Chapter 9

Author's note: My muse is going crazy and writing is becoming easier. Thank god, just hope it lasts.

That night when they got home, Ichigo was left alone as Renji went to the club. He wouldn't dance till the bruises cleared up fully, so he was rather alone now. He felt he should check up with Shiro, seeing as he might be thinking Renji had hurt him. Ichigo waited ten minutes after Renji left before going over to Shiro's. He didn't know if he would be home, but when he heard the lock click open he felt a tad relieved.

Shiro opened the door and pulled him inside, looking all over. Ichigo pushed him away, Shiro seeming just a tad less jittery.

"He didn't hurt you?" he asked, Ichigo shaking his head.

"Thought he would see straight through me though. I was scared but he believed what I told him," Ichigo replied, Shiro raising an eyebrow.

"What did you tell him?" Shiro asked, Ichigo sighing. He took off his scarf, laying it on the couch.

"I told him that you had agreed to take me in if he hurt me again. At first he seemed pissed off, but I have a feeling it was more at himsel-" Ichigo gasped when he was suddenly turned around and rough lips claimed his. He could do nothing but stand still at first, his eyes fluttering closed as hands reached up and pressed against his neck, holding him in place.

Shiro pulled away slowly, licking his lips. Ichigo shivered when his tongue ran over his bottom lip.

"I'm so sorry, I just wanted to get a taste before we end it," Shiro panted against his lips, Ichigo nodding in understanding. He leaned in, pressing his lips against his. He pulled away just as quickly though, putting his hand to Shiro's chest.

"We shouldn't have started this from the beginning," Ichigo whispered, looking up when Shiro pulled him close.

"Wanna know what I figured out today?" Shiro asked, walking them backwards to the couch. Ichigo hummed, sitting in his lap and straddling his thighs.

"My boyfriend was turned straight," Shiro chuckled, Ichigo leaning back with a frown. He noticed the position he unconsciously took but Shiro tightened his hands around his waist, keeping him there.

"Some girls are just that good," Ichigo replied, Shiro pulling him closer.

"I should leave," Ichigo said with a clear of his throat, Shiro resting his head against the couch.

"You love him that much?" Shiro asked, Ichigo nodding with a frown. He saw something in his peerview vision and squirmed from his grasp, walking over to the kitchen table.

He was surprised to see what looked like to be a manga in the making, Ichigo picking up a piece of paper. It had red circles in some spots where it could be improved, but Ichigo didn't see what could have been improved. He looked over the pictures, his cheeks going red when he saw one of the character's seemed to be crying out in ecstasy.

"It's not ready," Shiro grunted, grabbing the paper but not pulling. Ichigo smirked.

Smart.

"I know, but it's your fault for leaving it out. Were you working on it before I came here?" Ichigo asked, Shiro nodding. He blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's still rather raw and I gotta improve some shit. My editor loves it, but he wants me to not put so much detail into the way they fuck. "Face expressions are what sell, not dicks;" he told me," Shiro laughed, Ichigo smiling wide. He picked up another paper, looking it over. It looked to be from the very beginning, the two sitting down as a man bandaged the other's knee. Ichigo raised a brow.

"I hurt my thigh," he pointed out, Shiro looking to him like he was surprised he actually remembered that.

"Just pointing that out," Ichigo said quickly, picking up another piece of paper. The book was just beginning, and though Ichigo read it in the wrong order he loved it.

"What's gonna happen next?" Ichigo asked, Shiro shrugging his shoulders.

"Since we ending it, I'll have to go to my office and ask one of my helpers. They were the one's who told me to go for the knee and not the thigh," Shiro told him, stretching with a yawn.

"It would have been sweet to see how it would have panned out," Shiro sighed, walking out the kitchen. Ichigo frowned, looking down to the manga. He put down the papers, walking to the printer Shiro stood at.

"What do you think would have happened next?" he asked him, Shiro swishing his mouth in thought. He was quiet for a second, the printer coming to life.

"Makito, basically you, would have tried to stick to just ending it. He doesn't though and he and Souta, me, would start an official affair. That's as far as I could think," Shiro replied distracted, looking over some faxes. He frowned, walking back to the kitchen.

"Makito?" Ichigo asked, not sure if he really liked that name.

"It was either that or Taeko. We put a bunch of names in a hat and picked two. Made it easier," Shiro replied as he looked through his papers, finding a page of his manga. He looked back to the fax, frowning in concentration. He picked up a red pen and circled something. Ichigo just watched, completely mesmerized.

His forearms flexed as he gripped the pen, Ichigo tilting his head to the side. To Ichigo, he always seemed like a slacker. But watching him work was like watching a professional track athlete run. There had to be no mistake and everything had to perfect, the pen circling something else. Ichigo sat down in a chair Shiro was leaning over, bumping his head against his chest. Shiro touched his chin to his head but kept on working.

"How long do you work on this?" Ichigo asked, Shiro scrunching his nose like he just ate something sour.

"Most of the day. I clean it up and send it to my assistants. They fix it up, ink it up, color blah blah blah," Shiro replied, his jaw rhythmically bumping against Ichigo's head. Ichigo smiled, sighing deeply.

"I already sent most of this to them, but i'm running a tad behind. I'll have to work twice as much, so if you got any idea's, speak up," Shiro told him, walking away and getting more paper. Ichigo got up and let him sit down, Shiro going straight to work. Ichigo stayed with him for three hours, just watching him. He got three pages done, sighing softly.

"Can you read over them for me?" Shiro asked, walking over to the counter after Ichigo took the papers with gentle care. He put some coffee in the coffee machine.

"I stay here on the weekends after getting as much ideas as possible while they finish up the papers I left with them. I go back with new papers and I stay there from the morning to next morning. I lost time when I got sick," Shiro sighed, leaning against the counter. Ichigo was halfway paying attention, looking over the drawings.

The intimate scenes were giving him goosebumps and he felt his cheeks get warm. But he could see what his editor was talking about. He walked over to Shiro, pointing out his mistake.

"It is really good, but focus more on Makito's face. I don't know like…." Ichigo thought hard as Shiro prepared his coffee.

"When you fucked me, you didn't concentrate on much besides my face right? You were watching to make sure you were doing it good right?" Ichigo asked, Shiro shrugging.

"I guess," he replied, Ichigo snapping his fingers. He walked over to him, and for most of the night and that morning they worked on improving his drawings. They got all three and were starting a fifth when his phone rang. Ichigo picked it up and replied distractedly.

"Where the fuck are you?" Ichigo's heart dropped at Renji's angered voice, looking over to Shiro. He just shrugged.

"I'm at Shiro's. I'm helping him with his manga," Ichigo replied truthfully, Renji cursing beneath his breath.

"So now what? You two are best buddies now?" Renji asked angrily, Ichigo frowning. He rolled his eyes, Shiro snickering.

"Renji don't start," Ichigo sighed. "Come to the door, i'll open it," Ichigo ordered before hanging up. It only took two minutes before his doorbell was being rung like an alarm. Ichigo answered, Renji storming in.

"Where is he?" Renji growled, Ichigo raising a hand to stop him. Renji pushed past him though, storming into the kitchen. Ichigo hurried in, gasping when he saw Renji had Shiro held by the collar of his shirt. Ichigo pushed him away, narrowing his eyes when Renji raised his fist.

"Try asshole," he growled, Renji panting like a bull through his nose as he looked from him to Shiro. He looked to the table and saw the papers, lowering his fist. His facial expression became blank.

"Sorry," he said softly, Ichigo lowering his hand. Shiro relaxed behind him. Renji's eyes darted to him, but he made no move to hurt him. Instead he slicked back his hair, cleared his throat and turned away and left. Ichigo gave Shiro a sympathetic smile and followed after him.

"I thought you would stop this," Ichigo hissed at him as they left his apartment, Renji not even caring to turn to him as he spoke.

"Ichigo, I appreciate the fact that you're not having an affair, but why the fuck would you go over to his place after I told you I don't like him?" Renji asked, the elevator opening once they got there. They both got it as an elderly lady walked out, Ichigo pressing against the right wall as Renji stood stiffly at the doors. Renji ignored him the entire time they were in there, only adding fire to Ichigo's anger. They exited and Renji walked quickly into the garage, Ichigo seething behind him.

"Why the fuck don't you like him?" Ichigo finally hollered, Renji turning to him with narrowed eyes. He stepped close to him, Ichigo fighting the urge to cover his nose when his whiskey breath suffocated him.

"I hate him because you like him," Renji yelled back, Ichigo grunting when he pushed him.

"I don't! You're just drunk and thinking up random shit!" Ichigo growled, wanting to slap him so bad but holding back. He wouldn't lower himself to his standards.

"I've been thinking that since he met us at the club. I saw him touch you when you were dancing that night and I saw you shiver. I fucked you enough times to notice shit like that," Renji growled, walking to his car. Ichigo followed after him, grabbing his arm. Renji pulled it free, pointing a finger at Ichigo with a scowl.

"I've read his manga before. I saw the manga on that table. He was making it off from you. You fucked him and he put it in that fucken manga for me to see!" Renji roared, Ichigo taking a step back, his heart skipping a beat.

How had he found out?

"You're drunk," Ichigo whispered, Renji throwing his hands up in the air.

"And? Does that make that even less a lie?" he hollered, Ichigo feeling like he had been slapped in the face. He watched as Renji got in the car, seeing his face as he rolled down the window.

"By the way, I fucked Rukia on our anniversary," Renji spat, Ichigo's heart breaking into pieces. He backed up, Ichigo moving out the way as he sped off. He was about to run, but soon everything was going in slow motion.

Renji exited the garage, the light red. An eighteen wheeler smashed into him, Ichigo's heart dropping as the car tore in two pieces, going into flames. Sound bled back painfully slow, Ichigo walking towards the burning car. His walk became a jog, his jog became a run and then he was sprinting, the truck driver getting out with a hand to his head. His eyes were wide, his other hand shaky and bleeding.

"Renji!" Ichigo screamed, the heat of the flames burning him. He tried to open the driver's door but it wouldn't budge, sunken in from the impact. Ichigo smashed his elbow against the glass, seeing the gasoline that had began to leak. The glass broke and he reached in, fire licking his shirt.

"Renji wake up!" he screamed, glad he didn't buckle up as he dragged him out the car. His legs hit the cement with a sickening thud, Ichigo sobbing as he pulled him away from the flaming car. The second part erupted, Ichigo dropping to the ground when flames flew over his head. He rose up, seeing Renji' legs had caught on fire.

"Help!" Ichigo screamed, taking off his shirt and patting down Renji's legs, putting out the fire.

"Get out of there!" a man screamed, the gasoline leak slowing moving towards them. Ichigo picked up Renji by his armpits, dragging him away as quick as he could. He just got past the end of the truck when the front part of the car exploded. The shockwave made the truck move back slightly, Ichigo falling to the ground and covering Renji with his body. He felt fire prickle his back but it was quickly put out by somebody, Ichigo shaking from pain and shock as he was lifted up.

"Call an ambulance!" Ichigo hollered, nodding to the truck driver who had came to his rescue. He put his ear to Renji's chest, not hearing a heartbeat.

"Fuck don't die on me!" Ichigo screamed, quickly administering CPR. He could faintly tell he was near hyperventilating, his hands stained with blood when he lifted them from Renji's head. He could faintly hear an ambulance in the distance, Ichigo sobbing into Renji's mouth. The truck driver pulled him away and began where he left off, Ichigo going to his knees.

"Renji!" he yelled, another person grabbing his arms. They were trying to pull him away and Ichigo struggled, pulled to his feet and into a tight embrace.

"Shh shh," he heard Shiro whisper into his ear, Ichigo going limp against him as he fisted his shirt, sobbing against his chest.

"He's breathing!" the truck driver yelled, Ichigo pulling away from Shiro, rushing to his knees next to Renji. His eyes were barely open, dazed as they stared off into space.

"Hey, nod if you can hear me!" the truck driver yelled, Renji's head turning to him but doing nothing else. His eyes rested on Ichigo before closing again, the driver feeling for a pulse.

The ambulance came there along with the fire department, some cops arriving to push off the growing crowd. Shiro was pushed back with the crowd as Renji and Ichigo were taken to separate ambulances, Renji quickly taken away.

Ichigo was shaking as they loaded him onto a stretcher, first degree burns on his back and arms. Before he was loaded into the ambulance he saw Shiro.

That was the calm in the storm.

Author's note: Don't drink and drive.