Renji wandered from aisle to aisle in the conbini and brought back a case of beer, those sweet rolls they both like with a couple chocolate-filled kinds especially for Ichigo, and a few bags of chips and candy.

When he got back, he returned the change to Ichigo and set the bags on the counter, then plopped on the floor in front of the TV when Ichigo told him he could relax while he got the food ready, since he's a guest – 'But just this once, lazy ass.'

He laughed a bit and glanced up, watching as Ichigo looked through the snacks and took them out of the shopping bags, laying them out with the other food he'd taken out of the fridge to prepare. "Hey, good picks," Ichigo noted as he set the sweet buns on a plate, "these are-" He paused, pulling back a bit and letting his arm rise to his face, "ahh-"

He turned and bent towards the floor a bit, sneezing, then again. He straightened and held his elbow over his face cautiously, wary of another, but when it didn't come, he rolled his sleeves up and washed his hands. "I like the chocolate ones," he finished

'I know,' thought Renji, pleased that he'd noticed. He rubbed his mouth to try and get the smile off, and shrugged, even though Ichigo was turned the other way. "Ahh, y'know…"

Renji leaned back on his hands and watched as Ichigo made the food and put the snacks into bowls. Having set the case of beer on the floor by him, Renji cracked one open and sipped it, smiling as Ichigo cut up some pieces of fruit – he even cut the grapes in half, shit, he's so cute.

"So, how long have you been living here? I don't remember this place," he began, watching over his beer bottle as Ichigo stood at the counter in the dim light with his glowing yellow hair and his look of calm concentration. Renji curled his toes up.

'Ah, he's cute,' he thought. 'He's really cute.'

"I think about four or five months now?" Ichigo replied, glancing up once or twice to him as he wiped his knife clean on a towel. "I like it, it's close to the school. The rent's really good too," he chirped, his voice warming into something a bit more cheerful than his usual flat mellow tone. He usually got like that after a day or two of visiting with him and Rukia - sometimes Renji wondered if Ichigo was lonely, and only remembered it once they were there.

He wondered, because that's how it was for him.

"That's good," Renji hummed back, unable to take his eyes off him for a moment. Truly, he forgot how much he missed Ichigo. He didn't even want to stop looking at him.

"Yeah, plus the owner lets me keep-" Ichigo set his knife down and turned slightly, lifting his wrist to his face, "Ahh," he inhaled unsteadily, then sneezed, "ahh-ksh!"

He tried to finish what he'd meant to say, but had to stop to sneeze again, then again. Renji watched with a kind of horror, counting out the sneezes. 'One, two… three… Oh shit…' He wasn't one to blush, but at the realization, he felt his face heat up.

"Hahh," Ichigo gasped, sniffing when the sneezing abated.

"Woah, maybe you should go to bed," Renji suggested, after clearing his throat.

"No, it's fine," Ichigo resisted, scrubbing his hands again at the sink. Renji frowned and tried not to dwell on the weird coincidence that the rumored triple-sneeze had indeed happened after he'd been thinking on his feelings for Ichigo. He didn't believe in that kind of stuff, but still, it was weird that he just been thinking of how cute Ichigo was, and then...

"Well, okay…"

Renji settled on a show, and Ichigo finished plating their snacks, bringing them over to the floor. They sat in front of the couch and munched for a while, sometimes laughing as they talked back and forth and watched a weird variety show. Ichigo glanced down as his cat came to sniff his plate where it lay on the ground, and didn't move it away.

They hung out for about half an hour or so, and during that time, Ichigo began sneezing and coughing more and more. Although he was having fun and didn't want their night together to end, Renji eventually noted uneasily, "You don't look so good…"

"Ah," Ichigo admitted, sniffing, "it's getting worse." He waved a hand then as Renji frowned in concern. "But it's fine, we don't have to stop," he insisted.

"No really, it is fine," Renji turned it around, giving Ichigo a stern look. "So go to bed, okay?"

Ichigo frowned back. "But then you'll be-" As if to defeat his own protests, he cut off in a particularly taxing sneeze, leaving him breathless afterwards.

"That's why I said go to sleep!"

Shaking his head, Ichigo stubbornly denied it. "We were supposed ta' hang out," he protested, and was again silenced as he sneezed twice in a row. "I-" he tried, to no avail, "Ah-ksh! Ehh-ksht!"

'Damn, I think he really is sick.'

Ichigo, finally able to breathe for a moment, sagged in exhaustion. Taking his chance to talk over him when he couldn't argue, Renji noted, "That's four in a row now." Crossing his arms, he insisted, "You have a cold. Accept it."

"I d-" Ichigo sneezed again, loudly, both elbows up to cover his face.

"Ichigo, go to bed."

Resting his arms on his knees, Ichigo set his head there for a moment, breathing deeply. After a few moments of silence, he mumbled, "I think I do wanna' lie down," as if hesitant to agree with Renji over anything, but feeling shitty enough that he would make an exception just this once.

"Gowan'," Renji urged, "I'll clean this stuff up."

Ichigo stood uncertainly, but said, "Okay." He watched Renji gather their plates for a second, and then after a pointed look from Renji to tell him to get going, he retreated. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."