Chapter Four: Perfect Together

"'Tis strange - but true; for truth is always strange;

Stranger than fiction."

When Starrk suggested that Nel (the author and script writer, if you don't remember) provide everyone at the table with a summarization of the plot and characters of De Six a Quinze, Ichigo could have sworn that an invasion of the body snatchers had just occurred.

The woman with sea-foam hair brushed it over her shoulder, her hazel eyes suddenly looking very serious, and she sat back, her shoulders straightening so that her posture was severe. It looked a little silly considering she was still in her bathing suit, but her entire demeanor had changed. Everyone else seemed to have noticed too, because they were all staring at Nel with rapt attention, waiting eagerly for what she had to say next.

"Well, I always loved the romantic classics when I was a young girl, you know Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, books like that, and I've always wanted to write something akin to them, but I despise writing with female characters. And so, Alexander and the Viscount were born!" Nel switched back to her other personality for a second, emphasizing her point with a finger in the air, before returning to what Ichigo had dubbed her "serious author mode".

"The Viscount Heathcliff Allistair," she looked to Grimmjow from across the table and smiled softly. The actor didn't even look at her; he just frowned at the table in front of him. "He's an outwardly cold man and he really doesn't care for anyone but himself. He's dignified and severe but despite this, he's very ambitious and power-hungry. That leads him to making some shady deals with crime lords and of course, leads him to hire an errand boy."

Nel's wheaten eyes swiveled over to land on Ichigo, whom had been trying to picture the smirking blunette actor in a role so unlike him.

"Alexander Fullbring's an orphan and led a hard life that turned him into a thief and a bit of a thug, and he's just the opposite of the Viscount. He's passionate and impulsive, but he wants people to respect him. He'll do anything to prove himself."

Ichigo's brow furrowed as he processed the new information about his character. It was useful, that was for sure, but how would he play the part? Earnest and youthful? Fiery and hotheaded? Maybe a bit of both?

"I think that pretty much says everything about the book without going into all of the minute details," Nel smiled brightly, clasping her hands together. "Oh, and it's set in the late nineteenth century."

There was silence for a few moments as everyone mulled over the enlightenment they had received about the main characters.

"Well, then we can get on to handing out the scripts, right?" Starrk drawled, leaning even further back in his chair. Ichigo thought he might tip the thing over eventually if he leaned back any more, but luckily he had taken his feet off of the table.

The small woman with the large brown eyes, Momo, nodded as if she understood that, that was her call to duty and scurried away from the table and into the house. She returned not even thirty seconds later with a stack of paper almost bigger than that teetered dangerously in her arms until she set them on the table with a dull thud.

She passed the first bound volume to Ichigo, since she had placed them in between him and Starrk. He accepted it with a hesitant smile and his eyes flitted from her face to the thing in his hands. It was rather thick, the movie was obviously going to be a long one, and he immediately flipped through it, the typed version of Alexander Fullbring's name catching his eye each time it flashed before him.

It seemed like nearly all of his scenes were with the Viscount, a.k.a. a certain blue- haired jackass that was currently sitting across the table from him.

Ichigo chanced a glance upwards and was surprised to see Grimmjow not looking at him. The man was instead focused on his own copy of the script and his eyes were scanning a page, his face set into a concentrated frown. He looked good like that, because even though his cyan orbs were hard, almost crystallized, he looked almost...vulnerable, like he was lost in his own world.

The back of orangette's neck suddenly felt hot and he looked back to the script in his lap. Why had he thought that Grimmjow would always be looking at him? Clearly he had just been messing with Ichigo when he had said those things earlier, probably just to get a reaction out of the newbie. And he had gotten one.

Ichigo sighed heavily, unaware of several pairs of eyes on him.

"Something wrong, Ichigo?"

His head snapped up to look at the one whom had spoken to him. It had been the costume designer, Szayel Aporro, who was surveying him with his dark golden eyes over the white frames perched on his nose. It was kind of unnerving; it made Ichigo feel like some sort of specimen ready to examined.

He shook his head, his eyes swiveling back to where Starrk was smiling lazily at him, a script in his lap as well.

"Shall we get started with the script reading?" he asked, gaze sweeping over everyone at the table. No one said anything. "Well, I thought that we would get started with the scene on page fifty-"

"Oh, Mr. Starrk!" It was Nel who interrupted with an apologetic, but eager look on her face. "If you don't mind, I thought we might do the scene that starts on page eighty-four."

One of Starrk's eyebrows rose at the suggestion and he placed a finger to his chin in thought.

"That's a good idea. Page eighty-four it is."

Ichigo briefly wondered as he flipped to eighty-fourth page if they were only going to read one scene out loud, and if he would even be in it. Even if he was a main character, he wasn't in every scene, and then there was the dilemma of if the scene was going to be a heavily romantic one. He didn't know if he was prepared to declare his undying love to the man across the table...even if it was just acting; he hadn't had a lot of romantic scenes during school and even less after that.

"Alright, so set the scene Nel, if you don't mind," Starrk suggested, leaning forward from his relaxed position to rest his elbows on the table.

"Okay! Well, this is in the middle of the book, or, er, movie, actually. And it's the scene where Alexander first professes his feelings for the Viscount in his own way after an argument."

Ichigo automatically felt the blood drain from his face, leaving him feeling cold. His eyes flickered from Nel to the blunette across from him, who was now grinning maniacally, sending goosebumps to Ichigo's skin.

This was exactly what he had been dreading.

But just as Ichigo was about to get up from his chair and walk away, his resolve took hold of him. He wasn't about to let the fear of feeling like an idiot stop him from filming his first movie, even if his new co-star was an asshole. He wasn't that easy to get rid of.

His fingers grazed the edge of page eighty-four and he looked down to see that he spoke first.

"Whenever you're ready, Ichigo," Starrk seemed to read his mind.

His eyes flew across the page, taking in all of the dialogue. He straightened his posture and raised his head to look straight into azure eyes staring him down from only two feet away. Intimidating, but Ichigo frowned and gripped his script tightly in his hands, This wasn't Grimmjow Jaegerjaques in front of him, this was the Viscount Heathcliff Allistair. And he wasn't Ichigo Kurosaki, he was Alexander Fullbring.

The script said in brackets that Alexander had just walked through the door of the Viscount's office, ready to deliver news. He opened his mouth and spoke.

"Rinker's dead."

There was a pause.

"How?"

Grimmjow's voice was no longer his own. His tone was clipped and severe, very much unlike his own lazy drawl. His face had changed as well, it was now a mask of detached scorn.

"Shot. Once in the head and twice in the stomach."

Another pause.

"I cannot say he did not deserve it. He was far too careless."

"Are you saying he deserved death?" Ichigo's voice rose an octave, betraying Alexander's anger at the man's dispassionate reaction to the news of the man's death.

"I did not say that. I merely said that I cannot say that he did not deserve it."

"You're a heartless bastard, ya know that?"

Grimmjow's face twisted into a cold sneer. It was unnerving, like it never belonged there, ever.

"You would do well not to talk to your superiors like such, Fullbring."

"Oh yeah? Who's my superior?"

"I am."

Ichigo snorted in derision, actually turning his head to the side.

"And who decided that? You, I guess?"

"You are mistaken, it is not me who decides these things."

"Who, then?"

"Fate, for one."

"I know you don't believe that," Ichigo dropped his voice down to a mutter and looked back to the blunette.

"How else can you explain the simple fact that I was born into my position and you, into a life of poverty?" Grimmjow cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't know, luck, maybe?"

"It is simple Fullbring. I was born to have power because I deserved to have it. You were not, therefore I am your superior. It was already determined before you had even been conceived."

"Are you implying that I'm not important? That I can just be thrown away once I'm of no use to you?" Ichigo's tone was murderous.

"I am not implying anything. I am telling you that you are not important."

Ichigo slammed his hands on the table, his script falling to the ground. No one else in that moment existed but him and Grimmjow, Alexander and the Viscount. It had always been a flaw of his, getting too emotionally involved in his roles. He felt as if he was actually living that moment and so he had no concern about what he would say next.

"Kiss me and you will see how important I am."

It seemed as if the world held still for a few moments. Ichigo watched as Grimmjow surveyed him with the cold, yet stormy eyes of the Viscount and how his upper lip twitched a little. He wasn't sure what to do, he hadn't read past that line.
Sudden clapping to Ichigo's left startled him and he jumped a bit.

"Bravo, that was just wonderful," Szayel smiled that insidious smile of his, still clapping his hands together. Others around the table joined in, some more enthusiastically than others. Nel, however, clapped the loudest and Ichigo was stunned to see tears in the woman's eyes.

"Oh, you two are just perfect together!"

"Tired Kurosaki-san?"

"A little."

Ichigo was currently resting his head on the window pane of the car as he and Gin sped through the rolling hills of upper L.A. It was only two-thirty in the afternoon, but the young actor already felt exhausted. The entire day had been completely draining, from being woken up by Rukia's phone call and then Gin barging into his apartment to the entire script reading, which had ended up involving only actually reading one scene from the script. The rest had been Gin shoving papers at him to sign and Szayel's assistant measuring him for wardrobe.

And the day was still not over.

Gin explained to him as they drove deep into the industrial part of the city that they were going to see two friends of his, to prepare Ichigo for his role. The orangette wasn't sure what that meant, but he was too tired to care. Maybe he could just close his eyes for just a second...

When the car came to a sudden stop Ichigo jolted awake to see that they were on a nice commercial street, with plenty of shoppers still roaming the streets. Apparently Gin had seen someone backing out of a coveted parking spot and so he had stopped suddenly in order to snag it before someone else did.

They were now parked in between a trendy boutique and an equally trendy salon. Ichigo frowned. Were they going shopping? Couldn't that wait until he had had a nap at least? Sure he liked looking nice and whatever, but he didn't really like to shop. But he wasn't about to complain when Visored had set this up for him.

"Come now, Kurosaki san. We're gonna ta miss our appoin'men'," Gin called to Ichigo as he exited the car, stepping onto the abnormally clean sidewalk.

Appointment? he wondered, but he didn't say anything, keeping his mouth shut. Possibilities ran through his mind as he thought of what that could mean. He knew that a lot of actors and the like had stylists, so maybe he was meeting with one of those? He didn't really like the idea of it, but it was tolerable, he guessed.

As it turns out, the appointment was not with a stylist, but at Azure Bloom, which Ichigo would have had known was only the salon of the moment if he bothered to read those glamour magazine, or even Seiretei's blog, as Rangiku Matsumoto was known to rave about the salon's amenities.

"Uh, Gin, why are we here?" Ichigo asked, switching back to English out of habit since they were around other people as they stepped into the salon. It was pretty nice, he had to admit, with zebra wood cabinetry and modern cement floors. There were a few women lingering around the counter by the door, all tall and thin. They gave the two men a curious look and once they had deemed them attractive enough, they all smiled winningly. At the same time. It was bizarre.

"Hello, do you have an appointment?" one of them asked in a low voice, failing miserably at having a "bedroom" lilt to her speech.

"Yes, unda' tha name Ichimaru," Gin told them, cocking his head to the side. The woman automatically went to the open scheduling book before her and located Gin's name.

"Oh, I see! Let me just go in the back for a second." And with that she was off. Ichigo sighed, he really hoped that whatever Gin and Visored had in store for him, it wasn't a haircut. He had been trying to grow his hair out for months now; he thought it looked better this way.

"Ah, hello, Gin. It's been a while," an airy voice spoke as the owner walked into the room. He was a small man, a few inches shorter than Ichigo, with a pretty face and black hair cut in a chic bob. He was wearing a black long-sleeved turtleneck, matching black pants, and a white blazer over top of that. His dark mauve eyes swept over Ichigo briefly before returning to Gin. "This is him, I presume," he said, gesturing towards the actor.

"Yea', this here's Ichigo Kurosaki. Takin' 'im in ta'day for the full treatmen'," Gin chuckled, putting emphasis on the word "full". The effeminate man nodded seriously, once again casting a glance over to Ichigo before nodding once and wrapping a slim hand around the young actor's elbow.

It seemed that before Ichigo could even wonder what the "full treatment" was, he was being led down the two opposing rows of black chairs and white mirrors and seated rather forcefully into one of those chairs. Bewildered, he was about to ask just what was going on but was cut off when the black-haired man grabbed one of his hands and held them up for inspection.

"What do you use to file your nails? A chainsaw?" He sighed. "Not beautiful at all..."

Ichigo could feel his fingers curl in on themselves, desperate to get away from the condescending look the man was giving them.

"Ah, well, at least you have immaculate bone structure," the man let one of his hands graze over one of the orangette's cheekbones, then turning on his heel and briskly walking away. Ichigo rose one eyebrow and looked over to Gin, who was standing a few feet behind him.

"What exactly is going on here?" he asked in Japanese.

"Oh, don't worry Kurosaki-san. Yumichika's tha best, even Ran says so," Gin answered cryptically, watching with what Ichigo could only assume was mild sadistic pleasure as he squirmed in his chair and waited for "Yumichika" to return.
When he did, it was with a very tall, very large, purple-haired...man, who immediately clasped his meaty hands underneath his chin and loomed over the chair Ichigo was sitting in with heart-shaped eyes.

"Oh, I am such a big fan! I've read De Six a Quinze a million times," the purple-haired cooed, batting his rather long eyelashes.

"Uh, thanks," Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He didn't think that anyone would know who he was already; he had just gotten the role two weeks ago. It was a little surreal.

"That's enough, Charlotte. Get to work, please," Yumichika cut in, standing directly in front of Ichigo and crossing his arms. "Give him the usual. A sugar scrub should do for the exfoliant, and go heavy on the lemon butter, his cuticles are atrocious."

Ichigo spent the next two hours being tweezed, scrubbed, plucked, filed, and trying to remember exactly what cuticles were. He didn't speak much as the surprisingly silent Charlotte worked fast and efficiently, buffing his nails to a shine and spreading various substances on his face and neck and he only winced and swore under his breathe when the man had tackled his eyebrows, ripping the hairs out of Ichigo's skin. However, when the outlandish man went to cut his hair, he protested.

"It's taken me a long time to grow it out. If you cut it, it's just going to spike even more," Ichigo said, leaning away from the menacing looking scissors in Charlotte's hand, whom was pouting heavily.

"But-"

"Don't cut his hair, Charlotte." It was Yumichika, who had returned from wherever he had been in the massive salon. "It will not turn out beautifully at all."

Charlotte nodded dejectedly, obviously he had been looking forward to running his fingers through Ichigo's shaggy, orange tresses. The young actor was getting restless after spending two hours in the chair and shifted uncomfortably. Did the owner's return mean that he could go home now? He needed a nap even more desperately now than he did when he had walked into Azure Bloom.

"You can leave now," Yumichika waved a hand in the purple-haired man's direction before stepping directly behind Ichigo and staring into the mirror that was in front of the two. The orangette tried not to pull away when he threaded his fingers through the hair at his neck. "Yes, you're right. It probably looks more beautiful longer."

Yumichika withdrew his hands and stepped back, a slight smile touching his face.

"I'll see you at the set," he said before spinning on his heel and walking away. Ichigo's brow furrowed in confusion. Why would the man, the owner of a salon, be at the set, by which he could only mean the set of De Six a Quinze.
Sighing, Ichigo rose from the chair, stretching his cramped muscles and slowly making his way towards the front of the salon. He was very ready to go home; his skin felt clean, but raw, and his nail beds were a little sore. He couldn't believe he had just spent two hours being preened like some sort of primadonna. Hopefully this was the only and last time this happened.

"Ah, don't ya look ravishing, Kurosaki-san," Gin's voice called to him from across the salon lobby, where he was waiting by the door. There was a tall, busty woman by his side with strawberry-blonde hair and what looked like a vintage Chanel suit. Ichigo's eyes flitted between the two for a second before the woman smiled coyly and turned to Gin.

"Thanks, Gin. I'll see ya later," she said in a blatantly arch tone and with that she gave a small wave, her blue eyes flickering back to Ichigo for a quick moment before walking out of the salon. He briefly wondered who she was before deciding he didn't care.

Gin drove him home in relative silence and only gave a quick "Remember to keep ya phone on." before peeling away from the curb at breakneck speed.

Ichigo dug in his pocket as he ascended the stairs of his apartment building and withdrew said phone. Pressing his thumb on one of the buttons, he saw that it needed to be charged desperately and groaned at the notion of finding his charger somewhere in his apartment. The thing was always hiding from him.

He stepped off the stairs at the third floor and walked to 3A, letting himself in without needing a key or anything, since the lock didn't latch. He would have to talk to his landlord about that...

Gin had told him that Visored wanted to move him to a hotel for the duration of the filming, but Ichigo had refused. When everything was changing at such a fast rate, he needed one thing that would stay the same, even if fox-faced men could barge in anytime they wanted to.

"Ichigo!"

Dropping the papers in his hand to the floor in surprise, his eyes widened as a small woman jumped off of his bed and barreled down the small, studio apartment to stand in front of him.

"Tell me everything! Now," the woman demanded in Japanese, pointing a finger in Ichigo's face. Her dark violet eyes were sparkling in anticipation and she smiled. Ichigo felt a grin appear on his own face in return.

"Let me sit down first, Rukia. I'm beat," he reasoned, moving past the dark-haired woman and falling onto the sofa, just because it was closer than the bed. With his face pressed into the cushions he groaned in delight as he felt his tired muscles relax.

"Come on, Ichigo! Tell me! Did you meet Grimmjow Jaegerjaques? Was he nice? Did you do any scenes with him?" Rukia perched herself on the edge of the sofa arm, looking down at Ichigo's shaggy orange hair since she couldn't see his face. He turned his head to the side to stare up at her with one eye.

"Yes. No. One."

Rukia placed one finger to her chin in thought and looked up to the ceiling.

"He's not nice? But he seems so sweet! Especially in that movie, you know the one with that redheaded actress where he's some sort of mathematical genius but no one understands him except for him? What was that called again..." she trailed off, obviously trying to think of the name of the movie.

"Grind?"

"That's the one," Rukia turned her gaze back to Ichigo, a mischievous smile spreading across her pretty face. "So...did you kiss him yet?"

"What? No!" Ichigo rose up to his knees to glare at the woman, but she merely giggled in return.

"Oh, please. Don't give me that offended act. You will have to kiss him eventually, right?"

"Well...yeah," he admitted, sitting back on his haunches.

"You know, Ichigo, sometimes I wonder about you. All those times I slept over at your house when I was having problems with Nii-san and not one time did you try anything..."

"Hey, I was just-"

"And then of course there were all those girls in high school who asked you out and you turned them all down."

Ichigo sputtered, trying to find his voice. So what if he had never put the moves on Rukia or any of those girls in high school? Just because he was waiting for the right woman didn't mean that he was...

"Relax, Ichigo. I was just kidding," Rukia laughed behind one of her small hands, enjoying the actor's visceral reaction to her teasing.

"Shut up," he growled in response, turning away from her and about to say that he wouldn't tell her anything about his day now, but his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He took the thing out and stared at the screen, briefly thinking that it was Gin since he was the one that had told him that he needed to keep his phone on, and since the number didn't look familiar to him, he was pretty sure he was right. Pressing the "call" button and holding the phone up to his ear, he answered in Japanese.

"'The hell?" came the confused voice on the other end, like rough velvet. It was one that Ichigo recognized immediately and his eyes widened. Why the hell was he calling him?

"How did you get my number?" he blurted without thinking, this time in English. A low chuckle on the other end made Ichigo's face flush.

"I have my sources. So, how's it goin', Strawberry?" There was a sound on the line that sounded like the wind rushing by, like the caller was in a car.

"My name is not 'Strawberry'," Ichigo insisted harshly, already irritated with the man yet again.

"Yeah, okay, Ichigo," he laughed again, something that sounded almost like he was barking. Ichigo knew he couldn't hang up on the man, considering that they would have to work together for the next several months and during those months they would have to do certain...things. Plus, he really couldn't afford to be fired because he had been rude to his co-star.

"Why are you calling me, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked through his teeth, ignoring when Rukia fell off of the sofa behind him after she jumped up in surprised delight."

"Well, I was thinkin' that we should get together. Ya know, to get to know each other and whatever."

Ichigo's mind immediately went to the first conversation he had had with the blunette actor and frowned heavily. He hadn't even known that the man swung that way, but was that he meant by "get to know each other"?

"I don't know, I'm really busy," he said.

"Aw, come on. It's just dinner. Ya can even pick the place if ya want," Grimmjow pleaded, his tone obviously one that charmed his way into a lot of different beds and hearts.

Well, he would have to see the man nearly everyday for the next several months, right? What was one friendly dinner?

"Yeah, fine."

"Great, I'll pick ya up at nine tomorrow."

The line cut, leaving a very confused Ichigo on his sofa, wondering if he had just made a date with the blunette star. And who picks up someone at nine for dinner? And how could Grimmjow even pick him up if he didn't even know where Ichigo lived?

He turned back to where Rukia was now kneeling on the floor by the tray Ichigo used for his coffee table, not bothering to get back on the sofa after falling off. She was staring up at him with starry eyes, hands clasped underneath her chin.

"Please tell me that's who I think it was."

"Yeah," Ichigo sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He was very tired, but he knew he wouldn't get any sleep for a while when Rukia wanted to know every minute detail about every person he had met and every thing he had done that day. But before she could ask him anything else, his cell phone started to vibrate again.

Looking at the screen, he saw it was another unknown number.

The Very First Interview with Newcomer Ichigo Kurosaki!

Konnichiwa my lovelies! (That's "hello" in Japanese :)) I know you all have been eagerly awaiting more news from the set of De Six a Quinze and I am here to deliver! Believe it or not, my inside sources secured Ichigo Kurosaki, our future Alexander Fullbring, to be interviewed the very first time exclusively by yours truly! And I have to say, this up-and-comer sounds just as cute over the phone than he looks in his head shot; I simply cannot wait to meet him in person! Anyway, when I spoke with Mr. Kurosaki earlier this evening he seemed a little shy, he even stuttered a few times! Tres adorable, right?I uploaded the audio version to the web page so you all can hear his wonderful voice too. It's not very long, I'm afraid, I wasn't able to coax a lot out of that boy, but, without further ado, here's the transcript!

RM: Congratulations on your first major role!

IK: Thanks.

RM: So, how has it changed your life so far? Have people been treating you differently ever since you landed the part?

IK: Um, not really, I guess. Nothing's really changed.

RM: Really?

IK: -laughs-Yeah.

RM: Well, I know all about your character, Alexander, having read De Six a Quinze, but what can you tell us what it is about him that made you want to take the part?

IK: Uh, well...he's passionate. I like that.

RM: Ooh, passionate, huh? So, what are you passionate about?

IK: Acting.

RM: Well, I wouldn't expect anything less from a serious actor like yourself! So, you're set to start filming soon. Tell me, have you met your co-star Grimmjow Jaegerjaques yet?

IK: Yes.

RM: Can you tell us anything about him?

IK: He's -pause- nice.

RM: Are you nervous about filming love scenes with such a celebrated actor?

IK: Honestly, I'm more nervous about being around him off-set.

RM: Oh, really? Why's that?

IK: -pause- It's a little intimidating. He's pretty famous.

RM: Very true. So I have one more question before you go.

IK: Yeah?

RM: Are you seeing anyone?

IK: -laughs- No, I'm too busy for that.

So there you have it, ladies. Ichigo Kurosaki is humble, a man of few words, and my personal favorite: S-I-N-G-L-E. What more could a girl want? Don't forget to leave your comments on what you think below! Until next time, my lovelies!

Love,

Rangiku

Tongues thrashed about, battling each other for dominance. His lips were being abused in the most torturous and sweetest of ways, teeth scraping and sinking into the rosy flesh. His hands rose to grasp the face that was melded to his and ghosted his fingertips over the smooth skin, down to the strong neck and the tendrils of hair on the nape. He curled his digits into that hair, grasping onto it like it was the only thing in the entire world that kept him from slipping under.

Buttons were undone and suspenders fell from shoulders under shaking, earnest hands. His palms slipped underneath soft cotton to feel the silken, heated skin of the man he loved. The lips pulled away from his own, but before he could protest they were on his jawbone, caressing the sensitive flesh there, and then onto his neck. Teeth clamped down on the tender spot between his collarbone and the hollow of his throat. A wanton moan passed through his lips as that glorious mouth laved and exploited that sweet spot and he could feel his pants tighten and wished that they would be done away with as well.

Searing hands found their way from the desk and onto his chest, gently pushing him to lie on the cool wood and the rest of his shirt fell to the ground, forgotten. He'd never felt more exposed or vulnerable in his entire life and yet he relished the feeling, how the other man was looking at him like he was an enticing dish ready to be devoured, it was delicious.

His eyes found their way to the other's. Electric, incandescent blue orbs stared back at him in the darkness, bright with anticipation and he shivered, suddenly feeling cold as those hands were no longer on him.

"Please, touch me."

Ichigo set the book in his hands back onto the tray in front of him and leaned back into his small couch. He had to admit, Nel had a way with words. She had somehow made a love scene between two men...hot. But that was due to the wording of course, nothing else.

Yeah, that's right. Wording. Not the mental image of piercing blue eyes staring him down, not at all.

A/N: Can you believe it? Twenty thousand words and four chapters and it's still the same day. Reminds me of this book I read halfway through only to realize it was still the same day because all the characters had done was had sex.*Sigh* So I threw in a little extra watered down smut there to keep you guys entertained, even if it wasn't technically Grimmjow and Ichigo. I hope I'm keeping everyone in character. Kinda hard when you've got such a different setting...so what do you guys think? Love it, hate it?

And yes, Gin gave Rangiku Ichigo's number.

Anyway, thank you so, so, so much to everyone who added this to their alerts/favorites and especially to those that reviewed. You are all amazing and motivate me to write. I know I'm far from the best, but you guys make me feel good about writing, so thank you. : )

I've also started a new story if any of you guys are interested. It's GrimmIchi, of course, it's a Vampire AU, and it's entitled "Tristete Dulce". The first chapter is quite sad and dramatic, so it's very different from this one, but I think it's decent. : ) I just have SO many ideas for GrimmIchi stories it's hard to contain them sometimes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Chanel.

The beginning quote is from George Gordon Byron. Fits well, huh? Also, Sylvia Plath's quote "Kiss me and you will see how important I am" totally inspired the scene from DSaQ.