Another one :) lol thank you to every single person who has reviewed/followed/favorited my story, you guys encourage me so much and the love you show me keeps me going! But enough with the sappy stuff, enjoy!

Chapter 12: Can You Stand The Rain?

Word on Loly's pregnancy spread like wild fire. Ichigo was forced to shut his phone off just to stop seeing texts from his friends asking questions about it. For days after the whole Thanksgiving fiasco, the redhead refused to leave his room. His sisters brought him his meals, Shinji stopped by to check on him a few times, and even Renji sacrificed time with his family to make sure he was okay after hearing what happened. He spent hours on end lost in his own thoughts, trying fruitlessly to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions tearing through his brain, until finally he decided there was no way to come up with answers on his own. He needed them from the source. He needed Grimmjow. But when he'd finally mustered up the courage to go back to the dorms and face him, he found nothing but an empty room, devoid of any trace the bluenette was ever there.

Ichigo would never forget what he felt stepping into that empty dorm room, the loneliness, the heartache, the guilt, and the lost feeling of home he didn't realize the bluenette provided until he was gone. As much as it hurt, he reasoned with himself that what happened on Thanksgiving had nothing to do with Grimmjow's absence, the bluenette was planning to move out before that anyway, but that thought didn't settle him for very long as there was still a question as to why he would just leave without notice. Ichigo thought perhaps his now ex-roommate might've tried to reach him while his cell was cut off, but upon reviving the device he found not a single call or text from him. This, of course, only made Ichigo wonder if the man indeed left due to the events which unfolded days prior. Either way, even if Grimmjow left without so much as a goodbye, Ichigo still planned to get answers.

Presently, the redhead wasn't sure if that would happen any time soon as he sat at his usual cafeteria table, surrounded by his friends who were shooting off questions and comments all at once, faster than he could answer.

"Wait," Shuuhei began with a hand in the air, "so you're saying Grimmjow's father, the head master of this school, Sousuke Aizen, actually called you a homewrecker?! You two aren't even an item!"

"Shuuhei, you dumbass!" Ikkaku shouted. "Didn't ya hear the part where they almost kissed?!"

"Almost being the key phrase, jackass!"

"I'm still stuck on the part where Loly actually went to Aizen asking for money!" Yumichika chimed in. "What a fucking slut bag!"

"Gold diggin' whore is more like it," Shiro said offhandedly. "She ain't even the worst part of it though. Seems ta me like tha' douchebag Grimmjow's actually gonna go through wit' marryin' the bitch."

Ichigo snapped his head in his brother's direction, eyes ablaze. "What the hell, Shiro!" he snapped.

"Now, now, Ichigo, before you get upset," Yumichika intervened calmly, "Your brother may have a point. It's very unlikely Grimmjow will go against his father."

"I disagree," Ikkaku grunted around a mouthful of potato chips. "The guy's a stubborn prick. Ain't no way anybody can force him to do somethin' he don't wanna."

"Unless there was something at stake," Shuuhei suggested.

"Yeah? Like what?" Yumichika challenged.

Shuuhei shrugged. "Could be anything. His father has power and one can do a lot of wicked things with the proper influence."

"I don't know," Ichigo started, "Grimmjow is very reserved, especially when it comes to his father. I doubt Aizen even knows him well enough to hold anything over his head like that. There's no way he'll go through with this."

"Dear Kami, open your eyes, Ichigo," his brother replied exasperatedly, his usual slang absent from his watery voice. "Grimmjow said nothing to defend you at that table, he packed his shit and left without a word, he hasn't spoken to you in nearly a week, hell, he even stopped being Yoruichi's TA just so he didn't have to see you! Seems to me like he is going through with this."

"You don't know that!" Ichigo bellowed, shooting from his seat and surprising everyone. "He was in shock after what his father told him, we all were, and he didn't move out because of what happened, he was already planning to do so! And let's say he does marry her, would it make him such a bad guy for trying to be a good father to his kid?!"

"No, Ichigo," Renji spoke as he took hold of the redhead's forearm, catching everyone's attention as he'd been silent the entire conversation. "Trying to be a good father doesn't make him a bad guy, but leading you on just to drop you like a rock, does." Hazel eyes met fiery brown and the former practically pleaded for the smaller male to understand, to let the bluenette go, but Ichigo wouldn't have it.

Ichigo snatched away from the crimson haired senior and stepped back from the group, shaking his head. "You guys are wrong, and I'm gonna prove it," he stated coldly before storming off.

Meanwhile, Grimmjow sat alone on the other side of the cafeteria, bouncing his knees impatiently as he awaited the arrival of his…baby mama. The words made him cringe and left a bad taste in his mouth, but the fact is, that's what she was. The mother of his unborn child, the headache he'd spend the rest of his life having to endure, and soon to be his-

"'Sup, Grimmie," Loly greeted as she dropped a tray of food onto the table, across from Grimmjow.

"Don't fuckin' call me that," the bluenette grimaced as she took her seat, nodding his head towards her food. "Fuck are you eating?"

"Sushi, what's it look like?" Loly replied with attitude, picking up her chopsticks and moving to put a piece in her mouth. She suddenly froze with her mouth agape when her wrist was snatched roughly by Grimmjow's hand. "Ow! What the fuck, jackass, that hurts!"

"Are you fucking stupid?!" the bluenette snarled as he released her, only to slap the offending food from her hand. "You can't eat raw fish while pregnant, dumbass!"

Loly blinked. "Oh… Wait how do you know that?"

Grimmjow rolled his crystal blue eyes. "Unlike you, I did my fuckin' research 'cause I'm smart enough not to trust you with the health of my kid. Here." He swapped her tray of sushi for his plate of grilled chicken, steamed rice, and mixed veggies. "Eat that."

Loly stared at the plate for a long moment before lifting her eyes back to the man across from her. "Wow. Thanks, Grimmjow," she said dumbfoundedly. "You know, you should watch yourself. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you care."

The bluenette made a face. "Fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I mean, you just shut the door in my face when I told you I was pregnant and now you're all concerned with the baby's health!"

"That's 'cause ya just dropped a fuckin' bomb in my lap, Loly!" Grimmjow said exasperatedly before sighing. "I just needed time to process. Obviously, this wasn't something I had planned for the near future, but, I mean, now that the kid's…" the bluenette gestured towards her stomach, looking for the words, "in there, hell yeah I care."

The onyx haired girl lifted a slim brow at that. "So, you're like…okay with this?"

"Not all of it, fuck no," he replied gruffly, "but I guess I kinda look forward to meeting the little brat."

"Huh," Loly huffed, her narrowed, rose colored eyes scanning Grimmjow suspiciously. "Forgive me for having my doubts, but you don't exactly scream 'dad material.'"

"And I suppose you're just a natural born mother?" the burly man mocked.

"It's called maternal instinct," Loly mocked right back. "Almost all women have it."

"I'm willing to bet you're the one in a million woman who doesn't."

"Anyways," the girl said loudly as she rolled her eyes, "Have you thought of any names?"

Grimmjow scoffed. "Isn't the kid like the size of a peanut right now?"

"Never too early for names," Loly said with a shrug.

The bluenette averted his eyes, seeming to contemplate for only a moment before opening his mouth. "If it's a girl, I wanna name her Adalina."

Dark brows shot to an equally dark hairline as wide, pink eyes regarded Grimmjow. "That's…beautiful," Loly said in awe. "Where did you get it?"

"It was my mother's name," he grunted, wringing his hands under the table as he avoided eye contact.

"Your mother? You've never spoken to me about her before."

"And I don't plan to," Grimmjow growled, his sharp, cyan eyes practically boring holes into Loly's skull. "Eat your damn food, you're starving my kid."

Loly went red with embarrassment, feeling like a child being scolded, and quickly took up her fork. Grimmjow definitely wouldn't be a laid-back kind of father, that's for sure, she thought as she began shoveling rice and veggies into her mouth. She mentally noted that the bluenette's mother was a touchy subject that she'd be sure not to bring up again and ate her lunch in silence. Bet the ginger knows all about her though. Loly shook her head slightly, fighting to expel the bitter and jealous thought from her mind. Doesn't matter, I'm the one having Grimmjow's baby, not Ichigo.

"Hey, I was thinking," Grimmjow suddenly began after several moments of silence, his voice much softer, "I have a studio at my place that I can make into a nursery. I thought I'd hire an interior designer and maybe you two could decorate or somethin'. Ya know, do all that 'nesting' shit."

Loly blinked at the man with a piece of chicken poised in front of her mouth. "Are you serious?"

"I mean if you don't want to, then-"

"No! Of course I want to!" the girl blurted. "But, why?"

"What, you expect me to decorate it?"

"Uh, well, no, I suppose not," she replied dumbly.

"Then shut up and accept the offer, stop askin' stupid questions," Grimmjow said bluntly as he outstretched his hand. "And gimme your phone." Loly lifted a brow but complied without a word, eyeing the device curiously as Grimmjow added his number to her contact list. "Call me for anything regarding the brat. If ya need a ride to the doctor, if ya wanna shop for baby shit, if ya need more clothes once you start showing, just let me know."

The pregnant girl nodded slowly as Grimmjow handed her phone back. "Wow," she began, "you know you're actually kind of nice under that douchebag mask you wear. I never thought you'd ever be this kind to me."

Grimmjow paused and gave Loly a stern look, blue eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Let me make this perfectly clear. Nothing I do from here on out is actually for you. All that matters is my kid."

And Ichigo, came the nagging voice in his head which he snuffed out quickly.

Loly narrowed her eyes. "Grimmjow, we're getting married next month. Shouldn't we at least try to like each other?"

"Nope," the man responded curtly, "all you are is the mother of my kid, and that's all you ever will be. Make no mistake."

Loly's blood began to boil and she was fighting hard not to let her hormones drive her into a fit of rage. "What the hell kind of home will this baby have with that mindset?!" she snapped.

"Perhaps you should've thought of that before you ran to my father asking for money." At the dumbfounded look on her face, Grimmjow cracked a mirthless grin. "What? You thought I didn't know all you wanted was my money? Well, congrats, Loly, you got it. As soon as we sign those papers, my money is your money and neither of us will ever have the chance to be happy ever again."

"T-That's not what-"

"Oh, that's not what you wanted?" Grimmjow mocked. "Well, too fuckin' bad 'cause it's what ya get."

Frustrated tears clung to Loly's lashes as she absorbed the words. "All I wanted was for you to actually want this! To want us!"

"Us?!" the bluenette hissed. "There is no us, Loly! There never has been and there never will be! The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better."

Beside herself with fury, Loly leapt from her seat and made her exit, leaving Grimmjow sighing in relief at her absence. As he ran a hand through his messy, sky blue locks, he then noticed the many eyes on him and realized belatedly that things had gotten pretty loud between him and Loly.

Fuckin' nosey ass sons o' b-

"Grimmjow."

He went stiff when he heard the voice at his back, that voice which usually wrapped around his name with such care and warmth now held anger and sadness. He hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to collect himself, before finally turning and facing the boy. "Ichigo."

"We need to talk."

The bluenette took another look around and found that the eyes on him remained steadfast. "I don't really think now's the best-"

"What the hell is going on?" the redhead interrupted, his usual scowl firmly in place. "You just up and left without a word, and you've been avoiding me like the plague all week. I mean, what the fuck?"

Grimmjow sighed as he stood, taking a few steps closer to Ichigo until they were about a foot apart. "Look, Ichi, there's just…" he rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort, "there's just certain things at play here that you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me," the redhead replied without missing a beat.

Grimmjow fought hard not to allow his emotions to show on his face, but his stomach twisted in knots as he stared down at the only person to ever make him feel these things. Those beautiful brown eyes were tearing him apart with their agonizing pleas for help, begging him for answers, begging him to fix the pieces of his broken heart, but, to Grimmjow's dismay, he was about to make things much, much more painful. "I can't," he muttered as he shoved his hands in his pockets, eyes downcast.

"We're supposed to be best friends!" Ichigo suddenly shouted. "What the fuck do you mean you can't tell me?!"

Grimmjow swallowed the lump in his throat and squeezed his eyes shut once more, fighting the hot, burning sensation behind them. However, that pain was nothing compared to the sting of his next words. "We can't see each other anymore, Ichigo." When no response came, Grimmjow finally lifted his head to find Ichigo staring at him wide eyed and mouth agape, an indescribable expression on his face. It was a mixture of disbelief, confusion, hurt, and fear all in one and when tears started welling in those captivating brown orbs, the bluenette instantly hated himself.

"W-What?" was the sad whisper that fell from Ichigo's lips in response.

"Ichi, please don't-" the burly man started until the feeling of even more eyes on him gave him pause. Wordlessly, he grabbed Ichigo by the arm and guided him to the nearest faculty bathroom, punching in a code before opening the door and ushering the redhead inside. By the time he locked the door and turned around, tears were streaming down the redhead's cheeks and his eyes were distant, staring at nothing in particular.

"You're marrying her, aren't you?"

Grimmjow felt so damn guilty listening to the flat tone of Ichigo's voice and seeing the dead look in his eyes. "Yes," he said through gritted teeth.

"And that's why we can't talk. Because we know we have feelings for each other," the redhead added, finally locking eyes with the other.

Blue brows knitted together in an uncharacteristic show of pain and crystalline eyes burned with longing as they regarded the teen. "Yes," he whispered.

Ichigo narrowed his tear swollen eyes and stepped closer to Grimmjow, never breaking eye contact until he was close enough to feel the heat of the man's body. "I know you, Grimm," he began softly, "I know you don't want to do this, so what's going on?"

The bluenette shook his head, his eyes falling to the floor once again. "I can't tell you." The air audibly left his lungs at the feel of warm hands clutching the fabric over his chest and he tossed his head back, continuing to battle with the lump in his throat and the burning in his eyes while simultaneously avoiding eye contact.

"Aizen has something on you, doesn't he?"

Grimmjow's mind automatically traced back to what had occurred the night of Thanksgiving, after he and Nel had left. God, if only he knew.

Grimmjow stormed out of the Kurosaki residence in a blind rage, surprised he didn't rip the front door from its hinges as he made his exit. He couldn't believe what his father had just done, the awful things he said to Ichigo, and in front of the girls no less. The bluenette was practically Hulk stomping down the sidewalk with no destination in mind, he just needed to get away before he lost control. All he wanted in that moment was to destroy something, to reap havoc, to shed blood.

He halted in his tracks, shaking his head to himself. No, he couldn't think like that, he wasn't that person anymore, he wasn't.

Eyes suddenly drawn to his hands, Grimmjow felt his breath hitch. It was like he could actually see the blood, hear the screams, and he was quickly beginning to fall back into a dark place he thought he'd left in his past. Trying to expel the gory images from his mind, he pressed his palms face down onto a fire hydrant at his side, panting heavily as if he'd just run a marathon. He squeezed his eyes shut and vaguely heard a voice in the distance calling his name, but it was a whisper compared to the screams and cries echoing in his head. He growled curses to himself as the screams grew louder and louder until finally he couldn't take it anymore. Roaring his frustration, he curled his fingers around the edges of the fire hydrant and with frighteningly little amount of force, completely uprooted the object from the cement and sent it flying clear across the street. He payed no mind to the water skyrocketing from the ground, even as he stood there getting soaked to the bone under its streams, as he realized the screams had stopped in exchange for a piercing ring in his ears. He vaguely registered small hands grabbing him by the shoulders and guiding him away from scene, then he was suddenly looking into, but not really seeing, wide hazel grey eyes filled with worry. When a hand waved in front of his face, he blinked and shook his head before looking around as if he'd forgotten where he was.

"Hey! Grimmjow, wake up!"

The bluenette felt as if he'd just been dragged back to reality by the roots of his hair as he brought his palms to his forehead to nurse a quickly growing headache. "Nel," he groaned.

"Are you okay?!" she exclaimed. "What the hell was that?!"

"I'm fine, sis, just losin' my mind is all," Grimmjow replied in his usual sarcastic fashion. "Had to get out of there before I lost my shit."

"Why? What happened? What did Dad say to you?"

Grimmjow's blood boiled anew and he shook his head, snarling at nothing in particular. "He said if I refused to marry Loly, he'd tell Ichigo everything. About the Espada, the Hogyoku, the blood…everything."

Nel gave her brother a look of disbelief, shaking her head slowly. "No. No, he wouldn't do that. He'd risk incriminating himself if he told Ichigo any of that."

Grimmjow scoffed. "He knows Ichigo would never say anything. In his words, it would just make him 'never want anything to do with me ever again.'"

The green haired girl only shook her head harder. "No! Dad wouldn't do that!"

"Get your head out of his fuckin' ass, Nel!" her brother yelled. "Jesus, daddy's little girl always wants to turn the other cheek when he shows his true colors. Well, wake the fuck up 'cause this is exactly who he is!" Grimmjow dipped his head to put he and his sister at eye level and lowered his voice to a harsh growl. "Face it, daddy dearest doesn't give a damn about anything but his money and his reputation." It was silent for a long moment as the two siblings stared each other down, and just when Nel opened her mouth to speak, undoubtedly to protest, another voice cut through the silence.

"Is that what you really think of me, son?"

Grimmjow whipped his head in the direction of the voice, baring his canines angrily as steam practically erupted from his ears. "That's what I know, Dad," he snarled. "You're willing to sacrifice your own son's happiness just so some rich, Wall Street bastards will remain willing to give you their money!"

Aizen's expression remained unmoving. "It's not just about me, son, it's about this family's-"

"Don't even try givin' me that 'family reputation' crap!" Grimmjow roared. "This family's reputation is your reputation! To the public, I have never been anything other than the son of Sousuke Aizen. The media has never mentioned my name, or Nel's, without first mentioning yours. So please, spare me the bullshit."

"I suggest you watch your tongue when you address your father."

"For. What," Grimmjow challenged, invading his father's personal bubble and growling in his face. "Out of respect? Well, guess what, Dad, you gotta give respect to get it." The bluenette scrubbed a shaky hand over his face and huffed angrily through his nose. "You just dragged Ichigo through the mud in front of his entire family. You called him a homewrecker in front of his little sisters. And you have the fuckin' audacity to call me arrogant? To demand my respect?" When his father said nothing and stood with that still stoic expression, he shook his head for the umpteenth time and stepped around him with a harsh, "Fuck this," and started back towards the Kurosaki residence.

"Where do you think you're going?" his father called after him.

"To talk to Ichigo," the bluenette replied gruffly, his strides long and purposeful.

"Have you already forgotten what I told you?"

Furious, Grimmjow whirled on his heel and stalked back towards Aizen. "Yeah, I know exactly what the fuck you said," he growled, "but I'll be damned if I let you hold my past over my head for the rest of my life just to get me to do your bidding! I'll tell Ichigo everything myself before I let you control my life like this!"

"Is that right?" Aizen asked, clear challenge in his narrowed eyes which only served to infuriate his son even more.

"You're damn right it is!" Grimmjow bellowed. "I would rather him walk away from me knowing the fuckin' truth than to walk away thinking that I don't love him!"

The night seemed to suddenly fall silent. There were no crickets, no leaves rustling in the wind, not a single sound save for Grimmjow's shallow breath as he stared wide eyed at his father, struggling to register the words that had just fallen from his lips. Had he meant to say that? Was it just the heat of the moment?

"I…I love Ichigo."

Eyes drawn to nothing in particular, he let the words roll on his tongue and found no bitter aftertaste of a lie. So, he meant it then. He loved Ichigo. In fact, he was in love with Ichigo and he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry about it.

"Unfortunately, son, those feelings no longer matter."

Those words cut through Grimmjow like a knife and his head jerked as if he'd been slapped. "What?" he asked, disbelief evident in his tone. "You don't even care?"

"You have greater responsibilities than your infatuation with this boy."

"Infatuation?!" Nel suddenly intervened. "Dad, have you ever, in his whole life, heard him say that about anybody before?!"

Aizen didn't answer and Grimmjow wasted no time turning his back to him with a scoff, continuing on his way. "Screw you then."

"I have other means to dispose of the Kurosakis, you know," his father suddenly stated, the words dropping a sudden weight on the bluenette's chest.

Slowly rotating on his heels, Grimmjow focused narrowed crystal blue orbs on his father and tilted his head as a slightly manic grin spread across his face. "What the fuck did you just say?" he asked calmly, quietly, murderously.

"Not in the way that you're assuming, Grimmjow, I am not a savage," Aizen drawled.

"Mind explainin' yourself then?" the bluenette pressed, taking a few dangerous steps closer.

"Well, as I'm sure you know I have a great deal of influence in this town," his father began, "so should you choose to disobey me, I will first have Ichigo and his brother expelled from Las Noches, making it extremely difficult, impossible even, to get into another university. They'll be forced to move back in with their father, but, after making a quick phone call, Isshin will be fired from his job and therein unable to support his family. And even if the boys try getting jobs to help pull their own weight, with just a few more calls I will make it impossible for them to be hired anywhere. I can even have their visas revoked, if necessary, and they'll be deported back to Japan."

Aizen finally showed emotion for the first time that night when he was suddenly snatched by his collar and yanked forward, an insane looking Grimmjow breathing down his nose. "Do you have any idea what'll happen to them if they go back to Japan?!"

Eyes slightly widened, his father shook himself and shoved the bluenette off of him, dusting off his pristine white button up. "No, but I'm assuming you do which is just all the more incentive for you to obey me," he replied coldly as he righted himself. "Do we have an understanding?"

Appearing to be caught somewhere in between a mental breakdown and a killing spree, Grimmjow shoved past his father with a muttered, "Whatever."

The bluenette finally brought himself to make contact with those beautiful, gold-flecked eyes staring up at him and he hardened his resolve, deciding there was nothing he wouldn't do to protect his Ichigo, even if it meant breaking both their hearts. "This is my choice, Ichi, not my father's," he lied. "It's just something I gotta do."

A sad smile pulled at Ichigo's lips as he slowly backed Grimmjow into the door of the small bathroom, leaving no room for escape. "I know when you're lying to me, Grimm," he said, "and you know I hate being lied to."

The burly man averted his gaze. "Please, Ichigo, can't you just… can't you just let this go?"

"You know I won't."

Grimmjow sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Then let me go," he ordered, voice barely audible. "Let me go and move on. Be happy and forget about me."

There was a pregnant pause before Ichigo dropped his hands from Grimmjow's shirt, watching him intently. "Is that really what you want?"

Of course not. "Yes."

Ichigo averted his eyes and nodded his head slowly, sniffling a bit as he did so. When he finally returned his attention to the bluenette, his eyes were hard, defiant, like he'd come to an important decision. "Kiss me then," he said sternly.

Grimmjow felt as if his brain had gone haywire, playing some kind of cruel trick on him which sent his eyebrows flying to his hairline and left him stuttering like a school girl with a crush. "Um, I-I'm sorry, wha…what?" he asked dumbfoundedly.

Ichigo's confidence seemed to falter slightly and his cheeks suddenly went beet red, but he was stubborn and his defiant eyes made it clear he wasn't backing down. "If you're gonna just walk away without so much as a halfway decent explanation, then the least you can do is finish what you started!" the redhead snapped, though there was little heat in his tone.

Grimmjow simply blinked, both shocked and turned on by Ichigo's straight forward demand. "Um…uh." He was trying to form words, he really was, but only a fucked up gibberish was coming out of his mouth and he felt a sudden heat pooling in his cheeks. Dare he admit that he, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, the former hit it and quit it King of Las Noches, was blushing by the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Said teen was growing redder by the second and hid under his bangs bashfully. "J-Just… Just p-pick up where you left off," he sputtered.

Grimmjow swallowed thickly as large, swooping birds of prey terrorized his belly. This wasn't how he had planned for this conversation to go, but it was happening. Ichigo could've screamed at him, hit him, told him he hated him, but instead, this was all he wanted, and Grimmjow would be damned if he denied him that. The blue eyed man took a small step forward, reaching out his right arm and softly caressing Ichigo's cheek, relishing in the feel of the soft skin, before cupping it in his hand. He then allowed his left hand to trail down Ichigo's side, softly and carefully, before reaching around and settling his palm on the small of the boy's back. His heart was drumming in his ears as he pulled their bodies closer together and the pure, unhinged desire in Ichigo's eyes definitely did not help matters. Cyan eyes fell half lidded when he felt the redhead's lean but strong arms wrap around his body, clinging to him like a lifeline. This was it, the moment of truth. With his focus drawn solely to the man he could finally admit he loved, Grimmjow made his decent and joined their lips in a passionate, soul sucking kiss.

Sweet Mary mother of fucking God.

The moment their lips collided, Grimmjow felt a jolt of electricity run down his spine. Ichigo's lips were like velvet, soft and plump with a mild taste of…was that cherry?

He smiled against the redhead's lips. Ichi and his damn cherry chapstick.

Pushing back his right hand, Grimmjow tangled his fingers into vibrant orange locks and tugged gently, tilting Ichigo's head back as he swept his tongue along his bottom lip. The smaller male gasped at the sensation and the other took the opportunity to delve the hot, wet muscle into his mouth, stealing the breath from them both. Grimmjow's tongue glided across Ichigo's slowly, tentatively, then it was his turn to gasp when the redhead pushed back with fervor, clinging to his body even tighter. The bluenette felt every nerve in his body catching fire as their tongues danced, his heart was threatening to beat right out of his chest, and God, the sounds Ichigo was making. In between panting for air he would let out these tiny mewls and sighs that were driving Grimmjow mad until finally he began losing control, running his hands all over the redhead's body. Down his toned chest and abs, around his lean hips, over a perfectly sculpted ass, up his rippling back, then back down to his ass again.

Ichigo was in much the same feverish state, running his hands over a body which felt like it was sculpted from marble, yet somehow the touches still managed to be innocent. He simply couldn't believe this was happening. He knew he'd asked for it, but didn't think Grimmjow would actually do it. Here he was, kissing the man he'd been pining after since day one and his heart swelled with a mix of overwhelming emotions. He'd forgotten for the moment that this kiss was a goodbye and completely lost himself in the feel of Grimmjow's lips on his, their tongues dancing in a heated battle as they embraced each other. It was almost as if he could feel the man's very soul in that intimate moment, he felt his passion, his emotion, he could even feel by the way the bluenette touched him how much care he took to be gentle. This moment was exactly what Ichigo dreamed it would be. It was absolutely beautiful, heart wrenching, and soul crushing in its perfection.

God, I'm so in love with him.

So lost in his musings, Ichigo was taken by surprise at the hand which suddenly wrapped around his neck, applying only the slightest pressure, but what he was most unprepared for was how much the action turned him on. He moaned, long and deep, into Grimmjow's mouth and gasped for air when the man suddenly pulled away, panting as he stared at him with wide eyes.

"W-What?" Ichigo gasped, his face flushed.

Grimmjow panicked at the sudden sound Ichigo made when he wrapped his fingers around the boy's throat. For a moment he thought he'd hurt the redhead, but one look into those lust filled brown eyes and Grimmjow realized belatedly that it was a sound of pleasure, one that went straight to his groin.

"Fuuuck," he growled at length, ignoring Ichigo's surprised yelp when he hoisted him up by the backs of his thighs, forcing the redhead to wrap his legs around his waist and his arms around a pair of broad shoulders. Flipping them around, Grimmjow pressed Ichigo into the door of the small bathroom and captured his lips in another drugging kiss, groaning when the boy fisted his hands in his hair. He was practically burning with want, with need to feel more of Ichigo. He hadn't felt this alive in years and each second the feeling got more and more intense.

Pulling away from Ichigo's lips with a wet smack, Grimmjow brought a hand to the redhead's jawline and lifted his chin so that he could place sloppy, open mouthed kisses down his neckline, stopping only to suck and bite in some spots. Ichigo was moaning again, this time louder, more wanton as he writhed in the burly man's grasp. The sounds only goaded Grimmjow on and without thinking, the bluenette ground his hips into Ichigo's, moaning himself at the sensation. They were both rock hard.

Fucking hell.

The bluenette moved the hand that was on Ichigo's neck to the door, dropping his forehead to the boy's collar bone as he panted. "Ichi, we should probably-"

"No." Ichigo roughly yanked the hair on the back of Grimmjow's head and smashed their lips together yet again, tightening his legs around the bluenette's waist to bring their bodies closer together. "Keep going," he whispered breathlessly. "Don't stop."

Staring deeply into those beautiful cyan eyes, Ichigo watched Grimmjow fight a war with himself before he finally shook his head and set the redhead on his feet, taking a step back. "We can't," he said sternly, "this isn't how your first time is supposed to happen."

Ichigo's eyes shot to the size of dinner plates and his face flushed anew. "W-Wait, you know that-"

"That you're a virgin? I hope that wasn't a secret, Berry Boy, 'cause it's painfully obvious," he chuckled.

Ichigo scowled and crossed his arms over his chest as he averted his eyes. "Fucking know it all," he grumbled.

Grimmjow smiled at him then, but the expression didn't reach his eyes as he extended a hand out to Ichigo, his palm facing upwards. "So, uh, I guess I'll be seeing you around then?"

Ichigo's face fell, as if he'd only just recalled the reality of the situation and practically leapt into Grimmjow's embrace. He buried his face in the man's broad, muscular chest and clung to him desperately, huffing sadly as he was enveloped by those dangerously strong arms. "Are you sure about this, Grimm?"

The bluenette buried his nose in bright orange locks, deeply inhaling Ichigo's intoxicating scent before releasing it with a sigh. "Just somethin' I gotta do," he said, repeating his earlier words. After several long moments, Ichigo finally found the strength to release Grimmjow from his hold and stared up at him through sad eyes as a large set of hands cupped his face. "Ichigo, I…"

I love you, he thought, but telling you now would only hurt you even more.

"I…I wish you every bit of happiness this world could ever offer." The redhead tried to smile, but Grimmjow could tell it was strained as the boy got on his toes and wrapped his arms around his neck. He embraced his love as tight as he dared and buried his face in the boy's shoulder, then suddenly Ichigo was whispering a foreign tongue in his ear that had his heart racing.

"Itsumo aishiteru, Grimmjow."

Then the boy turned and exited the bathroom without another word, leaving Grimmjow alone with nothing but his thoughts and the ghost of Ichigo's presence.

Ichigo stormed out of the cafeteria fighting the tears threatening to blur his vision. He ignored the concerned glances from his friends as he pushed past the exit, deciding to head back to his dorm and skip the rest of his classes for the day. Midway through the main courtyard, however, he stopped when he heard a few girls laughing obnoxiously. Normally he would've minded his business, but when he turned his head and found Loly surrounded by a group of girls, with her head hung and shoulders hunched, he knew he couldn't just keep walking. Wiping at his eyes and nose, Ichigo stalked towards the group and the second he was in earshot, he blanched at what he heard.

"You're a slut just like your mother, except you didn't get knocked up by a married man so I suppose it's a step up," one girl laughed.

Is she serious?

"Oh, you poor thing!" another girl exclaimed in mock pity. "Acting like a whore is probably all you know, being the product of an affair and all."

"But, hey, at least your baby daddy has money!" the last girl added. "That way he can still write you a check when he leaves you to raise your baby alone."

Oh hell no.

"Piss off, Becky!" Loly suddenly bellowed, practically foaming at the mouth with anger yet tears still clung to her lashes. "Didn't you just get an abortion last month after you got knocked up by some band geek?! At least I maintained some damn dignity while choosing my 'baby daddy!'"

Becky snarled and raised a hand in the air, then gasped when her wrist was suddenly caught by a strong hand. She damn near pissed herself in fear at the flaming, chocolate brown eyes glaring down at her and she gulped in anticipation as he watched her.

"What the hell kind of a coward are you to lay hands on a woman with child?" he asked rhetorically.

"Y-You don't understand, s-she-"

"There's nothing to understand," Ichigo interrupted, his voice eerily calm. "Now, all of you leave before I call some of my female friends to escort you back to the garbage bin you came from." The girls scurried away without a word and Ichigo turned to Loly, who was wiping tears from her eyes furiously. "Are you okay?"

"I didn't need your fucking help, Ichigo!" the girl sniffled. "I was doing fine before you showed up!"

"She was going to hit you."

"And I would've hit the bitch back!" Loly snapped. "Why did you even do that?! You know I don't like you, right?"

Calculating gold-flecked eyes scanned her face, the girl who was stealing away the only man he'd ever fallen for, the girl who'd taken whatever future they might've had together, the girl bearing Grimmjow's child, yet, somehow, all he wanted was her well being. "You're Grimmjow's family now," he began softly, "and even though he and I no longer have a relationship, that still means something to me."

The anger seemed to fall from Loly's face as she regarded the teen. "Even though… Even though I've been such a bitch to you?"

Ichigo chuckled a bit at that. "Yes, Loly, even though you've been such a bitch to me."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water and if she was going to find words to say something, she wouldn't have gotten a chance as a third voice cut through the air.

"Loly! Are you okay?!" Ichigo and said girl turned their heads to find Menoly hastily approaching. "I saw Becky and her friends over here and it looked like they were bitching at you!"

Loly watched her friend approach for a long moment before her face suddenly twisted in anger. "This is all your fucking fault, Menoly!" she yelled, ignoring the shocked looks on Ichigo and the blonde's faces. "My whole life is being turned upside down just because I listened to you and your crazy ass ideas!"

Menoly blanched as the girl stormed away while Ichigo looked between the two with narrowed eyes, a nagging suspicion building in his gut. "What did she mean by that?"

The blonde simply glared as she shoved past him with a muttered, "Mind your damn business, Kurosaki."

Ichigo simply stood there, hands shoved in his pockets and thoughts racing as he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

Grimmjow wiped the sweat from his brow as he exited the school gym. He'd been training even more frequently since he found out he was going to be a father and even though, for the most part, he'd learned to control his strength, there were still times when he would slip. And every time that happened, it was like his strength had nearly doubled since the last. For whatever reason, the Hogyoku was growing stronger each day and simple tasks such as opening doors without ripping it from its hinges were becoming a chore. He could control it, he knew he could, but it was exhausting him and he wished he at least knew why it was acting up like this. Perhaps it was stress, perhaps it was the intense emotions he'd been feeling since he met Ichigo, but either way he wished his father would get his old team back together and develop some sort of antidote or suppressant. He'd be damned if he went running to his father for help now, though.

"Grimmjow! I'm glad I ran into you."

Speak of the fucking devil. "Can I help you?" he asked gruffly as he turned to face Aizen.

"Actually, yes. I've made an appointment to meet with a wedding planner this weekend and I was hoping you would join me," his father replied smoothly.

"I ain't interested, take Loly," he sneered as he turned and started towards the school gates. "Maybe you can take the opportunity to get to know your 'future daughter-in-law.' I think you might like her about as much as I do," he called over his shoulder sarcastically. When Grimmjow heard firm footsteps following after him, he fought not to growl in annoyance.

"Perhaps I will," Aizen replied with equal sarcasm. "So, what is this I hear about you and Ichigo being seen together today?"

"Che, you keepin' tabs on me now?" the bluenette scoffed. "We were talking. People do that from time to time."

"And this was a 'talk' that needed to be taken into the faculty bathroom?"

"Excuse me for wanting a bit of privacy while I ripped his fucking heart out!" Grimmjow snapped as he whirled on his heel to face his father. He was just going to pass the school's gate when he stopped and pressed his hand to the metal as he leaned towards Aizen. "What the hell does any of that even matter to you anyway?!"

"We had an agreement, I was just making sure you hadn't forgotten that."

"Oh, I'm painfully aware of our damn 'agreement,' Dad." The way he'd said "dad" was mocking, sarcastic, and Aizen had the nerve to look hurt by it.

"Look, son, I know you're upset right now, but one day I'm sure you'll understand."

"What is there to understand?!" Grimmjow snapped. He vaguely heard metal creaking but ignored the sound, even when his father's slightly widened eyes moved to his hand. "Other than the fact that you're a selfish, self-absorbed, arrogant son of a-!"

"Grimmjow."

"WHAT?"

"You're damaging school property." Sky blue brows furrowed as Grimmjow turned his head, dropping his hand from the school gate and finding finger shaped indentations in the metal. "It's getting worse, isn't it?" Aizen asked tentatively.

"That's none of your concern," the bluenette growled before taking his leave, ignoring the worried look his father sent at his back.

When he got home, he dropped his bags by the door with a heavy thud, sighing as he made his way towards the kitchen. He definitely needed a drink. He picked a bottle of bourbon up off the counter and grabbed a glass from the cabinet, only to set it back down when he decided he wouldn't need it. Taking a swig straight from the bottle, he headed up the stairs to his bedroom and, upon reaching the threshold, leaned against the doorway with another heavy sigh. Most of his things were still in boxes and he just couldn't bring himself to unpack just yet. Every time he stepped into the room he saw himself and Ichigo in his bed, wrapped in each other's arms drunkenly. He pictured Ichigo's bare back through the fogged glass of his shower walls, the battle scars littering the boy's body. Deciding that today was still not the day, he took another swig of bourbon and headed back down the stairs, just in time for his doorbell to ring.

Already annoyed with whoever was at the door, Grimmjow dropped the bottle onto the coffee table as he passed, stalking towards the entrance. "Who is it?!" he barked. When no answer came it only served to annoy him even more and he snatched the door open, blinking dumbly at the person waiting on the other side. "S-Shiro?"

The albino had his hands tucked into the pocket of an oversized, pullover sweater and regarded Grimmjow with barely masked disgruntlement. "Ya busy?"

"Uh, no. Come in," the bluenette replied, his tone laced with confusion as he stepped aside to allow Shiro entry.

"Anyone else 'ere? I kinda wanna talk in private."

"Nah, just me," Grimmjow answered as he shut the door. He then brushed past Ichigo's twin and started for the kitchen, calling over his shoulder as he went. "You want a beer or somethin'?"

"That ain't necessary."

The burly man halted in his tracks when an all too familiar "click" reached his ears and his fight or flight instincts were suddenly battling at the forefront his brain. The muscles in his hands clenched of their own free will and heat was beginning to spread throughout his body. His pupils dilated to the size of pinpricks as he felt his murderous intent beginning to rear its ugly head, but a tiny voice in his head reminded him that this was Ichigo's brother, therefore he owed him the benefit of the doubt. "What are you doing, Shiro?" he asked a bit too calmly, his voice but a rumble in the eerily silent room.

"Turn around." Grimmjow did as he was told, rotating on his heels slowly and not even batting an eyelash when he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. "Ya don' look scared," Shiro thought aloud as he tilted his head to one side.

"Ain't the first time I've had a gun in my face."

Shiro chuckled mirthlessly as he nodded in agreement. "Not surprisin' comin' from the Sexta Espada. Why don' ya have a seat so we c'n have a lil chat, ne?"

Thoughts? Predictions? Let me know in the reviews!