Cloud knew that it was going to be a bad night when the blue guy walked in. Cloud saw his hair as soon as he walked in past Reno, who was on security. This time however he wasn't alone. He was with what Cloud had to guess was another guy as the person was so androgynous that he could be either. He was a little smaller than the blue guy and thinner too, his hair was as black as pitch and his skin was as white as freshly fallen snow, so white that he almost looked like a walking corpse. Cloud glanced at Ichigo at the end of the bar and saw he was texting someone with his back to the pair that had just entered, so thankfully he hadn't seen them.

When Cloud looked up to the door he saw they had gone, he panicked for a second and then they both appeared in front of him. Today the blue haired guy wasn't wearing a jacket and tie so the amount of blue wasn't so bad, but the smaller dead looking guy was wearing so much black that he looked like the grim reaper.

"Hey bartender!" the blue guy called and Cloud felt instantly annoyed. He looked up from the glass he was cleaning and smiled coldly.

"Yes sir?" he enquired.

"You have a VIP area?" he asked in an almost bark, "Cos this here is a VVIP a very, very important person if you know what I mean." Clouds brow furrowed for a second in confusion and then he noticed that all the girls at the bar were making a fuss,

"That's Ulquiorra Schiffer!" One girl said and Cloud's stomach sank so the blue guy was in fact Grimmjow it hadn't just been paranoia the last time they met.

"No I'm sorry sir I asked it to be designed that way, but if you want some privacy there is a booth over there." Cloud turned and pointed before he realised what he was doing. The booth was right over Ichigo's shoulder and Ichigo was watching him. When he saw who Cloud was talking to his jaw dropped and he stared at Grimmjow.

"That'll be fine," Grimmjow said "I see that my little strawberry is here today so I'll steal him too." Anger flashed through Cloud, but he tried to not let it show. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow walked down the bar and Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo by the scruff of his deep cranberry shirt dragging him off the stool. Cloud watched as they nestled in to the booth to talk. After a few minutes Grimmjow even had the nerve to snap his fingers and call Cloud over as if he were a waiter, as apposed to a bar owner, but as to not upset the customer Cloud went over to where he was summoned.

"We'll take three martinis," Grimmjow said, but Ichigo shook his head.

"No martini for you sir?" Cloud asked feeling smug and a little bit happy that Ichigo had rejected Grimmjow.

"No thank you, I'll take a whiskey coffee please," Cloud couldn't help it he beamed beatifically at Ichigo,

"Whiskey coffee and two martinis' it is then." Cloud walked away smiling as he went to make their drinks. He stood at the bar watching the three of them in the booth; it made him uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as when he realised the way that Ichigo was looking at Grimmjow. He felt a pang of jealousy as Ichigo was looking at Grimmjow the way that he had looked at him when Ichigo had finally noticed Cloud four months ago. It wrenched his gut that Ichigo could look at another person that way in front of him. Without really wanting to Cloud began to see images of Ichigo and Grimmjow back together and leaving him by the wayside a forgotten nothing in the fabric of time. He made the drinks and took them over placing Ichigo's with the most care so he would look in to Cloud's blue eyes that were as turbulent as the open sea. He did and the chocolate eyes were warm and smiling even if Ichigo's face didn't follow suit.

"What do you want Grimmjow?!" Ichigo demanded, his voice hard, "I'm a very busy man," he finished picking up his cup and sipping the coffee.

"So I can see," Grimmjow said licking his lips, "You're still a whiskey man I see. It's so sad that I couldn't convert you."

"Ah martinis really aren't my thing. I'm not suave or sophisticated enough to pull it off. Whiskey is safer."

"Or is it because whiskey is a real mans drink and you want to prove that you are a real man to everyone." Said a slow drawl Cloud looked up and saw that the voice had come from Ulquiorra and he was looking at Ichigo disapprovingly.

"Maybe it is," Ichigo said shrugging, "but shouldn't you; who are the other uke be drinking whiskey with me?" Ulquiorra's face soured all the more and Cloud wandered back to the bar in hysterics so very proud of his lover.

"So what do you want?!" Ichigo asked again looking at the pair.

"Let's dance," Ulquiorra said and dragged Grimmjow out of the booth with surprising strength. Ichigo caught Grimmjow's hand so the other man turned back,

"So you still can't let me go?" he asked sounding cocky and Cloud almost jumped over the bar at him with the lime knife he had in his hand. Ichigo dropped Grimmjow's hand as if it were something hot and disgusting; at that Grimmjow threw his head back and laughed. If Cloud hadn't known better he would have thought it an animal bark. With his humiliation of Ichigo finished he followed Ulquiorra on to the dance floor. As the pair danced Ichigo watched them closely and the more he watched the more Cloud became worried.

The pair danced for almost an hour and even though Ichigo had finished his coffee and could have left the booth he had stayed and watched the pair intently. Suddenly Grimmjow turned and grinned at Ichigo and waved him over. At the summons Ichigo stood and Cloud wanted to shake him, that or kiss him so hard that Grimmjow melted away. Ichigo strode to where the two were on the dance floor with purpose and it made Cloud tense.

"What do you WANT Grimmjow?!" Ichigo asked for the third and what sounded like the final time.

"How long has it been Ichi?" Grimmjow asked "Almost a year and you still follow me with your eyes. Who knew you were so obsessed." Ichigo laughed a dark hollow laugh at the comment.

"Obsessed?" Ichigo asked hysterically, "With you?!" he almost spat, "Don't make me laugh Grimmjow. I just can't work out why you dumped me for this stick with eyes!" He exclaimed, "Seriously what has he got that I don't have in spades?" Cloud saw Grimmjow raise his clench fist and saw that Ichigo wasn't going to move, Grimmjow's fist connected with Ichigo's jaw hard and at the crack the punch made the club went silent. Ichigo's head snapped back at the contact but he just grinned.

"Man Grimmjow you still hit like a girl, you would have thought that all the practice you got in when we were together would have improved your swing!" At that he was punched again and all the girls in the club drew in their breath. "I'm not obsessed with you Grimmjow; I just wanted answers, like why you are here? What you want? And why you left me for that with no reason? Do you even remember you were with him in my bed?!" Ulquiorra looked at the floor ashamed and Grimmjow hit Ichigo again. The club began to murmur again about Ulquiorra, but this time because of the new revelation. "I always wondered how you met, was he your client Mr Professional Lawyer?" Ichigo taunted and was hit again and that time his lip split covering his chin in blood. He wiped the blood away and smiled, "So I got it right on the money eh?" He shook his head in pity,

"I feel sorry for you," he said to Ulquiorra, "Do you remember what he said to me when I threw the pair of you out of my apartment?" Ulquiorra shook his head hiding his white face behind his black hair. "You must remember," Ichigo said pointing at Grimmjow, Cloud couldn't be sure if Grimmjow's face became red due to anger or embarrassment, but no matter the reaction Ichigo carried on, "When it's all over with Los Noches boy you'll tell him the same thing." Ichigo stepped forward so he was nose to nose with Grimmjow. "It's all a game you said, then you continued with, but you won't get over me because I now own you. When I come around you won't say no! I've broken you now, you're tainted. Do you know what Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked throwing up his hands, his brown eyes on fire, "You bastard! I believed you! So badly I believed you! I couldn't..." Ichigo sighed and glanced back at the bar, "But you know what else?" He asked and Grimmjow shook his head. Ichigo stepped back again and in the light his cheek was visibly red and purple from the beating. "I did move on. I found this fantastic guy who doesn't just take what he wants." Grimmjow's fist connected with Ichigo's face again, but the reason for that assault was lost on Cloud. "He gives too! Unlike you he knows how to! He isn't an unfeeling stone..." Before Ichigo could continue he was hit again and again, but he didn't defend himself. Eventually Reno and Rude made their way across the club and pulled Grimmjow off Ichigo.

"It's never over!" Grimmjow barked as Rude and Reno pulled him towards the door, Ichigo shook his head his frown gone for a second,

"No it's over Grimmjow I don't want you anymore." Ulquiorra smiled shyly and followed Grimmjow out behind Reno and Rude. Within seconds the club returned to normal and Ichigo stumbled to the bar, he fell on to the stool and smiled at Cloud who was taught with worry.

"Why didn't you dodge?" he asked Ichigo close to being hysterical.

"It was my penance; my way of ending it once and for all." He breathed a ragged breath "I wanted all memory of him gone, I wanted him to stop haunting me." He collapsed on the bar out of sheer exhaustion, "Also I'm never going to let him think he can hit me again." He swayed a little on his barstool so Cloud sounded the fire alarm to clear the club. Rude and Reno locked up for Cloud as he took Ichigo upstairs. Cloud laid Ichigo on the couch and then ran back to the bar for some ice and a few towels.

He came back to his apartment and shut the door softly as he watched Ichigo get comfortable. He carefully walked over to the couch so as to not drop any ice and sat down putting Ichigo's head in his lap. Cloud sat icing Ichigo's swollen cheek and every time the ice was moved Ichigo would flinch but said nothing about the pain.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled looking at the wall instead of Cloud.

"What for?" Cloud asked caressing the uninjured part of Ichigo's face.

"I made trouble in the club," At that Cloud chuckled,

"It's not a problem. I nearly hit him and that would have been a bigger problem."

"You nearly did?" Ichigo asked "Why?" His eyes were a comforting mixture of confusion and earnest.

"The way you looked at him... it was so intense. I got jealous." Ichigo smiled lopsidedly,

"You got jealous over me?" Cloud blushed and purposefully dropped the ice packet on Ichigo's swollen cheek. "Ow," he said still smiling at Cloud.

"Of course I was jealous. Then when I knew for certain what he had done to you I wanted to punch him for a whole other reason. If I'm honest I wanted to punch him when he came in looking for you two months ago. I hated him on sight."

"He came in two months ago?" Ichigo asked and Cloud nodded.

"It was one of those days that you couldn't come in."

"You never told me," Ichigo remarked

"I didn't want you to know and I wasn't a hundred percent sure it was even him until tonight." Cloud explained, "That and jealousy isn't rational."

"I know," Ichigo replied "At the start I was jealous of Aeris... can we go to her grave at some point I'd like to meet her, and Zack if that's okay. They are people that mean a lot to you." Cloud smiled and nodded and Ichigo sighed. "I was also jealous of that pansy assed emo for a long time. I didn't know that all the time we were together my feelings for Grimmjow were never reciprocated at all. He can talk a good game, but that's about all. For the record though you have absolutely no reason to be jealous Cloud," Ichigo reached up and ran a hand through Cloud's hair shifting the spikes. "Since we are being so honest, I need to tell you something" Cloud's face darkened at the worry in Ichigo's voice,

"Okay," Cloud said "You can tell me."

"I compared you to him, you know at the start. Man I compared everyone to that bastard. When I met him I fell hard and fast he was everything I wasn't; he was bright and confident and he didn't give a damn about anyone but himself. He perused me relentlessly until I said yes. He never backed down, he was happy with who he was. It didn't bother him that he liked men. He even liked to flaunt it. That I admit sometimes made me uncomfortable, but for the most part it was exciting." He let out his breath on a sad sigh, "I didn't even mind that he was violent, I could forgive him for that as he always had a reason, but then again I suppose they all do." He rubbed his fingers lightly over Cloud's lips and heard him take in a shaky breath, "So when he broke my heart I tried to replace him, with a clone of him I suppose. However no one ever met the high standard I put on other men to compare to him, I don't know why I put him on such a pedestal since he wasn't ever worth it. Karin was right. The in you came with your lanky, blonde haired, blue eyes, freckled skinned wonderfulness and at first I tried to compare you to him. Then I realised that I couldn't. You smashed through all my illusions; as you are at least ten times the man that Grimmjow could ever hope to be. I didn't even realise it but I fell for you at first sight, I've loved you since that first stare you gave me. So don't worry Cloud I only want you." Cloud kissed Ichigo's lips lightly and even though it hurt Ichigo hungered for more.

"I'm happy you told me," Cloud said, "I'm even happier that I won." Ichigo grinned and Cloud's stomach flipped happily, "I love you so very much Ichigo," he said tenderly tending to Ichigo's broken lip. Ichigo blushed an adorable shade of pink and then said,

"I have something for you, I was meant to give it to you earlier, but I didn't have time." As he spoke he put his hand in to his pocket, "Happy Birthday!" he said smiling as he took Cloud's left hand in his own and slid a platinum band on to his finger. "This is my proof that I'm going to be with you forever." Ichigo kissed Cloud's ring finger and then entwined his fingers through it. For the first time Cloud realised that Ichigo was wearing an identical band on his ring finger and thinking back it had been there since his birthday the month before. Cloud held Ichigo's hand tightly and mirroring Ichigo's actions of a few minutes before he kissed Ichigo's ring softly, before kissing Ichigo again.

"Forever sounds nice," Cloud said as he lay down next to Ichigo enveloping the other man it warmth, "Forever sounds really nice." he repeated as his eyes fell closed.

"I know what you mean" Ichigo said nuzzling Cloud's throat as he fell asleep too.