AN: AU Renji Shuuhei love story if you don't like yaoi don't read it. Please no flames. Thank you.


Shuuhei followed Renji out of the park and towards a small café across the street. It was a small little family owned shop, with several tables and chairs. A young woman was working the counter.

"Hello, welcome to – Oh Renji…" The young woman said as she stood behind the counter stacking glass coffee cups. She smiles as Renji walks over towards a table beside the counter and offers Shuuhei a seat.

"Hey Momo, how have you been?" He asked as he moved to sit in the chair across from Shuuhei and remove the baby from his stroller.

Momo had moved to flip the sign on the door from Open to Closed before going over to their table. "I've been well Renji. Who's this?" She responded as she moved to take the baby from the Renji. The baby quickly turned his head and looked back and Renji staring at him with his large eyes.

"This is my new friend Shuuhei Hisagi." Renji replied before looking at Shuuhei. "Shuuhei this is my good friend Momo Hinamori and this is her family's café."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Hisagi." She said offering her hand and he took it. "So what can I get you too?" She asked as she bounced the baby in her arm.

Shuuhei noticed he didn't look all that comfortable and kept staring at Renji with glassy eyes.

"I'll have the regular Momo." Renji said with a smile as he set up the portable play area again on the floor.

"And you Mr. Hisagi?" She asked as she handed the baby back to Renji.

"I'll have regular green tea." He said with a smile.

Renji moved to place the baby back on his back in the play area and he laid there contently staring at Renji before Renji placed a pacifier in his mouth. After the baby was situated Renji turned his attention back to Shuuhei.

"Listen I'm really sorry about the whole soccer ball incident. I just got distracted and missed the goal." Renji spoke truthfully.

"And what I ask distracted you so suddenly that you kicked a ball in the completely wrong direction?" Shuuhei's tone was amused yet serious.

Renji's slightly tanned skin suddenly had a lovely shade of red decorating in at Renji attempted to come up with an answer. 'How do you tell a guy you hit him with a soccer ball by accident because you got distracted by his looks?' Renji thought as he attempted to find an excuse.

Suddenly the baby giggled at his feet and Renji had it.

"Well you see, Takahiro, here started acting fussy and it distracted me but since I was already in mid-kick it was too late and the ball flew." Renji spoke quickly in a slightly lower than what Shuuhei had heard of his vocal range.

Strangely enough Shuuhei knew Renji was lying to him but choose not to push the matter further.

The two sat in comfortable silence for another few minutes before Momo reappeared from behind the counter with a cup of green tea and a glass filed with banana smoothie.

Renji was eyeing Shuuhei's guitar case as he sipped thoughtfully on his smoothie. He had noticed the way Shuuhei had acted in the park when it had fallen out of his hand when he'd fallen to the ground.

"I noticed you had a really nice guitar." Renji shifted his hands and pointed at the guitar case next to Shuuhei's chair.

Shuuhei nodded. "It's my most prized possession." Shuuhei said after finishing a sip of tea. "I saved for nearly six months to have her. She's a Gibson Songwriter."

Renji shook his head knowingly before replying. "That's nice. What's a Gibson Songwriter exactly? It looks like any old guitar to me. Could you explain?" Renji signaled Momo over and asked for another serving of both drinks before Shuuhei began explaining to him the importance and individuality of his guitar.

After the long explanation that left Renji with more information then he would ever need to know about guitars Renji asked him why he would carry such an important instrument with him in a public park at dusk.

Shuuhei raised in eyebrow. "I was making my way home. I live in a studio apartment on this side of the park." He stopped at took a sip of tea. "Would you mind telling me why you were in the park shooting soccer goals at dusk?"

Renji once again seemed to turn red as he took a sip of his smoothie. "I'm a private soccer coach that teaches in the park during the evening hours. I tend to practice myself after my students have their lessons and today they ran a little late."

"I see." A simple reply after a tea cup was lowered again. "How old are you Renji?" Shuuhei found himself asking suddenly not even realizing how strange or rude it might have sounded.

"I'm twenty two. And you are?" Renji replied quickly.

"Twenty five."

There was a long silence that was only interrupted when Momo came by with another smoothie and cup of tea or by the slight giggles of the baby at Renji's feet.

After two more drinks each Shuuhei mustered up the courage to ask his new object of affection a very important question. He flicked his wrist and looked at the time, it was now 8:35 PM, he had just spent two hours talking to a complete stranger as though they had been friends for years and he had no complaints about it. Instead he had enjoyed himself to the point he wished this would never end. Still one thought plagued Shuuhei's mind.

' He obviously has a child so does that mean he's married?' So he had to ask before he got his hopes to high.

"Renji," He said slowly after he finished his fourth cup of tea. "Are you married?"

Before Renji could answer a low melody filled the small shop and Renji went diving through his bag to retrieve a cell phone.

"One second." He said as he moved to open the phone.

Shuuhei noticed on the large display screen, a picture of a young woman holding a baby in the hospital with the letters spelling SUZU XP beside it.

"Hi, Suzu, what's up?" His voice was light hearted and clear as he spoke into the receiver. "What do you mean eight forty? It can't be that late already…" Renji paused to look at his watch and sighed. "Of course Suzu, I'm sorry for keeping Taka out so late. Yes, I'll be home soon. Bye Suzu." He pressed the call end button and dropped the phone back into his bag.

Shuuhei had his question answered; even if Renji wasn't married he was probably seeing this Suzu person. "Well it is getting late. And I still have to walk quite a ways. Thank you for the tea." He offered a hand for Renji to shake. "No hard feelings."

Renji took his hand and nodded flashing him a rather handsome simile instead of the full mouthed goofy grin he had seen earlier.

With their parting done Renji paid their tab and Shuuhei picked up his guitar and left, thinking he would never see Renji or the baby Takahiro again.


Okay please review. I hope you enjoyed chapter 2 of Penalty Shot, Chapter 3 is in the works but Reviews really get me pumped and confident in my stories. Thank you.

LVA