AN: Guh. So I feel like my fingers vomited into a word processor here. I don't know why but I feel like this chapter was rough, but I'm going to post it for now. I'll probably come back and edit it later so good/bad/you suck comments are welcome please so I know what to improve. ^.^ I'm attempting to come up with a decent plot, and yes I am already looking at writing a third piece to this story, one with considerably more smuttyish behavior. . Anywho. Comments, please and thank you. Ooh and yes I did try to keep a bit of a theme going with the last line of each chapter. ;)
Ichigo woke up the next morning already scowling. As if the previous night hadn't been embarrassing enough it was compounded by the fact that a certain redhead wouldn't leave his dreams damn well alone. Not to mention it was already closing on noon and he hated wasting his Saturdays. A quick glance down to his left showed what he had already suspected. His futon was already put away, and its red haired inhabitant gone. Stretching he stood and noticed the note sitting on his desk, hasty scrawl that he could barely make out read:
Yo Ichigo, went over to Uraharas for a bit. Stop by for training later? Don't worry I cleaned up after myself. Ah also you can thank me for getting rid of the monster, it's outside your window on the ground.
"Monster?" Ichigo mused out loud wondering what in the world Renji meant. Crumpling the note in his hand he walked over to the window and peered outside.
"God DAMNIT Renji!" Ichigo growled loudly upon realizing that the monster who had previously claimed residence in his room was his alarm clock, now thoroughly broken on the hard ground below. Ichigo fumed for a moment and then broke down into small chuckles, Only Renji Ichigo thought to himself.
Only Renji would manage to take something as ordinary as an alarm clock and decide it needed a "lesson". Sighing he rubbed the back of his head and neck, well that explains why he didn't wake up on time. Still smiling slightly to himself he went downstairs to see what he could find for breakfast.
"Oi, Kiskue?" Ichigo called as he entered the shop not too much later. He had managed to get a suitable breakfast and dress himself, then bored figured he might as well go take out some of his frustration on the cause of it; Renji. Ichigo walked further into the shop and found Renji sitting there once again dressed in decent clothing.
"Hey Ichigo," Renji drawled, "Urahara just left, didja want to spar for a bit?"
"Yeah sure Renji, but I do have a question," Ichigo paused slightly, scowl setting in, "What in the world possessed you to think my alarm clock needed to be thrown out the window?"
Renji stared at him for a minute, "Oh tha red screaming thing?" He questioned. Ichigo nodded folding his arms, oh he wanted to hear this one.
"Erm, well I dunno. It was makin all sorts o noise this mornin an I figured with you tryna sleep an all…" Renji trailed off, "Alarm clock you said? So ya knew this thing would scream n shit?"
Ichigo sighed, working very hard to keep a smile off his lips in the face of Renji's hopelessly ignorant ramblings. The way the older man had contorted his face attempting to understand was almost cute in a way. Ichigo then sighed mentally, Oh no, he thought, definitely not going there again.
"Yes Renji, generally that's what an alarm clock does. It wakes people up," Ichigo said rolling his eyes as Renji just looked even more perplexed. "Come on, lets get started." And with that he took off in the direction of the training ground.
"Is that all you've got Ichigo?" Renji yelled, "You're getting weak!" They had been sparring for a couple hours now, and both were winded and a bit beaten up but neither would admit defeat.
Ichigo couldn't keep his mind focused no matter how hard he tried. Everytime he got close to Renji the scent intoxicated him. Everytime they grappled he couldn't help but feel the pressure and slide of Renji's body against his own. Dammit, he thought. This wasn't getting him anywhere at all, so much for getting rid of frustration; at this rate he was just creating more. He growled in irritation and yelled, "BANKAI!" He was going to beat Renji, one way or another.
Renji returned the favor, also calling Zabimaru into bankai and the match continued. Renji felt like he was getting slower, no matter what he did he couldn't keep Ichigo at bay but then again Ichigo couldn't land a hit on him either. Why do I feel so out of breath, thought Renji, theres no way that I should be.
After about twenty more minutes of irritation Ichigo shunpoed a short distance away from Renji and let his zanpaktou return to shikai.
"Done?" Renji asked, also letting his zanpaktou return to normal.
"No," Ichigo stated before letting Zangetsu drop to the ground and walk forward. He wasn't sure if he was about to regret this, but he figured the only way to get over this stupid issue was to prove to himself that nothing about Renji was enticing. He could fight him hand to hand just fine, without any unexpected issues and he planned to.
Renji chuckled as Ichigo moved closer, allowing Zabimaru to drop to the ground as well.
"You wanna fight hand ta hand. Ya just looking to get your ass kicked now?"
Ichigo glared at Renji then without warning kicked him solidly in the chest, sending Renji back a foot or two. He heard Renji mutter about it being a cheap shot, then the fighting truly ensued. They grappled and punched at each other, kicking wildly and even biting at times. However both of them were quite careful to not let the fighting end up on the ground, both still had the previous night etched firmly into their memory.
Finally they were locked in an unmovable position, arms twisted around and panting heavily. Ichigo tried his best to ignore the fact that the harder he tried to ignore his friend, the more images played on repeat in his mind. He began to notice the ripple of Renji's muscles, the sharp bittersweet scent of sweat rising off both of them. Dammit, he thought to himself; this definitely wasn't getting any better.
Still locked Ichigo for the first time during the close combat brought his eyes up and looked into Renji's own. There was the typical heat there from combat, a slight softness due to fatigue and something else Ichigo couldn't place. Then it all shifted and his eyes went completely feral, like a predator just finding it's prey. He felt himself sliding backwards, his stance no longer holding him until his back was pressed up against one of the large boulders that graced the training ground. Once in this position Renji wrenched his arms out of Ichigo's grasp only to lock Ichigo's arms in place at his sides.
"What's tha most important part of fighting Ichigo?" Renji questioned in a low tone through his still ragged breaths.
Ichigo stared at him for a moment, "I dunno Renji. Good defense I guess, keeps you from dying. Good attacks kill your opponent. Willpower to link it all together…" He rambled then trailed off unsure of what the right answer was.
Renji's mouth turned up into a half grin that would have been charming if not for the fact Ichigo was currently pinned against a rock.
"Well in my opinion," Renji said bringing his body closer to Ichigo's own, heat rolling between them in waves, "Its none o that."
Ichigo licked his lips nervously and glanced down, desperate to look anywhere but in the red head's eyes. Then he felt one of Renji's hands leave his arm and tilt his chin back up so their eyes slid together again. All of a sudden Renji was close, he was too close and Ichigo seemed to hear his next words reverberate all around him.
"It's instinct."
With that Renji brought his lips to Ichigo's but this time it was much more gentle. Though everything about his stance and presence came off raw and animalistic the kiss was more of a question than an attack.
"Renji, why are you doing this?" Ichigo questioned softly, his lips still grazing Renji's as he spoke.
"Cause one of us had to."
Ichigo decided right then he wasn't going to care anymore, Renji's lips just felt too good on his to let go again. He realized that Renji wasn't just passionate about his fighting, he seemed to be passionate about everything. The pure heat coming from their joined lips was going to drive him crazy, if he wasn't already. Renji let his body slide over Ichigo's drawing a soft groan out of one of them, or maybe both. Ichigo couldn't really distinguish between Renji and himself as he felt solid pressure on him from everywhere. The rock firm against his back and Renji a mixture of firm yet hopelessly gentle in his arms. His world had been reduced down to the taste and feel of Renji. At that moment he realized he had never felt so whole in his life, as though a piece of him that had been missing for too long just snapped into place. How had he ever lived without this, he couldn't even imagine going back. Renji pulled away after a few more long kisses and looked at Ichigo, his expression slightly worried and usually jovial eyes dark.
"What?" Ichigo managed to breathe out in a voice that shook.
"Nothin, I just don't want you runnin away again."
Ichigo mustered up enough willpower to glare at the older shinigami. "I did not run before… and even if I did you did too!"
Renji rolled his eyes, and responded with, "Whatever kid," earning him an even nastier look and a firm punch to the chest. Between wheezing and laughing he calmed down and looked into the slightly shorter mans eyes before moving to embrace him. Ichigo let Renji do so, and even went as far as to push his head a little more comfortably into the crook of the red head's neck before letting his eyes shut.
"I didn't mean it like that ya idiot. I just meant I like this, an I wanna keep you around." Renji spoke softly and hesitantly, not sure of the response he was going to get.
"I know." Ichigo replied, since that was really all that needed to be said. He pulled out of Renji's embrace and eyed the older man.
"You look like hell." Renji was in fact covered in shallow gashes, dirt, sweat and heaven knows what else.
"Tch, have you looked at youself?"
"No but I'm sure I look better than you!"
It was Renji's turn to roll his eyes at Ichigo before turning and walking in the direction of the healing spring. They both undressed and slid in like normal, dual sighs of relief coming from both men. Ichigo cracked one eye open to watch Renji. This was the most relaxed he'd ever seen the other man, and he smiled at the sight. Hair down, and a calm, satisfied expression gracing rough but handsome features. Ichigo mulled over the events of the last ten minutes in his mind, trying to decipher how he felt. All he knew was that when he was near Renji he felt impossibly whole, and had a sense of safe calm; that had to be enough for now. Exhausted from training Ichigo then too let his eyes drift shut but only for a second before Renji's communicator started beeping wildly. Renji shot up and out of the spring to grab it out of his discarded kimono.
His words confirmed what Ichigo already knew. "Hollows, lots."
They were both redressed and flashstepping back outside within seconds but not before casting one last look at each other. Ichigo didn't need to hear the words from Renji to catch the thought.
What the fuck happens now.