Warnings:All sorts of bullshit in the name of fluff.

Learning To Let Go

Chapter 11

"Plato! Fetch, boy!" Ichigo laughed as he threw a tennis ball across the play area, happiness welling up in his chest as Plato barked loudly and bounded across the grass to get the ball.

The dog had recovered splendidly, though he was still sensitive to strangers. He only obeyed Ichigo, and that was something that Urahara found rather amusing. 'The Pied Piper of dogs', he called him. Ichigo was 30% annoyed and 70% pleased at the compliment.

Mizuiro gave him a sideways look when Plato bowled over the orange haired male in his eagerness to return the ball. Ichigo went down and rolled around with the big furry creature before he finally sat up with a content sigh. When he noticed the odd expression on Mizuiro's face, he frowned. "Yo. Why're you looking at me like that?"

Mizuiro gave him a secretive smile. "It's nothing."

"Liar. You look like you know something I don't. Spit it out already."

"That's true." the black haired man chuckled, before giving him a fond look. "I just though you looked happier lately."

Ichigo blinked and immediately looked away. "I am like I always am."

Mizuiro simply smiled in the way he always did, placating and friendly. "You are like you always are, except that now your smile is brighter and you don't look so tired all the time."

Ichigo scowled at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." The shorter man grinned, but said nothing else. Ichigo figured that was the end of the conversation and left it at that.

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Ichigo sat down at the cafeteria, a grilled cheese sandwich on his plate and a bottle of cool water in his hand. Stupid Mizuiro and his strange observations. He was just like always, damnit! What was this bullshit about being brighter anyway. Perhaps he was just teasing him.

"Hey, Ichigo! Been a while since I saw you," a gruff yet feminine voice interrupted his thoughts, and Ichigo looked up from his snack to see his friend from high school, a big grin on her face.

"Tatsuki, hi!" He grinned back, bumping his fist with the tomboyish woman and indicating for her to sit with him. "I'm here every weekend. You're the one who's not been coming regularly."

"Well, I've been traveling a lot," she explained, snagging Ichigo's water and taking a sip. "Hiking, and backpacking, that sort of stuff. It's been exciting, but I miss home. So I'm going to be here for a while before I take off again."

Ichigo nodded, taking in her healthy tan and toned muscles, clearly visible thanks to the sleeveless shirt she was wearing. She had always been a very active person, captain of the karate club since middle school and a star athlete to boot. She had always talked about opening her own dojo, and Ichigo was sure she would do it someday soon. "I'm glad to hear you'll be in town for a while."

"Oh Ichigo, did you miss me?" She teased, her dark eyes mischievous, and suddenly Ichigo was reminded of someone else who had the same puckish expression, except this person's eyes were blue and their voice was a lot deeper than Tatsuki's feminine lilt.

The memory of the mechanic's grinning face brought a smile to his own. Of course, he didn't realise that he was smiling like an idiot at his sandwich, but Tatsuki did.

"Whoa Kurosaki, what's got you smiling all cheesy like at your food? You thinking of someone special?"

"Wha- No!" Ichigo yelped, his face as red as a firetruck. "I wasn't smiling!"

"So you were thinking of someone special, then?"

"No!" Ichigo shook his head vehemently.

Tatsuki gave him a look that said she wasn't buying a single thing he said. "You liar."

Ichigo pushed his plate aside and flopped down on the table. "Leave me alone."

"C'mon Ichigo... Tell me all the sordid details, yeah?"

"There are no sordid details, Tats... We're just friends..."

"But you want there to be something more?"

Ichigo remained silent. He had come to terms with his feelings a few weeks ago (after the 'collar incident', as he liked to call it) that he maybe liked Grimmjow as more than friends, that he wanted to give it a try with the blue haired man... But he was afraid. What if Grimmjow refused? What if Grimmjow didn't like him like that anymore?

"Ichigo? What's wrong?" Tatsuki sounded gentle and patient.

Tatsuki had been his friend since kindergarten, so it was kind of natural that she'd easily see through his bullshit. She'd been the first person he came out to. She'd been the person to talk him out of his second relationship. She would have been the one to talk him out of his third relationship as well, if she had been in Karakura at time. Sadly she hadn't. And Ichigo had clawed his way out of that mess by himself.

She used one finger to scratch behind his ear. He huffed and batted her hand away. "Stop that."

"Tell me what you're hiding then."

Ichigo groaned and sat up straight. "I'll tell you, only if you promise not to tell anyone."

Tatsuki smirked. "What are we, preschoolers? You know I'm not the type to go around gossiping, Ichigo. Just get on with it already."

"Well, there's this guy."

"I've gathered that already."

Ichigo got up and made to leave.

"No no I'm sorry," the dark haired woman laughed, lunging across the table to pull Ichigo back into his chair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I won't interrupt anymore."

The clerk gave her a withering glare before he continued. "Well, at first he asked me on a date. But I refused him, so he said he'd like to be friends at least. So I accepted," he paused, and placed a crumb of bread in his mouth. "and then we had a fight. Well, not a fight really. I just basically told him to fuck off." Tatsuki winced. He hurried to elaborate. "We made up though! And I apologised and he said it was alright and everything. And things were back to normal. And I was really happy. And I guess... I guess I started growing feelings for him. And I don't know what to do."

Tatsuki carefully considered his words. "In the beginning, he wanted to date you right? So why are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid... Well, okay, I guess I'm a little afraid... It's just that... What if he doesn't feel that way anymore? He's never made any indications after the fight that he likes me as any thing other than a friend. And I don't want to get laughed at if I ask him out on a date. It's just.. Frustrating."

"Ichigo... Would you try to flirt with a person after they told you they only wanted to be friends?"

"No..."

"See, he's just being a decent person. And as far as asking him goes... I think you should just give it a shot. There's no use fretting and worrying about it, Ichigo. You either do it or you don't and you face the consequences either way. I thought you were done being scared, Ichigo. Don't go back to being that person."

Ichigo remained silent, mulling over the words and weighing his options. Either way, there were only two outcomes. Either things would work out, or they wouldn't. But if he kept silent about things, nothing would happen.

Tatsuki was right. He was done being that person.

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That night, Ichigo paced in his living room. He'd left the shelter very late, since he'd been talking with Tatsuki and then he'd been joined by Chad, Mizuiro and Keigo, and they'd forgotten the time. Tatsuki hadn't brought up their previous conversation again, thought she had kept shooting him discrete glances now and then, as if to say 'Think about it, Ichigo'.

He did think about it. Heck, he was thinking about it all the friggin time these days.

He wasn't interested only because Grimmjow was handsome, or because he was nice to him. Grimmjow was just different. He'd never met another person, male or female, that had Grimmjow's presence, his commanding yet calming aura, his rakish grin or his gentle smile, or the particularly fond gleam in his eyes that made Ichigo feel like he was something beyond precious or mortal when Grimmjow looked at him like that. Grimmjow made him want to take leaps of faith. He made him want to get into a relationship again, after he'd sworn off men a year ago.

Tatsuki seemed to think it was a good idea anyway.

He idly wondered if his every decision would need so much deliberation and confusion. Before, he'd just decide. If he wanted to do something, he'd do it, and worry about the rest later. That kind of simple life seemed so long ago, even though in reality it was only two years or so.

This endless thinking was tiring.

He was not that person anymore. He wasn't.

"Right," he said to himself. "I'm doing this. Ichigo Kurosaki does not run from anything."

Tapping his phone to his forehead for a moment, he took a deep breath and opened his message app.

Grimmjow, can we meet tomorrow at the corner cafe near the park? I have something to tell you.

He stared at the message. 'I have something to tell you' sounded rather serious and a little ominous. Was it okay? He deleted the whole thing.

Hi, Grimm. I want to talk about something, can we meet after work at the corner cafe near the park?

He didn't think this was better than the other message, but he wanted to get this over with.

He hit send before he could think any more.

"Shit. I did it. Shit."

He looked at the 'delivered' notification with a rather horrified expression. He said a few cuss words for good measure. When the phone vibrated and beeped with an incoming message, he practically threw it out the window in his panic.

"Calm down. Calm. I'm calm. I can do this." He soothed himself. Once he felt like he wouldn't faint any time soon, he opened the message. It was from Grimmjow.

Sure, I'll come to the shop at nine and we can walk there. Is everything okay?

Ichigo smiled at the mechanic's question. Grimmjow tended to constantly worry about him. It was sweet, but it got irritating after a while.

That's fine. And would you please stop asking me that all the time? I'm fine. How many times do I need to confirm that?

A new message popped up before he could feel bad for sounding rude.

Well excuse me for being polite :/ Most people would just say yes and leave it at that. Now I'm offended. So you gotta pay at the cafe tomorrow to make up for it.

Ichigo laughed at the man's cheek.

I was planning to pay anyway, asshole. See you tomorrow.

Yesss free food :D g'nyt Ichigo. Sleep well :* ;)

Ichigo stared at the screen numbly. He didn't really use emotes a lot, but he knew a kissy face when he saw one. That was a kiss emote. Why was Grimmjow sending him a kiss emote? And a winky face too? What?

WHAT?

Before he could explode with confusion, another message popped up.

I was just teasing, no need to freak out. At least wish me good night in return, asshole :P

Ichigo let out a breath of relief. But he was also disappointed. A part of him had wanted that kissy face to mean something.

Goodnight.

He pressed send.

There. Simple and neutral. No need to worry about anything. He was too tired out to worry about anything anyway. Who knew text messaging would feel like climbing Mount Everest?

The clerk collapsed into bed feeling apprehensive and tingly. Tomorrow he was going to meet Grimmjow and ask him out on a date. If Grimmjow refused, he would be cool about it. He didn't know if he would ask to remain friends.

He kept thinking about the kissy face. He wondered if he would ever be able to kiss Grimmjow if he declined to go on a date. Actually, he didn't even want to kiss him, not really. He just wanted to hug him, maybe. He remembered the hug back in the hospital corridor, outside the ICU. It had been nice and calming. Warm. Grimmjow's body was warm even in the freezing cold of the empty room. Ichigo remembered feeling relieved and safe.

It had been a while since he'd been hugged like that.

"Grimmjow, can I have a hug?" He said out loud, just to know what the words would feel like in his mouth. His voice punched the silence of his room and he ended up startling himself. He snorted at his stupidity and turned, burying his face in the pillow. Maybe he'd suffocate to death and then he wouldn't have to worry about any of this shit.

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While Ichigo was trying to accidentally kill himself, Grimmjow tossed and turned in his own bed, fretting over the last message Ichigo had sent. Maybe he'd overstepped his bounds by sending that kiss emote?

He thought it would be nice to tease Ichigo a little. Maybe he wanted to remind Ichigo that he was loser who fell in love with him despite knowing that nothing would ever come out of it. Maybe he really wanted to send that emote to Ichigo because he wanted to kiss him at least virtually, if not in reality.

Whatever reason he had at the time, he couldn't remember it now. Not after that ominous silence after he'd sent the message and his stomach had started roiling unpleasantly. Had Ichigo felt weirded out? Shit.

All this chaos caused by one goddamned colon and a motherfucking asterisk.

And he'd added a winking emote on top of that. Right.

A kissy face and a wink. Ichigo probably thought he was a sleazeball.

He wanted to slam his head on the wall.

Of course he'd immediately sent a message waving off the previous message as simple fun, but Ichigo's reply to that message had felt stiff and forced.

Maybe Ichigo had taken offense after all?

He took his phone and started to type a message, but he put it back down. Ichigo was probably asleep anyway and he would just apologise tomorrow when they met.

That set off another round of questions in his head. Why did he want to meet up in the cafe? Why not in the shop at lunch time, like usual? Was everything okay? Was Ichigo going to tell him about his past? He couldn't think of any other reason why he might want to go to cafe. Well, there was another reason he could think of, but he resolutely ignored it. Ichigo wouldn't do that, not after last time.

With uneasy assurances, Grimmjow fell asleep to the sound of Sora's purring, her warm body curled up in the crook of his neck.

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8:45 pm the next day found Grimmjow waiting outside the pet shop. At around nine, Ichigo stepped out, clad in a light coat and dark blue jeans. Grimmjow was in his signature leather jacket, t shirt and relaxed fit jeans.

Ichigo smiled at him tentatively. "Hi," he said, tucking his hands into his coat pockets. When the sleeve pulled back at the casual movement, Grimmjow noticed Ichigo had skinny wrists.

"Hi," He smiled back, and fell into step beside Ichigo when he started to walk. "So... Why the cafe?"

Well, he couldn't start the conversation by asking if Ichigo was angry about the kissy face, right? At any rate, the clerk didn't seem upset, just nervous. Maybe the message incident could be forgotten entirely.

"Well, I just wanted to talk in a comfortable environment..."

Grimmjow gave him a quizzical look. "You think that cafe is more comfortable than sitting at the shop?"

Ichigo shook his head, and he looked pained for a moment. "I know but... Just indulge me on this, okay? I'm paying anyway."

Good god. Ichigo didn't know what he was talking about. He needed to just say the word and Grimmjow would indulge his every whim, no matter how ridiculous or expensive. "Jeeze, Ichigo. I was just curious. I wasn't trying to interrogate you or anything. Anywhere is fine with me."

Ichigo nodded and looked straight ahead. He didn't talk again after that. Grimmjow let him be.

The corner cafe was actually called Simple Pleasures. They had great pastries and sandwiches and other western snacks, and the most heavenly coffee. And they were really affordable too. Their menu was limited, but no one really cared when what they did have available was so damn good.

The ambience it offered was also really pleasant and warm. Wrought iron chairs with padded seats and circular wooden tables were scattered across the modest space. The lighting was mostly terracotta and paper lanterns. It was very popular with joggers because it was situated right next to the park, on the corner of the street. Hence the nick name 'Corner cafe'.

It was only a short distance to the cafe from Katen's so they got there quickly. Grimmjow waited for Ichigo to enter before he did, and they went straight to the bar. One of the staff came to get their order.

"What can I get you guys?"

Ichigo looked at Grimmjow, waiting.

"I'll have a large coffee."

Ichigo gave him a curious look. "That's it?"

Grimmjow smirked and shrugged. "I'm not really in a mood to eat anything." He wasn't lying. His stomach had turned into a big jello blob thanks to his nerves. He hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. The coffee he was ordering was just a prop.

"Okay then," he told the girl. "A large coffee for him and a regular coffee and a slice of chocolate cake for me."

"Yup, just a moment," She chirped, moving to get Ichigo's chocolate cake while she asked someone else to get the coffee.

Grimmjow took thins time to unobtrusively look at Ichigo's profile. He was chewing on the inside of his cheek, his brows furrowed as he watched the girl bustle about. In the amber lighting of the cafe, his hair glowed.

"Here you go!" The girl smiled, placing a tray with their mugs of coffee and Ichigo's cake.

"Find us a place," Ichigo said, handing him the tray. "I'll pay and be right there."

Grimmjow took the tray and walked over to the two-people tables along the wall. Despite it being late, there were still quite a few people scattered about the cafe, mostly couples. He placed the tray on a table that wasn't directly under the AC. Ichigo hated sitting in the icy wind.

Ichigo sat down across him just as he was picking up a sugar cube from the bowl on the table.

"Thanks," The orange haired man said, picking up two packets of creamer and emptying them into his cup.

Grimmjow put two sugar cubes in Ichigo's cup for him. "What for?"

"For picking the table away from the AC. I get cold very quickly." Ichigo smiled his thanks for the sugar and ripped another packet of creamer. "You like only one of these, right?"

Grimmjow nodded, accepting the packet and pouring it into his cup. "I know," he said, smiling when Ichigo gave him a surprised look. "you mentioned it once when we came here a while ago."

"Wow, you remembered that?"

"What can I say? I'm just that awesome." He was also ridiculously hung up on Ichigo and every tiny detail that had to do with him, but he couldn't say that.

Ichigo chucked a packet of creamer at him. "You're also an idiot."

Grimmjow laughed and retrieved the packet of creamer from the floor. Ichigo went back to being nervous and tight lipped. They stirred their drinks in silence.

"So, um." He started, and Grimmjow raised his eyes to look at him.

Ichigo was giving him an intense look, his gaze heavy and serious. His brown eyes were dark, almost black in the light. Grimmjow could see his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. He looked like he wanted to run out of here screaming. He suppressed a smile at that mental image and murmured an encouraging "I'm listening."

"Grimmjow... I..." here, he squeezed his eyes close and took a deep breath. His hands were under the table, but Grimmjow could guess that he was gripping his coat tight enough to cramp his fingers.

Grimmjow put on a calm facade despite how nervous Ichigo was making him. Why was he struggling like this? Oh god, he wasn't going to ask him to leave him alone again, was he?

"I... Gimme a minute, please?"

"Sure," the mechanic replied. On one hand, he felt apprehensive about what Ichigo was going to say, but on on the other, he felt a little sorry for him. He seemed so stressed out and afraid. "Ichigo, you know you can tell me anything right?" At Ichigo's tight nod, he continued. "Just let it out. Stalling only makes it worse."

"Alright... Alright." Ichigo took another fortifying breath. Grimmjow smiled at the determination on his face. "You said, back then, that you wanted to make my business your concern."

Grimmjow frowned a little before he realised what Ichigo was saying. Suddenly he was afraid his heart would explode. "Yeah?"

"Well, I... Grimmjow, I would like to take you up on that offer, if you're still interested."

KABOOM! went his heart.

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Ichigo blinked, his face scrunched up in a grimace. Grimmjow stared straight at him, unable to form words. He tried to move his tongue but it wouldn't obey.

The orange haired man's Adam's apple bobbed violently. "I'm sorry," He blurted, standing up and preparing to flee. "I'm sorry."

"No wait!" The mechanic wrapped his hand around a pale, skinny wrist, momentarily forgetting the 'No touching' rule. Ichigo looked at him wide eyed before his gaze dropped, and he tugged his hand free. Grimmjow let him go. "Ichigo, sit down. You didn't even let me answer."

So Ichigo sat back down, his eyes boring holes into his lap. The white noise of the other patrons seemed like a roaring chainsaw in the silence that hung over their table.

Grimmjow cleared his throat. "Ichigo. Look at me?"

Liquid brown eyes peeked out from under a messy fringe of orange hair. Ichigo looked so vulnerable at that moment, and yet Grimmjow had never seen anyone more determined and brave.

"You like jumping to conclusions don't you?" he teased, his tone gentle so Ichigo wouldn't think he was being mocking. "Anyway, my answer is yes."

Ichigo's eyes widened only a fraction, and his smile was tentative, but the disbelief and joy in his expression was as obvious as a red rose in a bouquet of white tulips.

"Hey, why do you look so surprised?" He ventured, smirking lightly, feigning confidence. Sure his heart was going to give out any minute and his stomach wasn't a stomach anymore, but he'd be damned if you could see that on his face. "You really thought I'd be able to turn you down?"

Ichigo's face scrunched a little in his confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"If you have to ask, then you're better of not knowing."

"Hey!" The clerk snapped, irritation in his glare. "Tell me what you meant."

The mechanic grinned. "I wasn't kidding when I said I'd be happy to spend time with you under whatever label you want."

Ichigo blushed a little, and pulled his plate of cake in front of him. He cut up a tiny piece and forked it into his mouth. "Well... Before we start though, I have some conditions..." he murmured, folding his hands against his chest and meaning back.

Grimmjow smirked and sat back, mirroring Ichigo's pose. "Oh? And what are they?"

The clerk smiled faintly and held out his index finger, making a point. It called out to Grimmjow's eyes to admire its elegant lines, but he sternly kept his gaze on the talking man's face. "First off, no calling me pet names. No names of baby animals or edible things. No baby, pumpkin, sweetheart, darling, nothing."

Grimmjow's face fell at that, but Ichigo resolutely continued on. Another finger joined the index, making a peace sign. "Second... Don't touch me without my permission. This goes either way, so even I won't touch you without asking first. Maybe, later on, I might change this if we get that far." He smirked. "Third. We take turns paying when we go out on dates. I won't be made to feel indebted to you at any point. I won't."

Grimmjow nodded, sensing that this was something that had happened in the past and Ichigo had suffered because of it.

"Fourth, the last and most important: let me speak. Don't interrupt me, don't try to make me change my opinions. Don't rush me into decisions. The minute you try to force me, or manipulate me into something I don't want to do, I will end this relationship."

Grimmjow sat silently and took a sip of his coffee, mulling over Ichigo's words. It seemed a little childish to him, since they were already doing these things without having a spoken agreement about it. But hey if that was what Ichigo wanted...

"Well?" The orange haired man pressed, looking at him with a measure of nervousness.

"Okay, seems doable enough. I have a condition of my own though." Grimmjow would have laughed at the rapid drainage of colour from Ichigo's face. "Oh come on, don't look so suspicious. I'm accommodating your four conditions, so it would be fair to give me this one thing, right?"

Ichigo seemed to carefully consider his wors before he gave a short, wary nod.

Grimmjow let a huge grin stretch his lips. "I want five minutes of handholding. Everyday. You can even time it on your watch, I don't care. So, what do you say?"

Again, the rapid change of expressions from confused to flustered to irritated happend in a fraction of a moment. "But that's..."

"It's what? It's like I'm simple asking permission for it in advance."

The brown eyed man squared his shoulders and gave him a hard look. "What if I refuse to accept this condition?"

"Then I refuse to accept yours too. We can forget this whole thing and go back to how things were before." Grimmjow casually shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of coffee to keep his hands from twitching.

The squared shoulders slumped. "But that's unfair!"

"How is it unfair? If you can lay down conditions, can't I have a few of my own too? Besides, it's not like I'm forcing you into anything. If you don't wanna, you don't gotta."

"But if I don't accept this condition, you wont accept mine either?"

"Nope," he smiled, but let his amused expression morph into something more somber. "Ichigo... I'm serious. We don't have to do this if you don't want to. We can just remain friends-"

"But I don't want to remain friends!"

Grimmjow's heart exploded again, and a choir of angels tap-danced a little jig above his head. "Then what's the big deal? Accept the condition." he waited, but Ichigo still seemed so hesitant. He didn't understand it, holding hands was such a basic (and fucking sappy) thing to do. He thought Ichigo might like that sort of mushy stuff. Oh well. "Fine then, you don't have to do it. I'll accept your conditions anyway, without any stipulations on my part."

"Um... Okay, I'll do it."

What? His mind whirred and played it back. "What?"

Ichigo looked petulant, despite his words. "You're right, it's unfair for me to have so many rules if you can't have even one. But this is the only one! No more."

Grimmjow fought a smile. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Cool. Does that mean we're boyfriends now?"

Ichigo's face went firetruck red and he kicked him under the table. Grimmjow laughed through the pain.

The rest of their little outing was spent in silence, although there wasn't an undercurrent of apprehension between them anymore. Grimmjow preferred it like this, just them and the comforting silence. Just as he was finishing his coffee, Ichigo was polishing off the last remaining crumbs of cake.

"Yes," he said out of nowhere, orange brows furrowed above a pair of brown eyes that were staring straight at his empty plate, his cheeks stained a gorgeous red, and his wet lips pressed together in a small, embarrassed pout.

Grimmjow leaned closer and gave him a predatory smirk. "Yes what?"

"Yes we're boyfriends now! Don't make me say it again, asshole!"

And then Ichigo stomped on his pinky toe. Hard.

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After Grimmjow had recovered from that sneak attack, and Ichigo's face had cooled down to a normal colour, they got up and began their walk to Ichigo's home.

Grimmjow held out his left hand, palm up in an invitation. "Here, gimme your hand."

Ichigo stopped short. "What, now?"

"Yeah, now. I'm supposed to get five minutes of hand-holding a day, remember?"

Brown eyes narrowed into a displeased glare. "Well, I'm timing it then."

Grimmjow smiled gleefully. "Sure, go ahead."

The clerk dug out his phone and opened the stopwatch app.

The blunette made a face. "Wow Ichigo, I thought you were kidding."

"I wasn't."

Now that the clock had started ticking, Grimmjow held his hand out again. Ichigo stared at it like it was a slimy alien creature.

"Reset the clock and start it again when you're ready to hold my hand."

"No! No, I'll... I'm going to do it."

It was like time had been suspended for a moment, the street lights bathing their forms in harsh light and shadows. Ichigo's hand moved slowly, the slender fingers curled a little as it hovered a few inches over Grimmjow's own. The tip of his index finger touched the base of his thumb and immediately withdrew, curling tighter, the action small and quick, a touch-me-not recoiling from stimulus.

Then, like the unfurling of the clamped leaves, the slender fingers relaxed, and delicately descended to rest in his hand.

Grimmjow closed his bigger, rougher hand over the smaller one in a motion just as slow and careful, as if he was holding a butterfly rather than a solid human hand.

The warmth and weight of the smaller hand in his felt like a hot massage stone settled over his heart. Everywhere there was brightness, and there was no evil in the world.

The susurrus of the wind through the trees, the rumble from the occasional car, nothing existed save the two of them standing in the middle of the sidewalk, bathed in the glow of the sodium lamps that substituted for stars that were hidden behind the clouds, Ichigo's face mirroring the same kind of awe that Grimmjow was feeling. There was no electricity passing between them, no sparkles or fireworks. Just a heavy, sweet warmth and a natural sense of belonging.

Eyes the colour of caramel fudge looked into his own through a curtain of orange hair, refulgent in the amber light. The fingers in his grasp twitched, then tightened securely around his own.

Grimmjow let out a shuttered gasp. "Wow."

Ichigo nodded, but said nothing.

As one they started walking toward Ichigo's house. A few yards before Ichigo's apartment, his phone beeped. The spell broke.

"Oh, time's up," He murmured, and Grimmjow let go of his precious cargo.

The both of them kept walking, side by side, still silent, till they were standing right in front of Ichigo's door.

The clerk's expression was unreadable. Grimmjow didn't know what to think about his silence. "I guess I'll see ya tomorrow, gorgeous."

And just like that, the life came back into still features. "I just told you, no pet names!"

"Yeah, but 'names' are nouns. 'gorgeous' is an adjective. Technically I'm not breaking any rules." The blue eyed man laughed.

Ichigo didn't seem to find it funny, though. "We haven't even had our first date and you're already finding loopholes to exploit me."

The words were like an arrow through his heart. Grimmjow stepped closer to the man, his hand aching to hold the other, to convey comfort and affection. But he'd used up his minutes already. "Ichigo... Do you honestly think I could hurt you or take advantage of you?"

Ichigo closed his eyes and turned his face away. When he spoke, he sounded defeated and tired. "I don't know, Grimmjow."

At thosewords, Grimmjow could only process two things: disbelief and rage. They coursed through his blood, but they weren't directed at Ichigo, no. Suffice to say if he ever found the ons who had hurt his angel like this, they wouldn't be alive for long. "Hey, hey. Look at me. Can I touch your face?" When he got a tiny nod, he gently placed a finger on Ichigo's jaw, not a command, but a plea. When Ichigo finally looked into his eyes, he removed his hands, but stood closer. "Let's get one thing straight, okay? I would never, ever, do anything you don't like. I am honoured that you've given me a chance, and I will never betray your trust. Okay?"

Ichigo chewed the inside of his cheek, his eyes betraying his misgivings. But in the end, he nodded. "Okay."

Grimmjow smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile, before he stepped out of Ichigo's personal space. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ichigo."

"Yeah, tomorrow..."

**********continues...

Ps. Grimmjow is a dork.

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