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Chapter 10
A myriad of expressions flashed across Ichigo's face as he cursed again and spit blood onto the ground.
"Renji?" He backed up a few steps and blinked to clear his vision. "What the fuck are you talking about, Shuuhei!? I didn't do shit to Renji!"
Shuuhei was still pissed, and the tone of Ichigo's voice was hitting nerves in his teeth. He fisted his hand in the younger man's sweater and shoved him against the wall. He brought his face in close and growled against the other's skin.
"You are so fucking stupid."
Fire ignited in Ichigo's eyes, and he gripped Shuuhei's wrist. "I'm fucking stupid? You come here and get me out of bed at the ass crack of dawn and hit me in the fucking face! All because of something you think I did to Renji!"
Suddenly, the shorter man froze. His eyes widened, and his hand on Shuuhei's wrist tightened. "Wait, what's wrong with Renji? Is he okay?"
Shuuhei gritted his teeth. "No, he's not fucking okay. Something you said to him yesterday fucked him up!" He felt his control start to slip again, and reined himself in. He asked in a soft voice, "What did you guys talk about?"
"None of your fucking business!" Ichigo hissed.
Shuuhei shoved the smaller man against the wall again, "It is my fucking business asshole! One of my best friends tried to drink himself to death last night!"
"Fuck!" Ichigo's eyes were squeezed shut against the pain of the impact. "All we did was talk!"
What the hell was this bastard's problem? Renji had been fine yesterday! They had talked and joked and messed around… Ichigo hadn't noticed anything unusual about Renji's attitude.
Ichigo was pulled from his thoughts as Shuuhei snarled in his face.
"What did you guys talk about?!"
Ichigo growled in frustration. "About how I'm gonna ask Inoue to marry me! There! Are you happy?!"
Shuuhei relaxed his grip as he stared at the indignant face below him. Then he slowly pulled away and rubbed a hand over his face. Fucking hell, Shuuhei thought. It all made sense now; Renji's reaction was completely understandable.
"Shit," He said aloud.
He looked back at Ichigo who seemed to be tossing thoughts around in his head. Anger mixed with confusion showed in his deep scowl. But slowly, realization and shock seeped in around his eyes.
Ichigo looked up at Shuuhei. "Shuuhei… Why would… Why would something like that fuck Renji up?"
Shuuhei crossed his arms and met Ichigo's gaze. "Why do you think asshole?"
Ichigo stared at the taller man for several more seconds before he ground the palms of his hands into his eyes. "Ahhh, wait… Oh fuck…"
Shuuhei watched as the kid fought his inner battle. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Ichigo was feeling at the moment, so he patiently waited until the other looked up.
"Shuuhei…" Ichigo's voice was barely above a whisper. "Renji doesn't… Renji… Does he? Does…"
Shuuhei looked away. "Yes he does."
He heard the sound of fabric sliding over cement followed by a soft 'thump'. He dared look back and saw Ichigo sitting leaning against the building, his hands on his knees and staring at the ground. He gave the younger man a few minutes to process everything before he spoke again.
"I came here because Renji would never tell you… and you needed to know what you were doing to him."
Ichigo wrapped an arm around his waist while lifting the other hand to cover his eyes. "Shit… All those things I said to him yesterday…" His lip started to tremble. "I had no idea… I would never want to hurt Renji like that…"
Shuuhei was worried this was going to happen. The kid cared more for his friends than was humanly possible, and always managed to blame every wrong occurrence on himself.
Ichigo's voice broke. "Fuck!"
"Goddamn it Kurosaki!" Shuuhei hissed. "Don't you lose it too!"
Ichigo frantically wiped at his eyes and turned his face up to meet the dark haired shinigami. The fight was gone from his eyes. All that remained was sadness and the trademark Kurosaki guilt.
"What do I do, Shuuhei?"
Shuuhei sighed, "Nothing right now. Last thing he needs is to see you."
Those puppy eyes were getting to the dark haired man. The young shinigami was looking up at him with such hope. How could he look at Shuuhei with so much trust after what he had just done to the poor kid? Ichigo looked very young at that moment, and Shuuhei started to feel a little like shit.
Ichigo hadn't known, he couldn't have known, and Shuuhei wasn't being fair.
"It's not your fault you know." Shuuhei said, kneeling beside the boy. "There's nothing you could have done about it. You were just being his friend and things like this… just happen."
Ichigo sniffed and looked past Shuuhei. "I should have seen it. I thought I knew him so well, I should have noticed. I could have been more-"
"Oh, for fuck sake!" Shuuhei stood again and resisted the urge to kick the orange-haired pain in the ass. "Shut up before I fuck up your face again! It's done! Let's just deal with it now!"
Ichigo glared up at him.
Okay, good. That's better than crying…
"Come on." Shuuhei motioned to Ichigo. "Get up, we gotta figure out what you're going to-"
Suddenly Shuuhei's pocket began to beep. Ichigo looked at him curiously as Shuuhei pulled the communicator out of his jeans.
"Hisagi," he said into the receiver.
Hitsugaya's voice rang out of the small speaker, "Hisagi are you with Kurosaki?!"
"Yes Taichou."
"You two get to the park by the high school immediately! Madarame's team has engaged two of the hollows! I have the others and we're on our way!"
"Yes Taichou!" He flipped shut the communicator and turned to Ichigo, who was already on his feet. "You heard him?"
"Yeah," Ichigo nodded, "let's go."
X x X x X x X
Son of a bitch! Son of a Bitch! Son of a BITCH!
Ikkaku was feeling what he thought might be panic, but then he quickly gathered his thoughts and steadied himself. He didn't panic- ever. This was just a tougher-than-average fight; their enemy was fast, powerful, and intelligent.
Ikkaku didn't like smart fights. He liked the chop 'em smash 'em and see who falls down first fights. He wasn't stupid by any means no, but Ikkaku sometimes wondered what kind of fighter he would be if he was smart like Yumichika.
"Kira!" he shouted, "behind you!"
The thin figure swung his sickle and the blond ducked just in time.
Ikkaku, Ishida, Kira, and Chad had just started to cross one of the town's bridges when the hollows appeared. One attacked from above with a barbarian battle cry, swinging his sword and throwing his large bulk around unthinkingly. The other was a little more disconcerting. It had attacked from their midst, and Ikkaku still had no idea where he had come from. This one was smaller and so thin it seemed almost skeletal. He carried a sickle twice as long as it's self and seemed to have the ability to either become invisible, or teleport like the shy mod soul that lived with Urahara.
The Quincy kid had reacted faster than Ikkaku had thought possible, and had gotten an arrow off into the larger hollows back. Ikkaku would have to remember to compliment the boy later; the battle was much easier when your reiatsu wasn't spilling out your ears. But the bastard was so erratic and surprisingly fast, none of them could get a hit in with a Zanpakuto. The other hollow was still sans arrow, but luckily it seemed to enjoy the fight enough to not drain their energy all at once.
Kira rolled and Ikkaku grabbed his arm to pull the slight man to his feet. Blue flashes of light shot past them as Ishida hurled arrows at their enemies with inhuman speed.
"I don't see Sado!" Kira's eyes were wide.
"I don't either." Ikkaku's eyes scanned the bridge and worried the kid had fallen off.
The larger hollow rushed them again, and Ikkaku deflected the broad sword with an experienced flick of Hozukimaru. The koa split and he wrapped the three sections around the enemy's hilt.
"Kira! Now!" He shouted.
The blond raised Wabisuke to strike the sword, but the action was stopped by the second hollow's sickle. Kira's already pale face turned ashen and he dropped to his knees. Ikkaku could feel the reiatsu leaving his body.
"Fuck!" Ikkaku spat straining against the large form before him.
Three arrows sailed toward the thin hollow but it disappeared, only to reappear behind Ishida and raise its sickle over the Quincy's head.
"Ishida-san!" Kira choked.
Ishida barely had time to turn around and bring up his bow to stop the attack. The blue light disappeared, and Ikkaku felt the Quincy's reiatsu abate.
Son of a bitch! Son of a BITCH!
Suddenly, Sado's large arms wrapped around the skinny hollow from behind. He pulled the creature away from Ishida just as a tall figure in black slammed into the hollow from the front. Ikkaku saw black spiky hair and a tattooed cheek, and recognized Hisagi. Ikkaku then saw a dark shape fly over his head and land on his opponent's shoulders. He looked up and saw black shinigami robes and a flash of orange.
Thank the gods… Ichigo…
The young shinigami brought Zangetsu's blade down, piercing the hollow at the top of his spine. Ichigo let out a triumphant cry as he pushed the blade through flesh until the tip exited the hollow's stomach. Blood splattered Ikkaku's face and chest, but he didn't care. This asshole was down for the count.
Untangling Hozukimaru, Ikkaku looked to see Shuuhei squatting over the second hollow's form, the sickle laying several feet away. Sado and Ishida sat on the ground close by breathing heavily.
The tattooed shinigami had taken one of Ishida's negatively charged arrows and plunged it into the side of the hollow's neck. His other hand held his Zanpakuto directly over his enemy's chest. His breath was rough, and his gaze was like fire as it pierced the golden eyes below him.
Ikkaku helped Kira to his feet and made his way over slowly.
"Damn Shuuhei…" Ichigo breathed by his side.
Shuuhei ignored them and bared his teeth to the figure beneath him. "How many more of you are there?" He growled.
The hollow grinned up at Shuuhei and blood ran from between his teeth.
Shuuhei responded by twisting the arrow in the soft flesh of its neck. The creature made a choked sound, and coughed up blood and bile.
"Fuck! Shuuhei stop!" Ichigo made to grab Shuuhei, but Kira held him back.
"No Kurosaki!" The blond hissed. "We need information!"
Ichigo looked back at the scene before him. "But it's so…"
Ikkaku didn't say anything because suddenly hell had frozen over and he agreed with Ichigo. This wasn't the Hisagi he knew, and it was a little scary. Only slightly less disturbing was the fact that Kira was okay with it.
"If you can't take it, back off." Kira glared at the boy. "These are the guys that attacked you and Orihime and Abarai and everyone else. We could learn something here, let Hisagi work."
Ichigo didn't get a chance to respond as more figures appeared on the bridge. Hitsugaya landed softly and moved to Shuuhei's side. Matsumoto and Rukia came right behind him but stayed back out of the way. Orihime went immediately to Sado's side to check his injuries. Ikkaku turned to see Urahara bent over the body of the large hollow, and Tessai beside him writing furiously on a small notepad.
He turned back around and startled; Yumichika was there regarding him with an intense gaze.
"Yumi…" He whispered.
Yumichika took his hand and squeezed. His lover never asked him if he was alright; if Ikkaku was standing he was fine.
He also noticed Renji standing beside him. His red hair fluttered around his shoulders and he gripped Zabimaru tightly in his hand. The tall shinigami's look mirrored Yumichika's, but it was directed at Shuuhei.
Hitsugaya's voice penetrated the air. "Trust me asshole, if you don't start talking I'm going to take over and you'll wish Hisagi had killed you!"
The hollow laughed, and whispered in a gravelly voice, "I cannot tell you where Pestilencia or my master is, because I do not know."
Ikkaku noticed Sado's eyes widen as he listened to the raspy voice.
Shuuhei's hand left the arrow, and he gripped the hollow's throat. "Is that all that's left? Just those two?"
The hollow coughed again, splattering blood across its face. "Yes, but I am not afraid. Those two are ten times more powerful than Guerra or myself. They will finish you… I promise."
Shuuhei tightened his grip and slammed the hollow's head onto the cement. He looked to do it again, but Sado's voice rang out.
"Wait! Hisagi!" Shuuhei looked up in surprise as the stoic man made his way closer.
Leaning over the dying figure, Sado whispered something in Spanish. The hollow's eyes widened, and he nodded.
"Si… Muerte…" It answered.
Sado nodded and stood. Ikkaku was profoundly confused, but knew this wouldn't be a good time to voice his predicament.
"We may have a problem." Sado said.
In a last feeble attempt to free itself, the hollow reached for the arrow in its neck. But Shuuhei was quick to react and his sword was pushed through flesh all the way to the concrete below. The hollow let out one last sputtering gasp then lay still.
"Hisagi!" Hitsugaya barked.
Shuuhei said nothing. He just stood, pulled out his sword, and slowly made his way off the bridge in the direction of Urahara's shop. The small group stared at his back as he moved away, but no one tried to stop him.
"So, Sado-kun!" Urahara made his way into the small group of shinigami. "You have learned something?"
Sado nodded.
"Excellent!" The shop owner clapped his hands and drew Benihime. "Then let me just dispose of this mess, and we will go discuss if over tea!"
X x X x X x X
Back at Urahara's shop after tea had been made and wounds had been bandaged, the shinigami sat around the table listening intently to Sado. Urahara's fan opened and it fluttered before his face.
"Do you guys know the story of the Four Horsemen?" Sado asked quietly.
The shinigami shook their heads, but Ishida spoke up. "You mean the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?"
Sado nodded. "The story is about the forces of man's destruction described in the Christian Bible in Revelations. The Horsemen are traditionally named after the powers they represent: Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. There are many interpretations of the story, but the basics of it are the Horsemen arrive to signal the end of the world. The first hollow we encountered was named 'Famelico' which roughly translates into 'Famine'. The two we fought today were 'Guerra' and 'Muerte'- 'War' and 'Death'. Muerte said before he died that the fourth was named 'Pestilencia'… Pestilence."
Ishida snorted, "I don't believe these hollows are powerful enough to end the world, Sado-san."
"No, I know they're not, but hear me out. So far the hollows have had characteristics mirroring the Horsemen in the story. Muerte had a sickle like Death. Guerra had a sword like War…"
Urahara lowered his fan and fixed Sado with a serious look. "What does Pestilence carry in the story, Sado-kun?"
Sado looked from Ishida to Urahara and sighed. "He carries a crossbow… So this hollow could attack and kill us without us ever even seeing him."
Ikkaku slammed his hand down on the table. "Why does this whole thing suck more and more every second?"
Urahara rubbed his eyes, and stood. "Okay, we can't do anything at the moment, so I suggest we all rest a bit and I'll… think of something."
Hitsugaya stood as well. "No more patrols today, everyone stay together. Kurosaki," he turned to the young shinigami, "you should warn your family."
Ichigo nodded and pulled out his cell phone. He glanced quickly at Renji, but his eyes dropped to the floor and he moved into the kitchen.
X x X x X x X
Ichigo had been avoiding Renji's eyes, and the strange intensity of the substitute shinigami's reiatsu was unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Renji had no idea what was wrong, but the feeling was suffocating. When Ichigo looked at him out of the corner of his eye and retreated to the next room, Renji got a strange feeling in his stomach.
What the hell is wrong with him?
But much to his surprise, Renji was more worried about Shuuhei. His dark haired friend hadn't come inside. Renji knew he was sitting on the steps outside the shop, and as the other shinigami dispersed Renji stood and headed towards the front door.
"Abarai, I said to stay here!" Hitsugaya called from the table.
"I'm not going anywhere Taichou!" Renji yelled back and didn't wait for a reply.
Outside, the sun was setting but it was still slightly warm. Renji shoved his hands in his pockets, and eyed the shinigami sitting on the steps. He had slipped back into his gigai, and was hunched over; his elbows were resting on his knees, and his head was in his hands.
What was wrong? Shuuhei's reiatsu didn't feel angry or upset but seeing him like that, Renji couldn't be sure. Shuuhei was a master at controlling his emotions and Renji didn't want to distract him or make things worse.
Tentatively, Renji moved closer and said softly, "Shuuhei… Are you okay?"
Shuuhei nodded into his hands but said nothing.
Renji stepped forward again and ran his fingers gently over Shuuhei's hair. He was so used to the softness of his own, that the coarse black spikes intrigued the tips of his fingers. He burrowed a little deeper and ran the mane through his fingers.
Shuuhei let out a soft sigh, and leaned into the caress. He didn't like being touched when he was stressed, but this was Renji… Renji could touch him anywhere, as long as he wanted for the rest of his life.
Renji moved to sit directly behind Shuuhei, placing his legs on either side of the thin shinigami's hips. Reaching around Shuuhei's front, he unzipped the black hoodie.
"Renji, what-"
"Just relax sempai…"
Shuuhei's heart skipped a beat as he heard his old title slip from Renji's mouth. Oh how he had loved hearing that voice back in the academy. He braced himself for what he knew was coming next. Renji pulled the hoodie down and plunged his thumbs into the muscles of Shuuhei's shoulders.
"Renji- ahhh… Oh fuck… Hmmm that feels so good…" His head fell forward and he slipped into quiet bliss as the red head worked the tension out of his back.
Renji chuckled, "Just like old times eh sempai?"
"Mmm yeah…" Shuuhei had forgotten how amazing Renji's backrubs were. For the fidgety, anxiety filled, tension riddled shinigami, this was heaven. Fuck the whole rest of the world, fuck Soul Society. Just let him sit here forever with Renji's hands rubbing his back.
"Gods you're tense…" Renji muttered.
"Yeah…"
Renji leaned in close as he swirled his thumb around a particularly thick knot. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?"
Shuuhei sighed, and put his forehead back in his hands. "I'm tired… I didn't sleep last night. And because of that and the stress… I flipped out... I never flip out."
Renji felt his face redden at the embarrassing memory of the night before. But he continued to work Shuuhei's back and stayed silent, waiting for his friend to continue.
"I don't like it when I lose control." Shuuhei whispered finally. "I had that hollow's blood all over my hands and I couldn't stop myself… I feel like I'm losing it."
Renji stopped his massage and pulled the hoodie back up. Shuuhei groaned in protest, but stopped when he felt the red head pull him back to rest against his broad chest. Renji's arms came around his shoulders and his face nuzzled Shuuhei's neck.
Shuuhei feared to move, even to breath lest he break the moment. He sat there cradled in Renji's lap with crimson hair spilling over his chest, and sweet breath dancing on his skin. His lungs were suddenly too full, and the butterflies in his stomach had grown to the size of elephants.
"Shuuhei," Renji whispered, "I know it made everything harder for you last night. But I really appreciate what you did."
"Oh really?" Shuuhei cracked. "You appreciated being clipped in the jaw?"
Renji chuckled and nuzzled further. "You've just been so good to me." Softly, his lips pressed against the pale flesh of Shuuhei's neck. "I was so selfish…" Another kiss further up. "I'm sorry."
Shuuhei shuddered and closed his eyes as he tried to slow the beating of his heart. His hands gripped the wooden steps as he lifted his jaw to allow Renji better access.
"I… I already told you Renji… It's okay."
Renji kissed along the black lines of Shuuhei's choker tattoo, and ran his bottom lip along the soft skin below his ear.
"You wouldn't do it cause you didn't want to take advantage of me right?" He whispered in Shuuhei's ear.
Shuuhei clenched his jaw and tried to control his erratic breathing. He arched his back a little, and leaned his head back on Renji's shoulder.
"Yes…" He gasped as Renji nipped at his earlobe.
Renji purred against Shuuhei's skin. "I'm not a little boy you know… I'll be okay…"
Shuuhei almost whimpered as he felt Renji's hand slide down his chest.
"It's as much for my protection as it is for yours."
Renji rolled his thumb over the other's hip as his free hand cupped Shuuhei's jaw. "You need a stress reliever Shuuhei. You're going to break in half." He turned the dark haired shinigami's face to meet his.
Shuuhei opened his eyes and met Renji's intense gaze. "No Renji, I'm not going to do anything."
To his surprise, Renji smiled. "You don't have to do anything." He stood and pulled Shuuhei to his feet.
Shuuhei was slightly off balance and sporting a massive hard on, so climbing the stairs was difficult. Luckily the red head was practically dragging him up and inside the shop. They made their way quietly down the hall and slipped into Renji's room.
"Renji, I really-"
Renji silenced him with a kiss. The red head's tongue slipped past Shuuhei's lips and devoured the taste he found there. Shuuhei's mouth was rough but he tasted like tea and sugar and Renji couldn't get enough of it. He was dying to know what other parts of this man tasted like.
"Shuuhei," Renji whispered against the other's lips, "let me suck your cock."
Shuuhei hissed at Renji's vulgarity; he loved the way it so easily rolled of the red head's tongue. But he reached up and fisted his hands in the red locks pulling Renji's mouth away from his.
"I said I wasn't-"
"You don't have to do anything." Renji said breathlessly. "Just lay there. That way you're not taking advantage of me and you'll get your stress relief."
Shuuhei stood holding Renji's hair and breathing heavily; he didn't know what to do. On one hand, he had never wanted anything so much in his entire life. But on the other hand… well actually… Was there another hand?
"Please Shuuhei," Renji whispered, "let me do this for you."
Fuck it.
Shuuhei slowly released Renji's hair and backed away. He pulled himself out of his gigai, and laid it gently on the floor. He sat down on the futon and scooted back onto the mattress. Still breathing hard he looked at Renji under heavy lids as he untied his obi and tossed it aside.
"Well," he said huskily, "get to it."
Renji all but ripped himself out of his gigai, and threw himself on the futon attacking Shuuhei's mouth. He didn't linger long though and was soon trailing kisses down his neck, opening his haori, and kissing down his chest. He stopped briefly to lick a pink nipple and grinned at the groan he got in response.
Shuuhei tugged at Renji's haori. "Take this off." Renji complied and pulled the fabric down.
Running his tongue over the defined muscles of the other's stomach, Renji undid Shuuhei's hakama and pulled it down just enough to free Shuuhei's impressive cock. His eyes widened as he admired the member and he licked his lips.
"Renji…" Shuuhei almost whined.
Renji took the base in his fingers and licked Shuuhei's head, dipping his tongue into the slit to taste the salty precum.
Shuuhei moaned again and ran his fingers through Renji's hair. "R… Renji…" He panted. "How long… have we known each other?"
"Um… About sixty years…" He licked a line down Shuuhei's length and the other gasped above him. "Why?"
Shuuhei hunched over as Renji took him in his mouth. "Ah gods… Cause… ahhh… that's how long I've been fantasizing about this… Hmmm…"
Renji was stunned and flattered at the same time. The number of times he had jerked off to Shuuhei in the academy was too many to count. And now Shuuhei was telling him he'd been doing the exact same thing to him!
As Renji's mouth slid up and down his hardness, Shuuhei couldn't seem to keep the words from flowing. He knew he was rambling, but he couldn't stop himself.
"After you saved me, all I… hmmm… All I could think about was your hair… I wanted- Oh gods yes… Just like that…" Renji's tongue slid circles around Shuuhei's head as his hand pumped him. "Ah… Every day I saw you I just wanted to run my fingers through your hair…"
Shuuhei's voice was driving Renji and his cock crazy. He let his free hand slip into his hakama and grab his own throbbing length. He pumped it in time with Shuuhei's as he sucked and licked and hummed.
"I wanted you so bad Renji… I wanted to run my hands over your chest and bite your lips and… Gods… it was so hard not to just throw you over a desk and- oh fuck… Fuck that feels so good…"
Renji released Shuuhei's cock just long enough to gasp, "Don't stop talking. You're gonna make me come." Shuuhei had the most erotic sex-voice he had ever heard. Shuuhei could have been reading a grocery list just then, and he still would be getting off to it.
Shuuhei let out a choked whimper and let his head fall back as Renji engulfed all of him, all the way to the hilt. He fisted more of Renji's hair and trusted up into that hot welcoming mouth.
"The two years you were gone… Gods I missed you so much… hmmm… I kept dreaming you would come back and I'd rip your clothes off and lick your tattoos… Fuck I've always wanted to lick your tattoos… I would bury myself inside you… Mmmake you scream… Oh, shit Renji…"
Renji moved faster, meeting every thrust of Shuuhei's hips. He frantically jerked his own erection as Shuuhei's voice burned in his ears.
"Fuck Renji… So good…" Shuuhei was incoherent, he knew he was spouting nonsense, but Renji was blowing his mind. "Renji… Ahh… gods Renji!" Shuuhei's whole body went taut and he cried out as he came in hot, thick spurts into the red head's mouth.
Renji took it all swallowing every last drop of Shuuhei's seed. He kept the motion, riding out the other's orgasm. It didn't take him long to follow, hearing his name from those lips at the moment of climax nearly sent him over the edge. He came hot in his hand as he released Shuuhei's cock, and he let out a strangled cry before falling to his back on the mattress.
When Renji's breathing evened out he turned his head to look at Shuuhei. His friend lay beside him with an arm draped over his eyes.
"You okay Shuu?" Renji asked, more than a little pleased with himself.
"Uh…" Shuuhei didn't move. "Just a little embarrassed I guess."
Renji sat up and leaned over the dark haired man. "Why?"
Shuuhei lifted his other arm covering more of his reddening face. "I just ran what I said over in my head and it's… totally embarrassing. I can never shut up…"
Renji suppressed a giggle. "You always talk through a blow job?"
Shuuhei nodded. "Yeah, I can't help it."
Renji pulled down his friend's arms and grinned at the beet red shinigami below him. "Hey, I don't care as long as you're saying pretty things about me."
Shuuhei pushed him off, but not before Renji saw the smile tug at the corners of his mouth.
"Get lost creep, I'm going to sleep."
Renji laughed again, and curled up beside Shuuhei. "It's still early."
"Yeah and I didn't sleep last night. Shhh." Despite his words, Shuuhei held out his arm and Renji nuzzled in the crook of his shoulder.
They lay there for several minutes while Shuuhei slid his fingers through crimson hair, and Renji caressed pale skin.
"Shuuhei?" Renji whispered.
"Mmm?" Came a sleepy reply.
"Oh… nothing… Good night."
To be continued…