Ladies and Gentlemen

Ladies and Gentlemen 8

Kylie Minogue sings 'I Can't Get You Out of My Head'...made up the Java Seal Coffeehouse, but it probably exists somewhere too.

****Yes, this chapter is longer than normal...My original stopping point would have left you with a nasty cliffhanger. You are welcome! Happy St. Patrick's Day ;)

Wolf in Friends Clothing

"...La La La

La La La La La,

I just can't get you outta my head,

Boy your lovin' is all I think about.

I just can't get you outta my head,

Boy it's more than I dare to think about.

La La La

La La La La La..."

Recognizing Shiro's ringtone, I roll over and flip open my phone, "Do you even sleep?" I ask, slurring slightly. He laughs and I take a second to picture his eyes shining with the gesture before he responds, "Restlessly. You know, I would sleep so much better if you were with me Ichi."

Ignoring the tempting proposition and what it does to my body, I take a quick glance at the alarm clock on my nightstand, 7:00a.m. "Why are you calling so early anyway?" Not that it's anything new waking up with him on the other line, it is probably the tenth time it's happened since we met three weeks ago. It doesn't really bother me though, my alarm is set to go off in 15 minutes anyway.

"Yeah, I suppose this is a little earlier than normal. Sorry about that. I was leavin' for work and just wanted to make sure that we were still on for tonight." Ah, that's right, today's Friday! I perk up with the thought of our date tonight. I haven't seen him all week so my excitement was rather hard to hide, "Of course! Where were we going again?" I roll out of bed and grab my scrubs before walking into the bathroom.

"An Italian restaurant just outside of the city. Figured we could eat there, then chill at the coffee shop next door when we're done. They've got some pretty killer deserts. Then maybe if your up for it, we could watch a movie or two at one of our places."

"Sounds good to me. Probably should do the movies at your place though. Chad has to be up early tomorrow, so I don't wanna ruin his sleep. Come to think of it, should you really be up that late? I mean, don't you work tomorrow too?"

"Yeah, but I don't have to be there until six in the evening, so its cool."

So that means, "Ah, so you are working the stage tomorrow?"

"Sure am. Would you like to come watch Ichi?" The mere thought makes me blush, and I know he's fully aware of it.

"Sorry, but I don't think I am ready for that yet." He laughs at my expected response.

"Alright then. So, our reservations are for 7:30, so I will be by your place around 6:30."

"Ok, see you then. Bye Shiro."

"Later Ichi."

I hang up the phone and turn on the shower. Thanks to Shiro, I will have a little head start on my morning. I don't have to be at the medical center until 8:30, so I should even have time for breakfast this morning. That is one thing I envy Chad for. He has the unbelievable ability to function at 6:00 in the morning, so he is normally already gone by the time I wake up. On the bonus side though, that means no competing for the shower.

Half an hour later, I am clean, fed, and finally fully functioning. Still thinking about my date tonight, I lock the door and head out to finish the second week of my clerkship.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ok, see you then. Bye Shiro."

"Later Ichi."

Snapping the phone shut, I laugh silently to myself. The berry is so damn cute in the morning...and well, any other time of the day for that matter. For the past three weeks, I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. It doesn't matter if I am with him or not, in fact it is worse when we are apart. At first, it worried me. So much so that I called my dad and asked him what the hell was wrong with me. I told him about the whole situation with Ichigo, and how I couldn't get him off of my mind. He only chuckled fondly and congratulated me on finding my first love.

That took me a while to wrap my brain around. Someone who didn't even believe in love three weeks ago, unintentionally falling victim to it in a matter of days, possibly hours. The thought was ridiculous, but I knew he was right. I can't pinpoint the exact time it mutated from an attraction to what I feel now, but I can no longer deny that I fell in love with the strawberry stranger.

On the way to work, thoughts of the delicious strawberry are interrupted by my cell...

"I'm an emo kid,

Nonconforming as can be,

You'd be nonconforming too if you looked just like me.

I got paint on my nails..."

Haha...four years and the ringtone I assigned Ulquiorra with still gets me to this day. I answer still chuckling a little, "Yo Spunky!"

"Shirosaki, I was calling to see if you had plans tonight."

"Yep. Tonight's another chance at operation woo the strawberry."

"Woo the strawberry? You mean the boy you are miraculously still interested in?"

"Yeah, he is pretty damn stubborn. I'll get him though."

"Amazing how similar you sound to Grimmjow. I believe he said the same thing about his...strawberry." Oh shit. "I don't suppose it happened by coincidence that the two of you are chasing the same stubborn strawberry, Ichigo, I believe?" Damn, I guess it had to happen eventually.

"Alright spunky. Suppose, hypothetically, that it did happen and I didn't find out who he was until it was too late. How do you think Grimmjow would react?"

"Interesting. That boy must really be something else. Grimmjow will not be happy to say the least. If I didn't value your life, I might tell him. As it stands though, I believe I have something else in mind that might keep you away from such a mess."

"And that is?" I don't know what he is thinking, but I'm pretty sure I won't like it.

"You shall see." And with that, he hung up.

If I didn't have to work this morning, I would go over there to beat whatever he is planning out of him. If Grimmjow finds out...Well let's not think to far ahead yet. Ulquiorra did say that he valued my life, as creepy as that is, I will take what I can get if it means more uninterrupted time with Ichigo.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Completely psyched for my date tonight, I found myself nearly running back to the dorm from the medical center. When I arrived however, the identity of the unexpected visitor outside my door stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Ulquiorra? What are you doing here?" I haven't seen him in over four years, and even before then he never took the time of day to notice my presence. What the hell is going on?

He responds, voice impassive as ever, "Kurosaki. There is a certain matter which concerns you that I am here to discuss." That does nothing to alleviate my curiosity.

"Alright, I've got about an hour. Come on in." This has to have something to do with Grimmjow. He follows me inside and takes a seat at the table.

"Let me guess, Grimmjow?" I ask, looking across the table.

"No...At least hopefully not. I am sure all involved would like to keep my brute of a brother as far away from this as possible. This concerns your relationship with Tensa, Shirosaki." What?

"Wait a second, how do you know Shiro? And what business is it of yours if I have a relationship with the guy?" Perhaps I was imagining things, but I swear he winced when I said 'Shiro.'

"I have known Shirosaki since we were both children. The three of us, Shirosaki, Grimmjow, and myself practically grew up together. I, better than anyone know how Shirosaki gets when there is something he wants. I have seen it many times before, and given your history with my brother, I am attempting to prevent the fallout that is sure to come when Shirosaki takes advantage of you."

"What do you mean 'takes advantage' of me? I am giving Shiro a chance because I am interested in him. He has been working relatively hard to win me over. If anything, it's almost as if I am the one taking advantage." Though I wonder if Shiro will still want me when he finds out my history with one of his closest friends.

"Do not fool yourself. Shirosaki does not know the meaning of long term. All of his experience is limited to casual sex with many random people. 'Contacts' is what he refers to them as." At this he slides a small spiral bound notebook across the table. "That is the list as of this afternoon. I swiped the book from his apartment when I discovered that you would most likely end up the next name on it. He is charming, and quite convincing, so I knew you might require visual evidence."

Against my better judgment, I open the book and was completely unprepared for what lay inside. There, in Shiro's handwriting, was a list of names, phone numbers, and even a few brief physical descriptions, for more people than I even knew. Some crossed out, others highlighted...I slammed the book closed and glared across the table at Ulquiorra.

"I know you didn't do this because of your fondness for me. Why would you throw your supposed 'best friend' under the bus?" Something here didn't add up.

"As I said before, my brother would be livid if he found out that you had become one of Shirosaki's playthings. It would create irreparable damage between my brother and best friend, and I would be stuck in middle. Shirosaki will get over my 'betrayal' rather quickly when he realizes all the trouble this saved. I do not mean this in a harsh way, but he only sees you as a prospective 'contact,' and would not logically risk the relationship with his long time best friend for someone he just met. I thought it best to bring it up to you before Grimmjow caught wind of the situation."

I looked up from the notebook in my hands, hoping my face didn't portray my shock and disappointment, "Did you have anything else to say?"

He still looked as impassive as he did when he walked in, "No, thank you for your time. I trust you will make the right decision. I will show myself out." With that he stood up and walked out the door. Why do I feel like I just got dealt the short end of the stick on a business transaction? That's right, he is Aizen's son, through and through. While that slightly lessens his credibility, there is only so much I can ignore with the proof sitting right in front of me.

It wasn't until I heard knocking that I realized how long I had been at the table, staring at nothing. Ulquiorra left half an hour ago, meaning the person on the other side of the door was Shiro. No time like the present I suppose. Opening the door, I find myself face to face with a smiling, nicely dressed, gorgeous albino and almost forget why I'm not ready to go.

Shiro's smile quickly morphs into a look of concern when I step back from his advance to embrace me. "Ichi?"

Not trusting my voice, and having lost my nerve to look him in the eye, I point lamely to the small spiral notebook on the table. He looks confused, but walks over to the table and promptly freezes once he is able to identify the object.

After a minute or two of silence, he takes a deep breath and fixes his unwavering gaze on me. Face serious, voice calm, he finally speaks, "What did he say to you, Ichigo?"

Trying to make myself as emotionally detached as possible, I close my eyes and lean back against the door. Taking a deep breath, I begin recapping the conversation in it's entirety. This is going to be a very long night.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Ichigo jerked away from my touch I became slightly worried, but when I saw that damn book sitting on his kitchen table, my world stopped. How the hell...Ulquiorra. Recalling the conversation we had earlier, and remembering that he has a key to my place, the answer isn't really hard to attain. However, knowing him, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble without making sure things would turn out the way he wanted them. He didn't just hand Ichigo the book and leave, that wouldn't have been enough. Trying to control the rage, I throw on my best poker face and turn to Ichigo.

"What did he say to you, Ichigo?"

I listened in silent fury as Ichigo regurgitated the conversation between himself and my 'best friend.' I always knew that somewhere along the line, my past would find a way to burn me. However, I had no idea that the guy I grew up with and trusted would be the one to light the match.

Once he had finished, Ichigo looked me straight in the eye for the first time tonight. "I know not all of the claims he made tonight can be trusted, he is the son of Aizen. However, I am not willing to ignore that list and what it entails. This is your only chance to come clean about everything, then I think I need some time alone to think this through." He walked over and took a seat at the table as I began sorting the truth from the lies Ulquiorra spewed. He probably thought Ichigo wouldn't give me the chance to explain.

"The information about our history is the truth. We all three practically grew up together, and yes, I knew about your connection to Grimmjow. Just after our first kiss you left the room and missed a phone call from him. That is when I realized why your name sounded so familiar at the hospital, you were the same Ichigo my childhood friend had been after for four years. I really did think about calling it off then, but when you came back into the room, I couldn't do it. Consequences be damned, I wanted you more than anything by that point. I couldn't stand the thought of you calling everything off when I had just gotten my chance, so I kept my discovery quiet. That night, I promised myself that I would be the one to make you happy."

Ichigo nodded and gestured to the book, "And that?"

"I wish I could say that that was all a lie, but I am ashamed to admit that there is truth there as well. That was a list I started in high school and filled out up until about two years ago, when I no longer had the time to meet new people. The last time I called a name on that list was about two weeks before I met you. Since we met, that thing..." I scowl, pointing at the book, "...has not crossed my mind once. Ulquiorra lied about that. I told him that you were different, that I wanted something more with you..."

Ichigo stopped me there, "I don't understand. If you told him that you...wanted a relationship with me," he paused and blushed slightly before continuing, "then why did he tell me that I was only supposed to be another name on that list? I mean is he really that worried about you fighting Grimmjow, that he would go behind your back like that?" Ah, so he noticed that little inconsistency as well.

"No. He lied about that too. I do consider Grimmjow a friend, but we are not as close as Ulquiorra had you believe. We only really hang out when Ulquiorra is present. While this will most likely lead to a brawl with Grimmjow, he played up our relationship to hide his true motive." I pause to take a breath, I really don't like talking about what I know is coming next.

Ichigo asks as expected, "And his true motive would be..?"

"Ulquiorra has wanted me since high school, maybe even earlier. He finally got the nerve to make a move on me our first year of college and I rejected him. Told him I wasn't interested in him in that way, and left it at that. He was always a little bitter on the topic, but never pulled anything like this. I think he got desperate when he realized that I was serious about you. I really am sorry about all this Ichi."

He looked at me for a minute before speaking. "Thank you for being honest with me. At least I can make sense of the situation now. I won't tell you that I am ok with that..." He points at the book, "but I believe that you were sincere in your advances toward me at least." Shaking his head, he continues, "Shiro, you have been with more people than I even know...I mean how do I know...Did you use...damn it." His words break off at the end and he is blushing furiously.

He doesn't need to finish for me to understand what he is getting at though. I do use protection and get checked regularly, but he would have no way of knowing that. In his situation, I'd be asking the same questions. Although, I probably wouldn't be as nice about it. I imagine it would come out as, 'how do I know you aren't a walking infection?'

"To answer your question, for what it's worth Ichi, yes, I use protection. I can't change my past Ichigo, but I promise to do whatever it takes to make up for it." Please don't leave me for this...

He sighs, running a hand through his orange locks. "I need some time. Give me a few days to think all this over." Nodding, I stand up and head towards the door. Before I get the chance to open it he grabs my arm, I must really be out of it if I didn't notice him move. "I do agree with one thing though. Grimmjow can be a good friend, but romantically, he is a disaster. Keep him out of this for the time being. That would be added stress that neither one of us needs right now." I give a small smile and nod, a little relieved that he agrees with my original decision to not involve Grimmjow.

Walking out wasn't as disheartening as I thought it would be when the conversation started. At least he didn't call everything off. So, within the next few days, I need to think of a way to prove to Ichigo that he is not just another name on my list, and that I will do anything to make this work. I'm always up for a challenge.

As I jump in the car, I pull out my cellphone and hit speed dial 4.

"I was expecting your call." I just bet you were asshole.

"Good, then you're not busy. Meet me at the Java Seal Coffeehouse in thirty. I would like you to tell me about your day." With that I hang up and start the engine. No 'good' deed should go unrewarded.