Warning! This chapter contains Yaoi. If you don't like that, read to the first 'xxx' then skip to the next 'xxx' and you miss anything other than vague references.

One Week Later:

Renji and Ichigo stumbled through the senkaimon in the basement training room of the Shouten. It was deserted, and they took a moment to sigh in relief.

"This week has been hell," Renji groaned. His legs felt a little shaky and he wished that he dared lean on Ichigo for support.His head was pounding, his guts knotted and he suspected that he was developing several telling muscle spasms. Stress induced, of course, but he was beginning to wonder if Byakuya's actions separating Rukia from most of the rest of Soul Society would eventually do him more damage than fighting Aizen's Espada had done.

It hadn't started too badly. Rukia had been sad, Hitsugaya had been angry, and the snow hadn't really settled. After three days, most of Seireitei was under a thick blanket of icy whiteness, and rumours said that the effects had spread to Rukongai. According to Rangiku, Hitsugaya wasn't actively raging, he spend most of his time staring out of the window. Rukia spent most of her time wandering in the snow-caked gardens of the Kuchiki mansion, and Renji suspected that if he hadn't had the forethought to wear two pairs of socks, he would have a cold by now, on top of the stress. Seven days into the snowstorm, and all training that could not be carried out indoors had been cancelled, which effectively put a ban on kido and shikai training, and limited everyone to kendo. Renji was sure that the 11th were all going stir crazy, while the 4th were run off of their feet treating a variety of snow and ice related injuries and sicknesses.

Dealing with Rukia had been… difficult, dealing with Byakuya even more so, especially when Yamamoto, furious at the incursion of snow, had melted a path through the streets with his reiatsu to speak to him personally. The Captain-Commander seemed to know already that talking to Hitsugaya wouldn't change anything. Rangiku had been managing the division alone since Ukitake had broken the news to him.

"Let's go to my house, we can get Yuzu to cook us dinner," Ichigo suggested. "Saves you from having to put up with Jinta and his hero-worship."

Renji shuddered. "Normally I don't mind, but today the thought is unbearable."

"I know exactly what you mean."

Sharing a weary smile, they summoned the concentration needed to use shunpo, and sped out of the shop and down the quiet streets to the Kurosaki Clinic. Once outside, Renji automatically turned towards the side of the house and Ichigo's window, before remembering that the time for secrecy was long over. Ichigo was staring at him, an amused grin pasted over his face.

"I have a key, we don't need to break in," he said, twirling his keyring at the end of his finger.

Renji flushed with embarrassment. "Shut up," he grumbled as he waited for Ichigo to let them in. Ichigo smirked at him over his shoulder, before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

"Yuzu! Karin! Inoue!" he called. Renji kicked his trainers off, looking over at Ichigo curiously when his orange haired companion failed to do the same.

"They didn't reply," Ichigo said, puzzled.

"Probably out shopping," Renji suggested.

"Yeah, maybe."

They dumped the rucksacks full of gifts that they had carried from Soul Society, and moved into the front room, where a stark square of paper taped to the TV screen immediately caught Renji's eye. "What's that?" he asked, pointing. Ichigo strode over and carefully peeled the paper away, standing with one hand on his hip as he read the note.

Renji watched in amusement from his seat on the sofa as Ichigo's frown deepened as his eyes tracked across the page. Finally the frown lines smoothed out and a grin began to spread across his face. He looked at Renji over the top of the note and raised an eyebrow.

"It appears that we have the place to ourselves; the girls have gone to the beach. We have a 'fridge full of food, and this month's paycheck in our pockets. Let's get drunk."

Renji found himself grinning at the devious expression on Ichigo's face. "Sounds like a plan to me!" he replied

xxx

After two beers and six cups of sake, Renji's hair was fascinating, truly fascinating. The Red-head had taken it out of it's usual spiky ponytail and braided it loosely 'in case I'm too drunk to do it later'. Ichigo was carefully pouring himself his seventh cup when Renji suddenly stood up, swaying slightly. He had had far more to drink at that point, but Ichigo suspected that his tolerance was far better.

"I wanna explore!" Renji announced.

"Wha- why?" Ichigo asked.

"Because I haven't seen more of your house than your room and the kitchen!" Renji explained. "Show me around!"

"But-"

"And bring the sake!"

The plan of exploring seemed immediately more appealing to Ichigo. "Ok," he agreed, carefully screwing the top back on the sake bottle and standing up carefully. The room didn't spin, so he figured he was good. He couldn't feel the end of his nose, but he decided to worry about that later.

So, Ichigo showed Renji the surgery, the waiting room, the filing room where all the paperwork was kept, the stairs, Karen and Yuzu's room and his Dad's room, which was currently Orihime's room. Neither of them were particularly interested in the haircare products or the girlie magazines however, so after pointing out where the bathroom was, the duo retreated into Ichigo's room with the sake.

"How come you don't have a computer?" Renji asked, leaning back in Ichigo's desk chair.

"Never really wanted one," Ichigo replied, lying across the bed. "I don't play computer games, if I have an email to write I can use the office computer downstairs."

"What about looking at porn?"

Ichigo waved in the direction of his closet. "That's what magazines are for."

Renji's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You let Rukia sleep in a closet that had porn stashed in it? Man, you've got balls."

"She never found it," Ichigo pointed out. "If you tell her I'll beat you up," he threatened as an afterthought.

Renji, meanwhile, was digging through the closet looking for the aforementioned porn, lifting up blankets and poking behind the pillows.

"Why do you want to find my porn stash?" Ichigo asked.

"Cause being this drunk makes me horny," Renji replied. "Wait a minute, is it straight porn? 'cause if it is I am SO not interested."

Ichigo blushed.

Renji stared at him, the alcohol soaking his brain making it harder to think than normal. Ichigo hadn't had a problem with talking about porn, had in fact pointed out where he kept his stash like it was nothing. But now he was blushing. He probably wouldn't have blushed if it were straight porn, he would have said something like 'of course it is you pervert'. That meant that it was gay porn. Which mean that Ichigo was gay.

Ichigo liked men.

Did Ichigo like him?

Ichigo was refusing to look at him, staring at the wall with flushed cheeks. Renji was pretty sure that that meant that Ichigo liked him.

There was only one way to find out.

Ichigo stiffened in shock as the mattress dipped, and rolled over to see what Renji was up to. He found that his nose was only an inch away from Renji's, Renji's dark eyes staring intently into his and, after a moment of shocked contemplation, Renji's lips were rough and warm and he tasted of alcohol and hot metal.

Ichigo closed his eyes and concentrated on the feel of chapped lips and warm tongue and the taste of sake. A groan vibrated through Renji's throat and he felt it because his hands were tangled in Renji's red, red hair – how had they got there – and Renji's tongue was twining around his and it felt so good, all warm and slick, and Renji was climbing onto the bed, all long limbs and muscle and sinew, no soft places at all, and Ichigo found that that was what he liked, smooth skin over hard muscles, and the strange texture of almost invisible healed scars under his fingertips – when had his hands pushed underneath Renji's t-shirt?

Renji made a strange strangled noise as their groins pressed together, but Ichigo couldn't think about that because it felt right to be pressed together but he had a feeling that it would be even better without the clothes in the way, but he couldn't figure out how he was going to get himself and Renji out of their clothes without moving apart from each other and he really, really didn't want to do that.

Renji took the decision away from him, pulling away and breaking the kiss to pull his t-shirt over his head, and putting one warm, strong arm around Ichigo to help him pull his own off. Renji's nipples were tight nubs against his chest, and his lips glistened as he grinned at Ichigo, leaning down to pick up the sake bottle and take a swig. There was a large bulge in the front of his jeans, and Ichigo reached for it, wanting to feel for himself if the heat he had felt earlier really had seeped through the denim.

He pressed his palm against Renji's denim clad erection at the same moment as Renji tipped the sake into his mouth. Renji chocked on the liquid and fell forward, but Ichigo was ready to catch the bottle before it spilled, and Renji quickly busied himself licking up the drops of sake that had splashed onto Ichigo's bare chest and Renji's tongue on his nipples seemed to send jolts of lightening down his body into his cock.

Renji had cleaned up all the sake, and Ichigo had taken a mouthful for himself, but Renji didn't stop kissing and licking his way downwards, and Ichigo could just see past the disheveled mess of Renji's hair, could just make out tanned hands working at unfastening his jeans, and it seemed like no time at all passed when suddenly his cock was bare and engulfed in the hot warmth of Renji's mouth.

He arched off of the bed and Renji gagged a little and pressed firmly on Ichigo's hips, pinning him to the bed. Ichigo stared at the ceiling and just felt as waves of pressure broke over him while Renji sucked, licked and kissed him until he was sure that he would explode.

Renji let up a little, panting and sending hot gusts of air over Ichigo's wet cock, making him shiver. Ichigo's head cleared enough to notice that Renji was rubbing himself through his jeans. He reached out and pulled at Renji's bent knee, guiding the taller man around until he was straddling Ichigo's face.

Renji moaned around Ichigo, making his hands tremble as he pulled the red-head's erection free of his underwear and began to pump it slowly, speeding up until he found the rhythm that made Renji's hips twitch and using his thumb to carefully spread the leaking precome around the sensitive head of Renji's cock.

It didn't take long before Ichigo was on the edge of orgasm again. He felt his hand tighten involuntarily around Renji as the waves of pleasure threatened to overwhelm him.

"Renji- I'm gonna-"

Renji grunted something that could have been an acknowledgment or could have been a famous quote, Ichigo had no idea and didn't care as the vibrations sent him straight over the edge. He retained just enough mental power to carry on stimulating Renji's erection as he shuddered. The redhead wasn't long to follow, turning around on shaky limbs and reaching for the tissues on Ichigo's desk to clean up the evidence. He missed when he tried to throw the tissue in the bin, but Ichigo was too sleepy to care.

"G'night," he muttered, burying his head in Renji's shoulder.

"Sweet dreams," Renji replied, kicking off his undone jeans and pulling the covers that had somehow been kicked to the end of the bed over the two of them.

Ichigo's last though as he drifted off to sleep, nice and warm and cuddly, was that that had been pretty good sake.

xxx

Slightly shamefaced and unable to look each other in the eye, Ichigo and Renji sat at opposite ends of the table and munched through large plates of toast, eggs and bacon. They each studiously avoided thinking about the reason why they were so unusually hungry that morning.

Ichigo was the first to break the slightly awkward silence that had fallen over the table. "So… what do you want to do today?"

Renji grinned self-consciously. "Um… try and figure out a way to change Kuchiki-taichou's mind?"

Ichigo nodded as he upended the ketchup bottle over a piece of toast piled high with fluffy eggs. It turned out that Ichigo knew how to scramble, and Renji knew how to fry bacon, so between them they had managed a reasonable breakfast from the food Yuzu had left. "I thought we could go see if Yoruichi was hanging around. I haven't seen her in Seireitei at all."

"Yeah, she might be here then. She knew Kuchiki-taicho when he was a kid, didn't she?"

"I think so." Ichigo raised the carefully balanced slice of toast to his mouth and took a large bite, managing to smear ketchup across his cheek in the process. Renji hid his grin behind a glass of orange juice.

"You have something on your face," he said, careful not to betray his amusement.

"Hm?" Ichigo asked, mouth stuffed full. The orange-haired teen swiped at his cheek, managing to completely miss the smear of sauce. Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Renji reached across the table and wiped it away with his thumb, freezing as he met Ichigo's deep brown eyes with his own. Very slowly, Renji pulled his hand back and licked the sauce off of his finger.

Perhaps this particular attraction was something that they wouldn't be able to ignore.

Two hours later, after a hurried shower each, they were clean and ready to leave for the Shop. Ichigo had a feeling that Tessai, Ururu and Jinta wouldn't be surprised to see them, as he was pretty sure that their joint reiatsu had been splashed all over Karakura the night before. In fact, Tessai would probably be waiting with hangover cure.

The shop looked deserted as they walked up the steps, but the door was unlocked and slid easily in the groove it had carved into the floor. Ichigo smiled to see that Jinta had fallen asleep at the edge of the floor, leaning on a broom that was propped against the steps. Quietly he tiptoed towards him, bending carefully to place his mouth next to the young red-head's ear.

"JINTA!" he yelled, as loudly as he could manage. Jinta started awake with a cry of shock, and Ichigo leapt back as he thrashed in alarm before falling on the floor. Glaring at the laughing pair, Jinta climbed back to his feet, using the broom as a prop, and dusted himself off.

"A bit late to be sleeping," Ichigo teased. Jinta frowned at him.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, due to certain people, who shall remain nameless, lighting up the town with reiatsu fireworks," he said snidely. Ichigo felt a blush spreading across his cheeks, and a quick glance to the left proved that Renji's face was also red.

The tattooed Shinigami strode forward, thumping Jinta on the head as he passed and toeing off his trainers at the bottom of the steps. "Is Yoruichi in?"

"Yeah, out back with Tessai. They're sampling the new tea shipment."

Raising an eyebrow at the unusual mental image that statement produced, Ichigo followed Renji into the back of the shop. They found Yoruichi and Tessai seated at the little round table, a stack of boxes piled haphazardly in the middle and various discarded tea cups littered over the floor. Three steaming kettles had been plugged into an extension lead that snaked across the room. Ichigo stepped over it cautiously, not wanting to trip and send boiling water splashing everywhere.

"Yo, Yoruichi-san!" Renji said cheerfully, sitting carefully in a cup-free spot on the floor.

"Try these," Yoruichi demanded, shoving two half full cups in his face. "Tell me if you can tell the difference between them, because they've been packaged as two different brands but they taste the same to me."

Renji sipped carefully from each cup, letting the flavour roll across his tongue. He tried not to remember that it had been his Captain that had taught him the proper way to enjoy tea. "They're different," he concluded. "The second one has a citrus after taste, the first one is more like vanilla."

"I've been drinking too much tea," Yoruichi grumbled. "What do you want, anyway?"

Ichigo and Renji took turns explaining what had happened to an apparently fascinated Yoruichi, while Tessai carried on making fresh cups of tea and sipping from each one. Once they had finished the tale, her dark golden eyes lit up with delight.

"Oooh, Bya-ko is being a stuck up prig!" she exclaimed in delight. "I shall pay him a visit."

"What are you doing to do?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Yoruichi winked at him before turning into her cat form. "That's for me to know and you to find out," she said as she stalked away.

Omake:

Skarla: *wails* I am so sorry for the wait everyone!

Renji: That's no excuse! You left the story in a terrible place!

Skarla: I know, I'm really sorry!

Ichigo: We could have got frostbite!

Skarla: Really sorry about the wait, faithful readers. I couldn't write the lemon at work, obviously, and it was weird to write it at home at first, and then there was Nanowrimo (which I completed! Yay!). But now November is over and so there is a new chapter. Please review anyway? ^_^