Toldja it would be soon, though it goes from fantastic to craptastic again.

~x~

Help Me Remember You

Third – Recover

~x~

Shiro blinked numbly when he heard a second sharp slapping sound and then the loud slam of the door behind him from where he was still kneeling emotionlessly on the hallway floor. His hazed golden eyes looked over his shoulder when he felt arms wind around his chest from behind.

Ichigo's expression was one of fading anger being replaced by tender concern as the orange haired male lifted the unresponsive albino off the floor in an impressive display of strength and led him over to the couch, the two of them dropping onto the cream colored piece of furniture rather heavily.

"Shiro... talk to me..." Ichigo pleaded in a soft whisper, brushing white hair out of his lover's face from where Shiro was leaning his head against the younger male's shoulder. "What happened? You're not hurt, are you?"

Shiro blinked again, seemingly coming out of his daze and tilted his head back to stare up into concerned bronze orbs. "He jus' showed up outta nowhere. He kissed me an' then I remembered everythin' about him again an' I felt so happy t' see him. I almost forgot ya, but ya were right..." He paused and smiled softly. "Ya wouldn' let me. As soon as I shoved him off me, I was back t' normal but wha' did he do t' me tha' all this happened?" Shiro wondered aloud but his voice was uncaring. He just truly did not care anymore. He was just tired of it all. "How could I forget him an' then jus' remember him like tha'?" He murmured disinterestedly.

Ichigo pushed down the furious jealously he felt when Shiro had said Grimmjow had kissed him and was comforted by the fact that his boyfriend didn't like it as much as he didn't. "I don't have any answers for you, Shiro." The orange head murmured sadly, still petting frosty tresses. "But I do know that I'll never let you go and I promise that I won't ever let him do that to you again." He swore fervently, moving his arms around his older lover and hugging him possessively.

Shiro's previously uncaring sad expression finally broke into a soft smile, willingly snuggling closer against his orange haired lover, wrapping his own arms around the slimmer, more feminine man's waist.

"Ow." Ichigo suddenly jerked slightly and both males looked over the orange head's shoulder to see the forgotten gift bag still on Shiro's wrist poking the younger male in the lower back with one of its stiff corners. Ichigo looked back up with curiosity shining in his chocolate orbs and Shiro grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry bout tha', love. It's yer present fer t'night but..." Shiro retracted his arms and pulled the bag off his wrist and opened it in his lap. Feeling a strong surge of "Do it now!" the albino didn't hesitate to question the sudden incentive when he knew full well what "it" was and when he did feel like it was the right time. The albino slid off the couch after pulling out the black velvet ring box and kneeled on one knee in front of Ichigo.

Ichigo's eyes went huge and his breath hitched audibly when he saw his boyfriend slip effortlessly into that position and held out the velvet box to him in one hand, a small coy smile turning up the edges of pale lips when Shiro saw his expression.

"I was gonna ask ya this t'night but I can't wait anymore." The albino murmured before opening the box to reveal the specially engraved ring and looked up to Ichigo with anxiousness in his golden eyes. "Ichigo, will ya marry me?"

Shiro hoped those beautiful bronze eyes he loved so much wouldn't fall out of his lover's pretty head since they widened even larger and he heard when Ichigo stopped breathing for a minute, looking utterly shell shocked before the explosion came.

"YES! Yes yes yes!" Ichigo almost screamed, repeating his answer enthusiastically, face instantly absolutely lighting up in pure joy that his Shiro had just proposed to him. He threw his arms around the albino's neck and almost strangled him in a steel tight embrace even as he showered kisses upon every inch of pale skin his lips could reach.

The older male chuckled breathlessly. "I can't breathe, love." He quickly inhaled when Ichigo "eep!"ed and snatched his hands back if burned, an apologetic expression briefly crossing his face before elatedness came back. Smiling in a way that he was sure looked stupid, but unable to bring himself to care, Shiro plucked the silver ring from its snug resting place and took Ichigo's right hand in his, slipping it onto the orange head's third finger smoothly.

As soon as it was on and his hand was released, Ichigo whipped his hand back and stared at it right beneath his eyes gleefully, almost squealing in delight and wiggling happily on the couch. He was engaged! "Oh, it's so beautiful Shiro! Absolutely perfect! I love it!" He gushed lovingly before leaning down and kissing his soon-to-be-husband passionately.

Shiro grinned with relief against his lips and cupped Ichigo's face in his as he kissed his lover back with equal passion. He would never forget his angel ever again.

"That damned drug you gave me didn't work!" Grimmjow snarled as he confronted the buyer: a stoic, green-eyed male that he had been partnered up with for the past few years he had been unwillingly been serving under the biggest yakuza boss in Japan, Aizen Souske.

"I assure you it did. I got the feedback that your "Shirosaki" got all his memories back that the first dose had removed but it seems that he had something that he did not want to forget. Not even for you." Ulquiorra stated emotionlessly, gesturing vaguely to the data charts displayed on his computer monitor.

The blue haired male growled angrily and kicked a nearby chair viciously, sending it crashing across the floor. "Dammit it all!" He sighed harshly, tenderly rubbing his bruised face that he had gotten from his previous lover, and his previous lover's current lover. Damn, those two look-a-likes could throw a hit.

The albino had been perfect yakuza material when Grimmjow had originally met him and became his lover. Back then, Grimmjow hadn't wanted to draw Shirosaki into yakuza conflicts just yet so he had gotten a memory modifier from Ulquiorra (who in turn had lifted it off Szayel, the overpricing bastard, and sold it to the blue haired male for a lower price) in an attempt to not put the albino through any suffering until he came back when he was finished with the missions Aizen was dishing out and when he would think Shirosaki was ready to join the gang.

But apparently, Shirosaki had gotten tired of waiting and actually suffering alone without memories, and had moved on with an orange haired younger male that looked a lot like him. Grimmjow was disappointed of course, but the sting was just that, a small sting. Over the years, he had hardened into the perfect weapon and emotions weren't really a requirement but now that most of the missions were over, he regained them back but didn't feel the intense hurt like he had thought he would have if he couldn't get Shirosaki back.

Thinking back to how that orange head had so fiercely attacked him, hissing possessive threats at him for hurting Shirosaki more emotionally than he already was, Grimmjow begrudgingly decided that maybe it was for the better that the memory modifier hadn't worked. The albino looked... happier than he had ever seen him before and as much as he was generally a selfish person, Grimmjow dared not take that away from his previous lover's eyes.

Scoffing one last time at Ulquiorra, the Sexta Espada (his title in the gang) stalked out of the room with his hands in his pockets, unaware of the longing green eyes watching his back on the way out.

Aww~! ^^ A rather cute finale dontcha think? ;D I think I tied up any loose ends but I'll summarize just in case. So Shiro forgot and regained his memories by a memory modifier drug produced by Szayel that was transferred into him whenever Grimmjow kissed him. Okay there? And Grimmjow really is a caring guy, ne? ^^ And I didn't want to leave the Kitty all despondent so I input a smidgen of GrimmUlqui in there at the end. ;D future love for Grimm-chan~! ^^ and a fierce apology about the drastically different styles from the last chapter and this one. Blame my accursed laziness!

^^ please review~! :D My first three-shot is now done!