Work Text:
The kitchen was clean. He couldn’t remember the last time it wasn’t. Or the last time they’d both been home long enough to cook.
Grimmjow pulled the kettle off the heating element and poured water into the mug. The teabag expanded, releasing a warm brown color into the water. Rose and apricot; Ulquiorra’s favorite.
Grimmjow set the timer and went back into the bedroom to pull on his uniform. His phone vibrated on the nightstand. Ulquiorra was on his way home. They’d just miss each other in the parking lot. Grimmjow smiled to himself. Vacation time couldn’t come soon enough.
It wasn’t a bad life, Grimmjow supposed. Just when they were both so busy, intimacy fell to the wayside. Which meant they had to become creative. Little things stood out like pre-ordering dinner (or breakfast in Ulquiorra’s case) for when the other came home. Running a hot bath, or making sure the bed was ready and welcoming after their shift ended.
The timer for the tea beeped.
Or brewing tea and coffee. Grimmjow walked into the kitchen and removed the teabag. He lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip. Scalding still, but it tasted fine. He added three large spoons of sugar, then a dash of cream, and stirred. He didn’t know how Ulquiorra drank it like that, but it would help him relax after work.
Grimmjow took one more sip and grimaced at the sweetness. He always preferred sweets directly from Ulquiorra’s lips anyway.
His work alarm went off, and he sighed. He replaced the mug on the counter with some biscotti and grabbed his paramedic bag. He spared their sleeping cats a glance then headed out the door into the early morning.
~*~
Ulquiorra unlocked the door. He used to like working nights in the ER. But that was back when he was a young doctor and not pushing forty. Back when he was alone and didn’t have someone waiting up at home. Or… well. It was complicated, wasn’t it?
He slipped inside the apartment, dropped his bag on the bench, and toed off his sneakers. It had been a long, long night filled with blood and screaming babies. Someone threw up. A lot. He liked those scrubs, too. Grimmjow had bought them for him.
Ulquiorra walked into the kitchen, yawning. He found the tea and biscotti waiting for him. A little smile played across his lips, there and gone. Grimmjow always knew what he liked. Ulquiorra picked up the mug.
There was a bit of tea staining the rim where Grimmjow’s mouth had been. Ulquiorra placed his lips over it. An indirect kiss, he mused. Since he couldn’t kiss the real thing except when asleep. He chuckled to himself, almost choked, and took a longer swallow of tea. Then he ate the biscotti. And another. Finished off the whole plate, then took another drink of tea.
He missed Grimmjow’s kisses. He wished they could have more than those few fleeting moments. Maybe he’d start taking the day shift, or… he could switch to private practice. Be home at five most days. Off on weekends. Generous vacation deals.
He finished the mug, put the dishes in the sink, and went to bed.
~*~
The alarm went off near Ulquiorra’s head. He sighed and pushed himself up. It was time to start again.
He took a shower and brewed some tea. Jasmine and orange blossom, Grimmjow’s favorite. When it finished steeping, Ulquiorra took a sip and placed the mug on the counter. He left out a plate of cheese and almonds. Good protein for a day on an ambulance, and he knew Grimmjow would be hungry.
He fed the cats, checked their water dish, and grabbed his bag before he headed out the door to the hospital. Maybe after their vacation, he’d switch over to days. He was tired of indirect kisses. He wanted the real thing.