Private

Chapter 11

Chapter 11:
Ichigo watched his father bound the stairs and sighed heavily before turning and slowly going back to his room. He opened the door and looked up, watching Grimmjow as he pulled his shirt on.
"Hey."
Grimmjow turned to look at him and grinned, buttoning up the shirt. "Hey yourself. You ok?"
"Yeah." Ichigo sighed and moved forward into Grimmjow's arms, smiling when he pulled him closer. "I'm sorry about my family." He murmured into his chest. "I know you didn't want to meet them."
Grimmjow frowned and lifted Ichigo's head so their eyes met. "You know, I thought of something in the shower."
"What?"
"I thought of a deal."
Ichigo frowned in confusion. "What kind of deal?"
"I'll meet your family, if you'll come with me later to meet my parents."
His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly backed out of Grimmjow's arms. "Do you really think that's a good idea? Considering everything you've told me about them, they won't like me."
"I know, doesn't change the fact that they're gunna find out about you eventually." Grimmjow smiled reassuringly and pulled Ichigo into his arms again. "They probably won't ever like you, but that doesn't mean you should run and hide from them. That aint the Ichigo I know, is it?"
Ichigo sighed heavily and shook his head. "No it's not. I don't run and hide; you of all people should know that."
"Good. So we have a deal then?"
Ichigo sucked on his bottom lip for a moment, weighing up the options in his head. With a shrug, he decided to just roll with it; after all, he could always blame Grimmjow for anything that happened since it was his idea in the first place. "Sure." He stood up on his tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on Grimmjow's lips with a grin. "C'mon, if we don't hurry up, my dad will start getting impatient."
Grimmjow raised an eyebrow in question, catching Ichigo around the waist when he went to walk past him. "Oh yeah? What's he gunna do?"
"That's the big problem, I don't know. He could do anything so it's better to not get him excited or all hell could break loose." Ichigo looked up at him to see he was smirking and frowned suspiciously. "Whatever you're thinking, don't do it."
"What? I wasn't thinking about anything." He said, all too innocently for Ichigo's taste.
"For some reason, I don't believe you." Ichigo rolled his eyes and grabbed Grimmjow's hand, pulling him out of the room. "C'mon, let's get this nightmare over with already."
"You make it sound like we're going on a death march."
Ichigo paused at the bottom of the stairs and glanced back at Grimmjow, his face set with a grim smile. "Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of what's about to happen."
Grimmjow was going to ask him what he meant by that, but never got the chance as they were suddenly assaulted by his father. "Ichigo my darling son! Why have you hidden this boyfriend of yours from us for so long! Are you ashamed? Are you worried about what I would think?"
Ichigo opened his mouth to reply, sighing and shaking his head when his father continued.
"You need not worry my boy! I will always be proud of you, no matter who you choose to love!" Isshin suddenly turned his attention to Grimmjow, who eyed him warily. "So, I hope you're being careful with Ichigo, I don't want him in pain because of you. He's very sensitive, did you know that-"
"Oh my god!" Ichigo yelled out, kicked him in the stomach. "Shut up! We are never, EVER, discussing that, ok?"
"But Ichigo... I want to make sure he's taking care of you!"
"I don't need taking care of! I'm capable of looking after myself thanks!" Ichigo paused and sighed heavy, glancing at Grimmjow to send him an apologetic look. "Sorry, I tried to warn you."
Grimmjow just shrugged and slung and arm over Ichigo's shoulders, kissing his temple. "Don't worry about it Ichigo, it aint that bad."
Ichigo sighed heavily and looked up at him with a scowl. "You're being affectionate."
"So?"
"Why?"
Grimmjow shrugged, flashing his trademark smirk at Ichigo. "Do I need a reason?"
"Someone pass the a bucket, I think I'm gunna throw up." Ichigo scowled and looked away from Grimmjow to see Karin watching them with a grin. "So Ichigo, what's happened since last night? After all, you seemed pretty adamant that you two were finished."
"Oh? What you been saying about me Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked in mock offense.
"Nothing. Just, after yesterday I did think we were through until you came here." Ichigo blushed and looked away. "I guess you changed my mind."
"Urgh, please don't start kissing, I'm only just about holding my breakfast down."
"Karin!" Ichigo said indignantly, glaring at her as she laughed and went back into the main room. "Well, its official, my family is the biggest bunch of jerks ever to live."
"Nah, they aint that bad." Grimmjow shrugged and winked at Ichigo. "Just wait until you meet my parents, your family look like saints compared to them."
Ichigo scoffed, but a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. With a sigh, he caught Grimmjow's hand in his own and glanced at the older teen. "C'mon, I'm hungry and I'm betting you are to. If there's one thing I can say about Yuzu, she's a great cook."
"Ok?"
Grimmjow let Ichigo pull him into the kitchen, sitting down at the chair he indicated at and Ichigo sat next to him.
"Ichi-nii? I made toast and porridge, are you staying this morning?" Yuzu looked into the room, smiling when she saw he was sat at the table with Grimmjow. "I'm making extra then?"
"Yuzu, you make plenty for an army, don't worry about making extra." He replied, smiling at her as she grinned and nodded, disappearing back into the kitchen. He blushed when Grimmjow grinned at him, clearing his throat. "What?"
"She doesn't seem like much of a nutcase to me."
Ichigo rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat to glance at Karin who was watching them both with an impassive look on her face. "She isn't, everyone else around here is."
"Including you then?" She replied, not flicker of emotion shown.
"Oh ha-ha." Ichigo grinned at her, throwing a piece of toast when Yuzu set the plate down which she nimbly caught and began eating. "What?" He asked innocently when Yuzu gave him a disapproving look.
"I thought you'd be on your best behaviour." She commented, looking at Grimmjow with a grin. "After all, you don't want your boyfriend thinking you're a rude delinquent do you?"
"Oh don't worry about it, I already know he is. That's what I like about him."
Ichigo choked on his drink as Karin started laughing and Yuzu smiled, sitting down quietly. "Hey!"
"What? I'm being honest. You are a delinquent. After all, how many times have we been caught fighting and been punished for it?"
Ichigo opened his mouth to argue, but considered what Grimmjow had said and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"So that's where I know you from!"
Grimmjow jumped when Isshin finally joined them, announcing his presence by yelling behind him and almost making him spill his drink. "You're the blue hair kid that was always picking on my little Ichigo!"
"Yes sire, that's me. Although, we haven't fought in a while now. How long's it been Ichigo?"
He glanced at Ichigo who shrugged and finished his mouthful before replying. "Couple of months I guess. But you already knew that didn't you dad? I know you and Uncle Kisuke talk about us fighting."
Isshin shrugged and started piling his plate with food. "It's not my business to pry into every aspect of your life." He said, too innocently to be believed. "How would I know if you stopped fighting?"
"Yeah, whatever."
Ichigo went back to his food and Grimmjow found that Yuzu was looking at him with a soft smile. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
"No." She said shaking her head. "Just nice to see Ichigo happy for once."
Karin rolled her eyes. "C'mon Yuzu, it's the first time we've ever seen Ichigo smile this much, period. He's always scowling that it was almost permanent."
"Shut up you two, just because I don't go around smiling goofily all the time, doesn't mean I'm not happy." Ichigo put in, his cheeks tinged pink. "I just don't feel like looking like an idiot."
Isshin shook his head, smiling softly to himself. What Yuzu had said was true. Ichigo was rarely seen smiling since Masaki's death, and to see him happy now, meant Grimmjow was very important to him.
When everyone had finished, Ichigo quickly grabbed the plates and looked at Grimmjow expectantly. "Can you help me out in the kitchen?"
"Sure." He got up and followed Ichigo, waiting until he'd dumped the plates in the sink and turned around to face him. "So what's up?"
Ichigo sighed and stepped closer to him, grasping the sides of his shirt gently. "How are you? Everything ok with my family?"
Grimmjow looked down into Ichigo's worried eyes and smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine Ichigo, stop worrying. It's not as bad as I thought it'd be."
"Why, what did you expect to happen?"
"You know, the whole 'I'm gunna interrogate you to make sure you're good enough to date my son' kinda thing."
Ichigo chuckled and pulled him down into a kiss. "Don't worry; dad's too idiotic to get to that stage. By the time he realises he should have asked you that, we'll have gotten married and have several kids."
Grimmjow pulled back and smirked. "Married with kids? That's where you see this going?"
Ichigo blushed heavily and stepped away from him, refusing to look at him. "No of course not! I was just trying to say my fathers an idiot."
"So in five years' time, where do you think we'll be?"
"I don't know, you think we'll be together in five years?"
Grimmjow shrugged and pulled Ichigo back into his arms. "I told you last night I wouldn't leave you didn't I?"
"Things can change."
"Not how I feel about you."
"You mean that?" Ichigo asked quietly, looking up at him.
"Wouldn't say it if I didn't."
He cupped Ichigo's face, leaning down to kiss him slowly. Ichigo's eyes fluttered shut and he grasped the back of Grimmjow's shirt, pulling him closer which was retaliated by him being pushed against the counter. Never being in the situation before where they had to stop, Ichigo found it very hard to pull away.
"Grimm, we gotta stop."
"Why?" he murmured, kissing Ichigo's neck and making the younger teen shudder. "You're obviously enjoying it."
"My family..."
He groaned and pulled back, kissing Ichigo quickly. "Fine, I'll stop for now. Don't want someone walking in on us huh."
"Not a good idea. It's enough for one day to have you introduced. Let's leave that for another time."
Grimmjow chuckled and let him go so he could turn back to the sink and start cleaning up like he'd said ten minutes ago. "Ichigo?"
"Mmm?"
"I-" He paused when his phone rang and pulled it out, groaning when he saw it was. "Nel." He said, answering Ichigo's questioning look before answering the call. "Yeah?"
"Grimmjow where are you? I had to let our parents into your flat since you weren't here. They're not happy about that since you knew they were coming."
"Shit, sorry Nel. I'm at Ichigo's, guess I lost track of time. We'll be there soon."
"What do you mean 'we'?"
"As in, Ichigo's coming too."
Nel hesitated before speaking quietly down the line, obviously not wanting their parents to hear. "You sure that's a good idea."
"Nope but what can I do? They'll find out eventually. Better now than later I guess."
"You always know how to piss them off don't you?"
"That's my job." He grinned at Ichigo when he finished and pulled him back into his arms. "We'll leave in a moment so be home in about half an hour. See you then."
"Ok, bye."
Grimmjow ended the call and looked down to see Ichigo's worried face. "Ready to go?"
"No, but I don't really have much of a choice. We made a deal and I plan to stick by it." Ichigo squared his shoulders and sighed heavily. "Ok, let's get this over with then."