Love At First Word

Chapter 7

~ Ichigo ~

"So, uh, who's...Renji?" Grimmjow inquired. I smiled and pulled out my phone.

"I'll show you!" I scooted over, right against his side, and flicked down to my album of just Renji and I. "We've been together since we were five years old."

The first picture I showed him was Renji taking a selfie at the Grand Canyon in America. I was behind him, sitting happily on the edge, looking over into the gorge.

The next picture was a little older, when we were about fifteen.
Renji was playing Rock Band with two of our other friends, Ikkaku and Yumichika.

Most were Renji being dumb, or us visiting landmarks.

"So, you miss him?" Grimmjow asked, and I smiled.

"Well, yeah. He's my best friend, but he's only an hour away! I'll even take you to meet him this weekend if you want. Nnoitra can come too." Grimmjow grinned at me and nodded.

"That'd be awesome."

~ Grimmjow ~

At lunch, Ichigo got called to the office, but he only smiled and said he'd be right back; and he was.

Only a minute or so later, he sat back down beside me, and a pink-haired little girl, maybe eight, sat in his lap.

"Okay, guys. This is Yachiru." Ichigo kissed her forehead.
"Yachi, this is Nnoitra, Shinji, Nel and Hal, Starrk, Ulquiorra, Szayel, and Grimmjow."

The girl, Yachiru, watched ecstatically as she bounced in his lap. When he said my name, her eyes lit up, much like Ichigo's had the day before, and she scrambled into my lap.
"Grimmjow! You're living with Ichi-kun, right? Can I come visit you? I don't wanna only see him on Sundays!" She had her fists tight in my shirt and I grinned.

"Yeah, kid. Come see us anytime." Yachiru squealed and went back to Ichigo, chattering about something I didn't pick up on right away because she was eating.

"Mm ben ai kiched hem een da 'tumach," she swallowed, "and he went down! And the referee counted and I won! I'm goin' to nationals Ichi!"

"That's awesome, Yachi!" Ichigo hugged her tightly before he frowned and pulled away.

"But why didn't you come home last night?"

"Oh! Kenny let me stay at Sylvia's house with Stacy and Kou!" Yachiru replied, and Ichigo smiled with an understanding nod.

"What kinda nationals, kid?" Nnoitra asked.

"TaeKwonDo! The Junior Nationals!" Yachiru chirped proudly and Nnoitra grinned.

"Hmm. I might have ta come see ya, if yer even half as good as Strawberry."

"I am! Ichi helps me when Daddy can't!" She smiled before jumping off his lap and running to Szayel, asking questions about what he was doing.
We all watched helplessly anxious as Szayel turned to her, shocking everyone but Ichigo when he accepted her into his lap and began explaining what he was doing in a way she could sort of pick up on.

"So...you wanna go?" Ichigo asked me suddenly.

A million thoughts ran through my head, and none of them were appropriate.
I stuttered out an answer and he scowled at me. I got even more flustered because no one had ever been able to make me embarrassed about anything.

"Stop being perverted, dummy. I have four extra tickets to the nationals. Renji, Nnoi, and Shin have already said they're going. You want to, too?"

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and nodded.
"Yes! I'd love to."

"Awesome. Now come on, Yachiru! Let's go visit Papa before you go."

~ Ichigo ~

I picked Yachiru up and set her on my hip as she happily told me about how she took down her opponents in the matches.

I set her down in front of Kisuke's room and she burst in, yelling, "Papa!"

Kisuke turned and opened his arms for the energetic girl, who plopped heavily in his lap.

"Hey, Kisuke?" I asked, smiling as Yachiru settled in for a good nap.

"Hm?" He asked absentmindedly as he wrote down something from a book.

"I'm gonna have to tell him, aren't I? I get so restless at night and Im completely unfamiliar with the dorms. At least I know your house..."

Kisuke stopped and sat still for a moment before slowly putting his pen down. Carefully keeping a hand on Yachiru's curled body, he leaned back in his chair.

"Yes. As soon as you get moved in on Friday, I want you to sit down with him and tell him."

"I-I....I told Nnoitra." I blurted. His eyes widened in shock before he sat up excitedly.
I smiled inwardly at his subconscious ability to keep Yachiru comfortable and u disturbed while still managing to look as though he was going to bounce up and down.

"Did you really?" At my nod, his smile widened.
"Ichigo, that's amazing. I understand why, but..but you still took initiative. That means progress Ichi. The therapist said years, and I personally agreed."
He was ecstatic. Hell, I was pretty happy myself. The therapist had said I would most likely take years and this was..this was only months.
"Just for that, I think I'll make chocolate cake tonight. Of course, you'll have to tell Ken, too."
Kisuke stood easily, Yachiru protected in his arms.

"I have the sneaking suspicion he knows I told Jiruga something."
Kisuke laughed and nodded.

All that went through my mind was
Maybe this year will be different.