RenxIchi love story – Ch 4

Good and bad news

The next few days Ichigo was taking care of Renji's wound. Renji still had some troubles with his feelings and every time Ichigo touched his skin when he was cleaning or wrapping up the wound, Renji would gasp or moan a bit and even though he tried to hold them back, Ichigo would still hear most of it. Luckily for Renji, he just thought that it was because that he somehow hurt Renji, but that couldn't last forever. Ichigo wouldn't just keep on believing that it hurt whenever he touched him near the wound, and Renji feared when the time came and Ichigo would ask about the real reason for his moans and gasps.

In the morning, five days after the fight with the hollows, Renji was awakened by a knock on the door, he sat up in the bed. "who is it" he asked with a grumpy voice. "who do you think it is, you dumb ass?". Renji shook his head and realized, once again, that he was still in Ichigo's room. "Oi. Don't call me that. I've just awaken you know. What do you want anyway?" Renji said rather irritated. "Oh I'm sorry. Did I wake the sleeping beauty. Well I just wanted to wake you up and tell you that breakfast is ready in 5 minutes. So get dressed before that or you won't get any!" Ichigo said just as irritated as Renji. He was just about to snap back at the last comment, but then he heard Ichigo go back downstairs.

He shook his head and started getting dressed. "stupid brat. Who the fuck does he think he is!" he said grumpily. But then he realized that he didn't have the right to be angry with Ichigo. In the last couple of days he hadn't been able to do anything but lay in the bed. Ichigo had really helped him out. Besides from saving his life, he had been taking care of him without questions, he had even taken care of Renji's duties as a shinigami so that he wouldn't get troubles back at the soul society for being careless. Ichigo had told him that he didn't have anything better to do, since his family and friends were on vacation somewhere, but still...

Renji's thoughts were cut off when Ichigo knocked on the door again. "Oi sleeping beauty. Are you up?" He asked. But before Renji could answer Ichigo had already opened the door and was on his way inside the room. Renji quickly zipped the pants and put on the t-shirt. Then he quickly turned around with a furious face "Oi couldn't you have just waited till I said that you could come in" Ichigo looked a bit at Renji before speaking. "Well. I told you. 5 minutes and then you should be ready. Besides, as far as I can see you are dressed now, so if you don't mind, then sit down and eat you breakfast." Ichigo placed the breakfast on a little table beside the bed. Renji sat back on the bed and started eating.

After they had eaten, Ichigo looked at Renji's wound as usual but this time, after looking at it, Ichigo seemed somehow different. Renji looked at him a bit to see if something was wrong, but then Ichigo put on a smile and looked at Renji. "well if I'm lucky, then I'll be able to sleep in my own bed starting from the next day after tomorrow". Even though Renji was sad that he the day after tomorrow would be leaving Ichigo's house, he tried his best to sound happy. "well that's great. I was getting tired of laying in the bed all day" he forced a smile but Ichigo wasn't looking at him. "Ichi..." "I'll go down and do the dishes. Call me if you need anything. Okay?" before Renji could answer Ichigo had already left the room with the empty plates, and had closed the door behind him. "What's wrong with him today" Renji said to himself.

The rest of the day nothing special happened. They didn't talk much to each other. Renji tried to start a conversation but every time Ichigo would just let it die. Renji really wanted to find out what was bugging him but if Ichigo didn't want to say it himself, he probably shouldn't ask.

After they had eaten dinner Ichigo just went downstairs to do the dishes. Renji was tired of the sad, gray atmosphere and decided that he would ask Ichigo what was wrong anyway. He called Ichigo and a bit later he came into the room. "what's wrong Renji? Need anything?" Renji shook his head. "I just wanted to talk, that's all" Ichigo looked down a bit but then he came over and sat on the chair beside the bed. "what did you want to talk about?" Ichigo said a bit sad. "It's just that. Since this morning, you've seemed a bit down. I just wanted to know if something's wrong. I haven't been of much help lately so if talking to me about it could help you, then I want to help" Ichigo looked down on the ground for a bit before he answered "It's nothing, you don't have to worry" he forced a smile to convince him but he knew that it didn't work so he quickly spoke again. "And if that was what you wanted to talk about, then I'll go down and get your painkiller, and then I'll go to bed."

He was about to leave when Renji grabbed his arm. He turned around and looked at Renji. "what is it?". Renji was silent for a bit, but then he made up his mind. He had to tell Ichigo how he felt and it had to be now. "I. I wanted to tell you something else" he said nervously. "Then tell me" Ichigo said rather cold. Right now he just wanted to get away so that he didn't have to tell Renji why he was sad. "It's just that I. Lately I've..." he was cut off by a beeping sound. It was Renji's cellphone. Ichigo took the phone and looked at it. His eyes widened a bit. Four hollows at the same time. But then he relaxed, even though there were four of them, they couldn't be that strong. Renji took the phone from Ichigo's hand and looked at it. "Well I have to get going" Ichigo said while grabbing his hollow-badge, but Renji wouldn't let go of his arm. Ichigo turned around once again "Renji let go. I have to take care of it." But Renji just shook his head. "you can't handle it alone. Don't you recognise one of them". Ichigo froze for a bit. One of the hollows were the one that Ichigo had let slip away into Huerco Moundo. "you can't handle it alone. Let me help you" "NO" Ichigo almost yelled. Renji froze for a bit. "You can't fight yet. Besides. They think that your dead. So the reason that this hollow has come back, is because it's after me. If I don't go they'll just kill everyone until they find me." He said angrily. "But you can't do it alone" Renji tried to convince him that it would be suicide. He looked up at Ichigo with pleading eyes. Ichigo looked back at him, then he looked down as if he had lost, that he would do as Renji said. Renji smiled for a second but then Ichigo whispered "Sorry" and then slamming the license into his chest and turning into a shinigami, he disappeared. Renji's eyes widened as he felt a pain in he back of his head "I-chi-go" he whispered before he passed out. Ichigo grabbed him and laid him back into the bed. "sorry Renji, but I have to take care of the mistake I made when I let that hollow go back into Huercu Moundo" then he disappeared out of the room.