes widened and then snapped to Shirosaki accusingly but the other just raised his hands defensively and waved off the glare.

"I didn't say shit. He heard us by the door, and started interrogatin' me. I decided to be a good friend and kept mah mouth shut, but that earned me a sucker punch to the face and then he demanded tha' I bring 'im to ya…"

Grimmjow groaned as he leaned back against his chair, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and massaging gently.

"Was hopin' this wouldn't even become an issue…"

"Too late. Now start talking or you will suffer far worse then what I've endured these past two days." Ichigo hissed, pure rage bubbling beneath his skin and spewing from molten-amber eyes.

Grimmjow gulped at the threat and tapped his fingers against his desk nervously as he tried to think of a way out of this mess. But nothing came to him, so he figured his best—and probably only—option was to be completely honest.

He let out a long breath before starting.

"Byakuya Kuchiki is the business partner that I was assigned to see on that business trip I took."

He was hoping that Ichigo would leave it at that, but that was just wishful thinking.

Realization seemed to dawn on the other. Ichigo's face softened a little and he hummed in thought.

"Kuchiki… You said that name the other night before you—…" Ichigo stopped himself and winced at bringing it up when he saw the guilt cross Grimmjow's face, but shrugged it off and continued. "You said he made you do all kinds of annoying errands… Is there something he made you do that I wouldn't want to know about?"

Grimmjow suddenly found his stapler very interesting. He let his fingers slide against the metal top and pushed it down a few times distractedly as he tried to think of what to say next.

"Well… Uhm… You see.. I didn't—I mean I did—But Aizen ordered for—I couldn't… He…" Grimmjow couldn't look Ichigo in the eyes as he stumbled from word to word, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Shirosaki took pity on the poor man.

He reached out to lightly touch Ichigo's arm to get his attention.

"Our boss, Aizen, told Grimmjow that he was to get Byakuya ta sign the contract by any means necessary. If he was asked ta cook, or ta clean, shine his shoes, take out the garbage—hell even babysit, then he didn't 'ave much choice." Ichigo raised a brow at that and glanced at Grimmjow's face which was now pinched with fury at remembering all the bullshit he had to put up with for that Byakuya guy. He returned his gaze to Shirosaki as he began to speak again. "If none of those things worked, then, as a last resort, Grimmjow was ordered to fuck the guy."

Ichigo's eyes widened and snapped back to Grimmjow, who was now looking down at his lap with guilt written all over his face. Ichigo didn't even have to ask if the man went through with it or not because it was glaringly obvious that he did.

"YOU—" By default, Ichigo's anger spiked and he looked like he wanted to throttle Grimmjow, but to the two men's surprise, the dandelion sobered quickly and then had a thoughtful look on his face. He looked as though he was trying to think everything through carefully. Grimmjow carefully rolled his chair around the desk until he was beside his lover. He took Ichigo's hand in his and squeezed gently, blinking when the hand squeezed back. "Was he any good…?" Ichigo finally asked with a hint of humor laced in his voice, making Grimmjow smirk.

"Nahh~ He was terrible. 'Bout half way through I actually had ta picture I was inside your sweet ass so I could even stay erect."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and snorted in amusement.

"So we're good…?" Grimmjow hesitated to ask, thinking Ichigo might revert back to angry-berry-mode and punch him, but Ichigo just smiled at him and nodded.

"Yeahh… We're starting over, remember? So I guess we better get all the bullshit confessions out of the way now before we move forward."

Grimmjow sighed in relief, and Shirosaki nodded with a small grin, but then the mood shifted when something seemed to click with Grimmjow.

"Wait… Do you have somethin' you need to confess ta me?"

It was Ichigo's turn to look a little nervous now especially when Grimmjow didn't seem to be as understanding. His grip on Ichigo's hand tightened painfully but he quickly let go and got himself under control when he saw Shiro's narrowed eyes and heard Ichigo's slight whimper.

"Look… Don't get mad, okay? But today when Renji was helping me in the restroom… He…" Ichigo hesitated as he looked into Grimmjow's piercing blue eyes and he glanced sideways to see Shiro's understanding gaze. For a brief second he wondered just how much the pale man had figured out on his own.

"Did he hurt you, Ichi? If he did I'll kick his ass."

Ichigo shook his head and placed his hands over Grimmjow's knees which were on either side of his own.

"No. Renji… confessed to me."

Grimmjow blinked then scrunched his face up in confusion and slight disgust.

"'Aint he your brother?"

Ichigo took a deep breath before shaking his head once more.

"He's my step-brother. Our fathers married when we were little. Apparently he even had a crush on me at that time, and got mad when we became 'brothers'. So he never told me about it until now."

Grimmjow leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a while, taking everything in.

Shirosaki picked at the dirt under his nails as his gaze flicked back and forth between the two quiet men. He knew he probably shouldn't have stayed for their little heart-to-heart but he was glad he didn't care.

"So he loves you?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Anddd… Why did he decide to tell you about all this shit now? Didn't you guys grow up together? You think he coulda told ya at an earlier time… Not that I wish he did—M'glad you're with me, of course."

Ichigo shrugged. "I'm not sure… He doesn't trust you, so I think maybe he thought it would get me to rethink getting back together with you."

Grimmjow hummed and crossed his arms while looking Ichigo straight in the eyes.

"And has it?"

"…"

Shirosaki let out a quiet breath and shook his head when he noticed the hesitation and confliction in Ichigo's eyes.

This is bad…

Red, you dumbass.

Grimmjow noticed the look as well and lifted his hands to rub at his face tiredly.

"Look… I'm not.. mad." That's what he said, but the tensing in his jaw and clenching of his fists said otherwise. "Just… In the end all I want is for you ta be happy." As Grimmjow said that he let all his muscles relax and a serene look crossed his face, showing that he wasn't lying. Ichigo pursed his lips and picked at the hem of his shirt anxiously at the other's soft gaze. "If you need a few days to figure things out, then I'm okay with that." Ichigo peeked up at the man and smiled lightly.

"Thanks, Grimm…"

Said man nodded in understanding before pushing away and retreating behind his desk.

"Now get lost. Both o' ya. 'Fore ya get me in trouble."

Shirosaki shrugged and made his way towards the door, pausing to wait for Ichigo. He watched as the dandelion got up and quickly made his way to the bluenette. They both shared a look before they kissed.

It was short, yet the feeling behind it lingered even as their lips finally parted.

"I'll call you when I'm ready to talk, okay?"

Grimmjow nodded slowly and watched as Ichigo walked through the door, brushing past Shirosaki on his way out.

Shiro didn't miss the longing look that crossed his friend's face, but it disappeared as soon as their eyes locked.

"Fuck-off." He grumbled, making Shiro snicker. They flipped each other off before parting ways.

Shiro closed the door behind him and looked around the hall. He spotted the head of orange before it disappeared around the corner. He ran to catch up just as Ichigo got into the elevator. His fingers barely got between the doors before they closed.

Ding

They opened and Ichigo looked up, finally snapping out of his thoughts when he noticed the smirk on Shiro's face.

"Oh… Sorry. Didn't mean to leave you behind."

Shiro shrugged as he settled beside the other and pressed the button for the bottom floor.

"You're alright. I know ya've got a lota stuff to think about…"

Ichigo hummed in agreement.

"I guess… But I don't really want to think right now. Do you know if there's a decent bar around here?"

A wide smirk and loud cackle was his only reply.

TBC

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This chapter wasn't quiteeeee as long as the last one, but I think it turned out okay

At least I didn't leave you at a horrible cliff-hanger like last time

Lol

ANYWAYYY~~

Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapterr