The Cat and the Strawberry

Washin' it off

"It's none of your fuckin business!" He snarled, his hands fisted at his sides. He could feel his teeth ache in his jaw and the tension in his pupils as they started to shift in shape. He needed to calm down. This wasn't a big deal. There's no way that Ichigo would know about his situation. Grimmjow bit his lip, turning back to the stove as he could hear his heart hammering in his ears.

He could feel the weight of Ichigo's gaze on him. It was so easy to imagine what he looked like as he stood beside him. Eyes blown wide, a twisted expression of hurt and confusion. It's one he's seen several times before. Grimmjow heaved another breath into his lungs, feeling the sharp points of his canines digging into his lower lip. Fuck fuck fuck.

Rather than doing anything rational, Grimmjow decided to completely ignore his outburst all together. He hardly had the stability to really address his temper right now. He spared a glance over at Kurosaki, still expecting a look laced with fear and disappointment.

Instead he was met with the warmth of cinnamon, framed by concerned eyes. It was unsettling to say the least, and frankly Grimmjow wasn't sure how he should respond. For once he was actually being met with kindness in the face of everything he'd always feared. It made Grimmjow's stomach twist in knots, a firm pout forming on his lips. What the fuck was he supposed to do with himself now?

"Stop lookin' at me like that." He muttered, feeling another rush of warmth flood his face. Jesus fuck, he'd never felt his emotions take such a tailspin before. His eyebrow twitched a little as he heard a soft laugh from the redhead beside him.
"Sorry, I just thought I might've seriously pissed you off or somethin'. I'll be a little more careful now though." Kurosaki replied, looking clearly quite relieved.

Grimmjow quickly looked away from the freckled moron to the right of him, and instead to the nearly burnt meat that was still sizzling away in the pan. It was a good enough distraction for the time being. Though his nerves weren't waning any as his stomach lilted with each little laugh and smile he could ease out of Ichigo as they continued to talk.

After getting over that bump in the road, hanging out with Kurosaki started to feel more like second nature than a self-obligated chore. It wasn't so much about keeping the redhead occupied and entertained as much it was about having fun. God. Grimmjow couldn't remember the last time that he really enjoyed himself like this.

Eating lunch with Ulquiorra and Ichigo was far less tense than the meal from the night before. His younger brother actually seemed to pay attention to their conversation and his gaze was less distant than usual. Grimmjow hated to admit it even to himself, but he was starting to feel glad that he'd met the redhead. He just hoped that the revelation was mutual.

Hell, he was almost reluctant to mention how late it had gotten. As much as he wanted to skip class and spend the rest of his evening with Ichigo, they were still in the first month of classes, and he really didn't want to miss out on anything important. It wasn't until they were both leaving his apartment building that Grimmjow became bold for what time they had left.

"This weekend... Can I come to your place instead?" He asked abruptly, stopping Ichigo out front of his apartment building, right where their paths began to diverge.
"Sure, I don't have anything planned this weekend." Ichigo smiled again. Grimmjow felt his mouth go dry for the second time that day, watching in a sense of awe as the warm rays of sunset illuminated the fields of freckles that bloomed across the redhead's skin.

"Cool... I'll text you later." He decided shortly, quickly trying to derail his thoughts as they wandered off to the upcoming weekend. Even as he hurried down the sidewalk towards the university, the implications of being alone in an apartment together wouldn't stray from his mind.