Chapter One: Burnt Red
Renji sighed as he pushed the door to his apartment closed with his foot, balancing several bags of groceries in his tattooed arms. He toed his shoes off as he tossed his keys into the bowl by the door. Burnt red eyes absent, he headed towards the kitchen, only vaguely seeing his surroundings as he went. His thoughts were distant, focused on his brother and his recent problems. Frustration was clear on his handsome face as he started thoughtlessly putting away his groceries.
"Fuckin' Ichigo." He muttered, a flash of his infamous temper crossing his face. He couldn't believe Ichigo was so unbelievably stupid, he'd thought the dumb fuck was smart up until a week ago.
His half brother Ichigo was supposed to be the logical one of the two of them, the one that didn't ever get in trouble and the one that was well on his way to being a doctor. Renji was supposed to be the fuck up, the one that nearly flunked high school and the one that had settled for being an artist. Yet after this, Renji thought maybe Ichigo really was the idiot of the two of them. He'd just flushed his whole fucking life down the fucking drain for a damn woman, a pretty bossy one at that. It was beyond stupid!
Renji reached up and pulled the black base ball cap and white bandana from his head, dropping them on the counter as he slid a bag of sugar onto the bottom shelf. The hair tie in his hair followed soon after, leaving his hair loose. The vibrant red mass fell around his shoulders and down his back, contrasting sharply with his plain black t-shirt. Brushing it over his shoulder he turned back to the last bag.
Renji wasn't the only one that was completely baffled, Ichigo's dad, Isshin, was just as shocked as Renji was. None of them had really seen it coming, it had completely shocked the whole family. Ichigo had been distant for the last year, but they'd all thought it was just another one of his bouts of broodiness, something Ichigo was well known for. And then all of a sudden it had just hit them. Hell, Ichigo hadn't even been brave enough to tell them in person. He'd left a letter, a fucking letter, on Renji's counter and just fucking disappeared. It had been beyond shocking. Especially coming from the ever responsible Ichigo, the son that always seemed to do everything right.
Shaking his head again, he brushed the enraging thoughts aside, grabbing a beer from the fridge now that he was done with the groceries. Taking his beer with him he stalked into the living room, more tired than angry. He'd had a hell of a day at work, one thing after another going wrong, and he really didn't need the stress of thinking of Ichigo right now. He just wanted to relax and watch some TV without thinking at all. With that in mind he flopped down on his black leather couch and quickly found the remote, sighing as he turned the TV on and relaxed back into the cushions.
Taking a sip of his beer Renji tried to distract himself with the TV show but soon found his thoughts turning right back to his brother. Stupid fucker. He was suck a moron. Ichigo had spent his entire life scolding Renji for being an impulsive rash person and now when it was finally Renji's turn to return the favor he up and disappears without a word. It was such an unIchigo thing to do that Renji was still shocked the orange headed idiot had even done it.
"Stupid fucker." Renji repeated the thought to the empty room and despite his anger his tone was gruffly affectionate. Running a hand through his nearly waist length hair he sighed in exasperation, realizing his thoughts were still revolving around his brother.
But he really couldn't help it. There was no one in the world Renji loved more than his half brother and even if he wouldn't admit it he was a little hurt that Ichigo hadn't told him in person. Why the hell was a woman so important that the idiot had to run away from not only family but his chance at being a doctor? All without a fucking word? It was unthinkable to Renji, who was so fiercely loyal that he couldn't even fathom why Ichigo would do such a thing. It had said in the letter that he'd only been dating this Rukia person for a few months, was his family so unimportant that he would run off with a person he'd only known a few months? The thought was infuriating to Renji.
With an angry snort, Renji tried to distract himself with thoughts of work. Today had been hell, one infuriating thing after another from the very get go. Renji specialized in intricate tile and wood work, and the people he was working for right now were picky bastards. They'd changed their minds dozens of times already and it was beginning to make Renji consider telling them to go fuck themselves despite the big paycheck he was going to get for the job. The wife, a fat woman with more fat rolls than brain cells, had finally made up her mind this morning for the bedroom wall mosaic. So he'd gotten to work on the painstakingly detailed pattern she'd chosen. But the husband, a tall skinny idiot with beady eyes, had come in half way through and said he didn't like the pattern. So he'd had Renji tear up all the intricate work he'd just done and start over again with another just as detailed pattern. Then the couple had decided it was the wrong colors, making him go through the whole process of color elimination with them again. It was absolutely maddening and Renji was about an inch from telling them to just fuck off.
With a sigh Renji closed his eyes, rubbing at his sore neck with a callused hand. He'd been bent over his tile cutter all day, pointlessly cutting tile that they'd ended up having him throw out anyway. Today had have been one of the most infuriating days he'd had in years. It was only the extremely fat check he'd be getting out of the situation that kept him from snapping at the moronic couple.
A hard knock on his front door made his eyes pop open in surprise. It wasn't too often he got company, he rarely invited anyone to his apartment, and he certainly wasn't expecting anyone. Perhaps it was his neighbor again. The woman that lived next store, a busty blonde named Rangiku, couldn't seem to get it in her head that Renji was not interested. Hell, he wasn't interested in females at all, and she never seemed to listen when he told her he was gay. She came over at least every few days to ask him out for a drink, always very insistent despite Renji's many rejections. If the woman wasn't so damn funny he would have told her to fuck off a long time ago.
Scowling fiercely he pulled himself to his feet, his sore back protesting as he set his beer on the table. This had better be fucking good or he was gonna be beyond pissed. He wasn't in the mood for any of Rangiku's antics tonight, in fact he thought he might just finish his beer then go straight to bed even though it was only eight. He was exhausted. Scowl still in place Renji swung the door open without looking through the peep hole, burnt red eyes simmering irritably.
Yumichika glanced down at the slip of paper in his hand then back up at the apartment building. This was definitely the place, but it was certainly not what he'd been expecting. "This is the place, Ikkaku." He told his partner with a distressed sigh. "This isn't a place someone beautiful like me should be in." He muttered as he continued to look at the run down apartment.
"Good, lets get going then." Ikkaku replied gruffly, tucking his gun firmly into his leather jackets inner pocket. His face was set in it's usual frown as he too eyed the apartment building. "Gotta hurry, boss wants us back by eleven."
His feminine partner in crime sighed dramatically but followed Ikkaku out of the car, his heeled boots clicking across the asphalt. "I don't know why boss wants this person, I've seen him." He sniffed disdainfully. "He isn't beautiful at all. Always wears that cap and bandana, always wears sunglasses. Not beautiful at all."
Ikkaku grinned back at Yumichika, amused by his boyfriend as always. "Don't matter what the guy looks like, boss don't want him for his looks. I think he wants him for information." Instead of taking the elevator he took the stairs, going up two at a time.
"Hmm, I suppose." Yumichika said with another sniff as he easily followed his bigger partner up the stairs, not out of breath in the least.
"I'm gonna make this quick, we don't want no noise while we're hear." Ikkaku threw over his shoulder when they finally reached the third floor. His shrewd eyes flicked over the hall before settling on the door they wanted. 3A, one of the two apartments on this floor. "I'm gonna tranq him as we know it's him for sure. Hopefully nobody sees us on the way out."
"We can always pretend he's a drunk friend." The slender male said with a little smirk, reaching out to knock on the door, completely unperturbed by the situation. The two of them had done this enough to know what they were doing.
Renji's tattooed eyebrows rose as soon as he saw the two men standing on the other side of his door. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen a more mismatched pair of people. One bald and the very definition of biker masculinity, the other just about as gay looking as a male could possibly be. With feathers decorating his eyebrow. Perplexed Renji dropped his scowl in surprise. He had no idea who these fuckers were.
"Well, you're not as ugly as I thought you were." The feminine male purred, leaning closer to Renji with a suggestive look on his face. "You're actually quite beautiful, even with the distasteful tattoos."
Renji gaped for a baffled moment, eyebrows almost disappearing into his red hair before his expression snapped back into a scowl, irritation surging back to the forefront. "I don't give a flying fuck what you think of my tattoos." He snapped, making the slender male draw back with a disdainful frown. "Who the fuck are you?"
The big bald one stepped forward, giving Renji a scowl to match his own. "Are you Kurosaki Ichigo's brother?" He growled, obviously trying to intimidate the shorter red head.
Reddish brown eyes almost snapping Renji didn't move, not in the least intimidated. He'd faced down bigger and meaner fuckers than this and he certainly wasn't going to back down now. It wasn't in his nature. "What the fucks it to you, bastard?" He asked with narrowed eyes.
"Such language, boss won't be pleased at all with your mouth." The smaller male told him precisely, shaking his head and touching a hand to his styled hair.
Renji's eyes narrowed, taking on a cautious gleam as they passed between the two men at his door. He wasn't sure who the fuck they were but they certainly weren't here for anything good. Not anything Renji would want to get involved in. But they'd mentioned Ichigo. Renji was nothing if not loyal so he resisted the urge to slam the door in their faces. "What do you want with Ichigo?" He asked instead, his scowl deepening. "Is he in some kinda trouble?"
Then suddenly pain flared in his chest and he staggered back. With a gasp Renji looked down, raising a bewildered hand to the long dart that protruded from his chest. The metal gleamed in the light from the hall and a little red tuft marked the end. Pulling it from his skin with a wince he stared, mouth open in surprise. "The fuck?"
Raising his shocked eyes to the two strangers he registered the smug look on their faces and realized belatedly that he'd just been shot with a tranquilizer. Before his thoughts caught up his instincts sent the door slamming closed, and his body turning. Knees already becoming weak he grimaced as he stumbled towards the living room, where he'd left his cell phone. He had to call Isshin. Even though he knew logically his step father couldn't help him he stubbornly kept his legs moving. He could hear swears from the other side of the door and knew it wouldn't be long before they got inside.
It was only his panic and stubbornness that got him into the living room, his vision blackening around the edges as he collapsed clumsily beside the couch. Fumbling wildly, eyes wide with panic he searched for his phone in the clutter on his coffee table.
"Fuck, fuck, where is it?" He gasped, lurching forward to lean against the table. A tingling numb sensation had begun to spread through his legs and he knew he only had a few moments before he passed out. Blinking rapidly he stubbornly kept his eyes open, finally getting a hold of his cell phone. He could hear the door begin to splinter in the other room, heavy thuds sounding as they tried to break the door down. It took him a second to find the number, his fingers fumbling and numb and his eyes fuzzy. Hitting send he listened as the phone rang, casting panicked glances around the cluttered room.
"Renji, my boy!" Isshin yelled into the phone, relief making Renji slump weakly against the couch, letting his body succumb just a little. It took all his will to hold onto consciousness.
"Dad,...their g-getting...in!" Renji gasped into the phone, struggling to get his voice to work as the world became even fuzzier. "...They...want...Ichigo!"
"Renji?" Isshin's voice had become serious and a little panicked. "What's going on? Who wants Ichigo?"
"They...shot...me!" He strained, voice only a whisper as his head fell back. He could barely keep the phone to his ear now. "They're...coming... Want...Ichigo."
"Renji?" Isshin's voice was now loud and very panicked. "Where are you? Are you okay?"
Vaguely Renji thought he should say what he needed to now, his mind fuzzily thinking he might never talk to his family. "Lo-...love... you guys, tell...girls...love...th- them."
Even his will couldn't last forever and Renji lost the battle seconds later, the phone clattering from his hand to spin under the table as his body slid sideways to the floor. As he sank he heard the final crash as the door was busted open, loud footsteps coming towards him. Blinking blearily up at the ceiling Renji's vision was suddenly filled with a feminine face smiling down at him. "Stubborn creature." He heard, the voice sounding so far away, the face spinning and blurring in his view as his mind finally lost consciousness.
Yumichika bent over the prone red head, staring down into the man's curiously colored eyes, with a slightly affectionate smile on his face. "Stubborn creature." He murmured, studying the red heads face as his eyes finally slipped closed.
"Took the bastard long enough." Ikkaku scowled, muscled form filling up the doorway to the living room. "That dart had enough to tranquilize a horse. He should have went down in seconds."
"Hmm, you know he really is quite beautiful now that I look at him." Yumichika murmured pleasantly, using a finger to pull down the neckline of the red heads shirt. "The tattoos are everywhere it seems." He tilted his head to the side as a finger stroked a black line on the tanned skin. "Gives him a sort of feral beauty. Wild even."
"Tch, lets just grab him and go." Ikkaku growled, a little jealous as he watched Yumichika study the passed out male. "Boss said to be quick about it."
"Yes, I suppose we should be going." His partner agreed, moving aside so the bigger male could lift the red head, draping the limp body negligently over one shoulder. Giving into temptation however he reached forward to touch the vibrant red hair hanging down Ikkaku's back. "I wonder what he uses in his hair, it's really quite soft."
Ikkaku only grunted in annoyance, stalked from the apartment, expecting his partner to follow behind. He ignored the crashed in door, leaving it hanging from it's hinges. It wouldn't matter. It was very unlikely that the red head would ever be returning to the apartment anyway.
Isshin was still in the clinic that night, finishing some last minute paperwork before he headed home to the girls. Humming absently to himself he let his thoughts wonder as he filled out the paperwork. As usual for the past week his thoughts went to his sons, Ichigo and Renji.
He wasn't sure what Ichigo thought he was doing. Eloping with a girl he'd barely been dating for a few months. The boy had completely abandoned all his classes, leaving without telling anyone where he was going or when he would be back. It had been shocking for the entire family, but especially for Renji. Isshin knew how Renji felt about family, he knew just how loyal Renji was, especially to Ichigo, and Isshin knew Renji had been hurt more than he would admit by Ichigo's actions.
He worried for Renji. Although not his biological son, Renji was his beloved wife's son, and as such Isshin loved him dearly. The red head was impulsive and rash, always managing to get himself into trouble one way or another. He was older than Ichigo by a year, but sometimes Isshin thought the red head was so much more fragile. Renji had been through a lot in his short life, so much that Isshin couldn't protect him from. Ichigo running away had put a crack in Renji's fierce armor.
Suddenly his phone rang, making him jump, scattering several papers. Laughing at himself, Isshin checked the ID, grinning when he saw Renji's name flashing across the screen."Renji, my boy!" He yelled into the phone, expecting Renji's usual complaints about his loudness.
"Dad...their g-getting...in!" The voice was weak and almost a whisper and Isshin only belatedly realized it was Renji's voice. "...They...want...Ichigo!"
Face falling into a frown, Isshin stood slowly. "Renji?" Isshin's voice had become serious and a little panicked. "What's going on? Who wants Ichigo?" He waited anxiously for his son's reply.
"They...shot...me!" He could barely hear the whispered words and when they registered he tensed, a surge of horror shooting through him. "They're...coming... Want...Ichigo."
"Renji?" Isshin's voice was now loud and very panicked. He forced himself to move, bolting out of his office and racing to his car outside. Fear sped his actions. He had to get to Renji. He had to! "Where are you? Are you okay?"
Renji's next sentence scared Isshin beyond reason. "Lo-...love... you guys, tell...girls...love...th- them." Renji said it fearfully, voice fading in and out. A loud clatter followed the declaration.
"Renji?" Isshin shouted into the phone, breathing heavily as he cranked his keys in the ignition. His car sputtered to life as he strained his ears. "Renji? Answer me!" The next voice wasn't Renji's and Isshin froze as he listened, realizing these must be the men that had shot his son.
"Stubborn creature." A man murmured, sounding almost incongruously affectionate. The voice was distant but obviously male.
"Took the bastard long enough." This voice was farther away, the tone aggressive. This one was male as well. "That dart had enough to tranquilize a horse. He should have went down in seconds."
Relief surged through Isshin when he realized they'd only tranquilized his boy. So Renji wasn't dead! Feeling almost weak with relief he dropped his forehead to the steering wheel, straining his ears to hear the two men.
"Hmm, you know he really is quite beautiful now that I look at him." The lighter voice murmured giving Isshin a chill of dread. What did they plan on doing with Renji?"The tattoos are everywhere it seems." He had to be looking a Renji's body, a thought that made Isshin grimace. "Gives him a sort of feral beauty. Wild even."
"Tch, lets just grab him and go." The second man still sounded extremely aggressive, the voice closer to the phone now. "Boss said to be quick about it." Ah, so this was a hired kidnapping then. They wouldn't be doing anything to Renji themselves. The thought was no relief.
"Yes, I suppose we should be going." The first voice said, a touch of a pout in his voice. Footsteps echoed in the phone. "I wonder what he uses in his hair, it's really quite soft." The statement again sent a chill down Isshin's spine. He knew Renji was attractive, the boy had people falling all over him all the time. What would these people do to him? The question horrified the doctor.
When he realized the kidnappers were gone he quickly cut the connection, dialing 911 immediately. As he dialed he pulled out, speeding towards his son's apartment. He was sure the men would be gone by the time he got there but he had to do something. Terror gripped him tightly and when he glanced in the rear view mirror his eyes were wide with panic.
