Closet

"Wait, what do you mean we're supposed to throw it?" Shuuhei asked.

"I don't know. I mean, you just throw it and it kind of spins out," Ichigo tried to explain.

He and Shuuhei were making pizza. At least they were attempting to. Shuuhei could cook but had never had pizza before; Ichigo had dozens of types of pizzas before but only had the most basic of knowledge on how to actually make one.

"Well, can we just roll it like you would with pastry?" Shuuhei suggested.

"Yeah, that should work. There are square pizzas too. We could try that to make it easier."

There was a knock at the door.

"I wonder why they're here?" Ichigo asked, feeling the spiritual pressure of several of their friends. "Hey guys," he said pulling open the door.

Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Renji walked in.

"Did you guys want some food?" Shuuhei said over his shoulder as he tried to wrangle to pizza dough.

"I have a better idea," Renji said.

Ichigo honestly had no idea what had happened between that point and the point that he found himself in now. How he wound up naked and tied up was a very pressing topic on his mind, but it was still blank no matter how hard he thought on the subject. Who had done it was obvious.

He heard a groan behind him and froze. Oh no, he thought. No, no, no, no…

"Shuuhei?" he asked quietly.

"What the hell…" Shuuhei murmured.

"Well, Renji is getting us back, obviously."

"Does that mean Kisuke is around here too?"

"Um, I can't move to check," Ichigo admitted.

"What?" Shuuhei asked.

Ichigo felt hands on his bare back and shuddered.

"What the fuck did they do to you?" Shuuhei said with amusement.

"It's not funny!" Ichigo complained. "It's pretty…binding…"

He felt Shuuhei's hand move over his back and shoulders, pausing at the twists in the rope.

"Well, if I had to guess I'd say Yumichika did this," Shuuhei said.

"Don't just stand there, get me out," Ichigo urged.

"I'm not tied up, but I do have spiritual cuffs on," Shuuhei said. "And most of my clothes seem to be missing."

"Only most?" Ichigo groaned.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Let's just say that I would be very happy to have been left some clothes."

Shuuhei snorted his laughter. "Ha ha ha! They got you good kid!"

"Don't be so happy, we're both stuck in here."

The closet was so tiny as to allow minimal movement from its occupants. Shuuhei tried to feel around for an opening and eventually found the door. He cursed.

"What?"

"It's bound with kido," Shuuhei answered. "I also can't find a light anywhere. It's too fucking dark to see anything."

"Ow," Ichigo groaned.

"Those straps hurting?"

"Well, it's not hurting really bad but my hands and arms are numb," Ichigo replied.

"Ok, if I remember right, there should be a knot…" Shuuhei was behind Ichigo. He reached up towards the back of Ichigo's neck. "Yeah, this should be the place where the two ends come together."

He began to work on the knot. It came loose. Ichigo groaned again.

"How come nothing happened?" Ichigo complained.

"Well he really did a number on you. It's like a freaking net or something. Everything is twisted and held up at odd places. It will take awhile to get you out of it."

"Oh, and you have so many other things to be doing right now I suppose?"

Shuuhei laughed at that. "I hope you're not ticklish, because I'm going to have to get pretty close," he said.

"WHAT?" Ichigo yelled.

Shuuhei paused. "Is something wrong?"

"…no…" Ichigo lied.

Shuuhei ran his hand along the length of one of the free ends of rope, finding where it connected underneath Ichigo's arm. He unwound the rope, tucking it under and pulling it out until the joint came free. At least Yumichika didn't make it all knots, he thought. Thank goodness for small favors. He slowly traced the rope across Ichigo's chest. He stopped. "Ichigo?"

Ichigo was trembling. It wasn't bad enough that he was having Shuuhei rub his hands all over his body, but he had to be naked as well. Shuuhei was still behind him and he could feel his bare chest slightly touch his back.

"I'm not sure that…" Ichigo began before quickly changing his mind. "Nothing. Just a little ticklish like you said."

"Well, I could try being a little more firm so it's not as bad," Shuuhei said. He moved his hand again, drawing it close across Ichigo's chest and under the other arm.

Ichigo was no longer breathing. Why did I say anything? This is way worse than when he was barely touching me. Now it's like he's…caressing me.

Shuuhei was continuing to work. The ropes seemed randomly placed to Ichigo. He could never tell if Shuuhei was going to go around his arm or down his back. He felt Shuuhei begin to go down…down. He felt a hand on his upper thigh. "WAIT!" he yelled.

Shuuhei stopped.

"Shuuhei…god I don't want to do this and especially not now but…but…" Ichigo bit his lip. "You see I have feelings for you," he forced out in one breath.

Feelings for me? Shuuhei was dumbstruck.

"He's in love with someone," Renji had said.

"What?" Shuuhei was shocked. He had felt that he and Ichigo were very close friends; why would Ichigo not have mentioned something so big?

"The thing is, this person is straight and there's no way it's going to work out."

Oh my god, Shuuhei thought. He was talking about me? Ichigo loves me? That's why he never mentioned that he was in love, because it was me all along?

Oh no, he thought.

He wasn't horrified or grossed out. A lot of his friends were gay, bi, poly, or, as Rangiku put it once "Everything that breathes that walks on two legs. Unless they have only one, because that's fun too!" He had then made a joke about birds and got a kick in the head, but she really had set herself up. He was however stunned. He remembered the sadness in Renji's voice telling him how messed up Ichigo was going to be. Damn it, he is going to be messed up and it's my fault.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said into the awkward silence.

"No, I'm sorry," Shuuhei replied. "I feel bad that…I mean…"

"I'm not asking for anything from you," Ichigo said. "It's just that I'm naked and you're…touching me a lot and I just thought that you should know."

Shuuhei had to smile to himself. Yeah, I know how I would feel if my first crush was doing this to me. Except…except Renji says that he loves me, and that's a lot different. Ichigo has never been with anyone either, aside from kissing. Shuuhei truly felt bad for Ichigo. "I know what you're trying to say, and it's ok. I'm not going to freak out or anything if uh…if you're a little turned on. It's just biological. Hell, maybe I'd be turned on in a similar situation," Shuuhei tried to keep it light. He meant it too. There was no reason the kid should feel bad for naturally reacting to being touched by someone he had feelings for.

"Thank you," Ichigo sighed. Shuuhei, you always do that. I get upset or worried and you can always calm me down or reassure me with just a couple words.

"Ready?" Shuuhei asked.

"Yeah," Ichigo said.

This time Shuuhei knew that Ichigo's movements weren't from ticklishness or being awkward, but from him reacting to his touches. He almost chuckled to feel Ichigo's trembling, but he didn't want to be mean. Shuuhei moved his hand, feeling for the rope. It went up Ichigo's right thigh and between his legs, and then onto his ass towards a tie in his lower back.

"Fuck," Ichigo whispered as Shuuhei untied it.

Once again the rope went across the chest and back, then across the lower belly. Ichigo couldn't help it, he moaned. Shuuhei must think I'm such a pervert, Ichigo thought with embarrassment.

Actually, Shuuhei was still finding the situation highly amusing for some reason. He couldn't quite define it, but he was enjoying the reactions and small muffled noises he was getting out of Ichigo. Bad Shuuhei, he thought to himself with a frown. It's just chemical, the other part of himself said. Come on, it's a close intimate situation. You just found out your best friend loves you. He's vibrating like a guitar string under your touch, trying to not feel pleasure from it but he can't. You like sex, you like pleasuring your partner. It's only natural that you're kind of turned on right now.

Kind of turned on? Shit, I am, Shuuhei thought. No, it's just a natural reaction, don't worry about it.

He was surprised when he got a moan out of Ichigo from delicately unwrapping his wrists, his fingers lightly moving across the insides of Ichigo hands. He's so sensitive. I wonder if that's just because he's a virgin or if he's just that attuned to his body. He's going to have a lot of fun with the right person, Shuuhei thought with a grin.

Now is not that time to be thinking things like that, Shuuhei told himself. What? I'm being a good friend here. I'll have to be on the lookout for a trained and bold lover for him, I think he's the type that would really like…ok, now that thought was going too far.

"Fuck fuck fuck," Ichigo said as Shuuhei got to the next twist in the rope.

Shuuhei paused.

"Um, it's ok," Shuuhei assured him, knowing full well that the kid was going to die for the next thirty or so seconds. He took a deep breathe and continued following the rope that was wrapped tightly across Ichigo's very stiff cock multiple times. He decided to break the awkwardness by talking a little. "Gesh, that seems like it would hurt," he mentioned as he took off the circling roping. Ichigo didn't answer, and Shuuhei doubted that he could. The rope then went around each of Ichigo's balls, holding them firmly apart. "Fuck, Yumichika kind of went out of his way for this," Shuuhei said. His hands were trembling for some reason, and he felt slightly out of breath.

"Shuuhei," Ichigo breathed, not being able to retrain himself.

Shuuhei closed his eyes and breathed for a second or two before continuing.

Luckily for them both, the rest was fairly easy. Ichigo's arms were finally freed and he sighed with relief as the last bit of rope fell from his body.

"I'm going to stretch," he warned Shuuhei. It was such tight quarters and so dark that he didn't want to accidentally elbow him in the face.

"Are you ok?" Shuuhei asked.

"I'm a little numb in some places but yeah," Ichigo said. He was glad that Shuuhei couldn't see how red he was. He felt like his whole body was on fire, and he was sure that he looked like a tomato. Renji, I am going to skin you alive, Ichigo thought to himself. He wasn't nearly as upset at Yumichika or Ikkaku. "Any idea for what to do to Renji?" he asked darkly.

"I don't know, seems like he got us back pretty good this time, maybe we should leave it be," Shuuhei suggested. "Besides, we need to get out of here first."

"Renji sucks at kido, even with the cuffs on we should be able to find a weakness in his wall," Ichigo said. "Let's check the ceiling and floor."

Shuuhei smiled. Ichigo had been learning a lot during his time in the Soul Society.

"The floor seems stable. Climb up on my shoulders and try the roof," Shuuhei said.

"Um, how about you climb on my shoulders?" Ichigo said. "You're…wearing more clothes then me."

"Oh yeah," Shuuhei replied. They felt around in the dark, and finally Shuuhei was hoisted up. "Ok, I just have to punch through the roof. Can you hold me for awhile?"

"Yeah," Ichigo grunted.

"I…got it," Shuuhei said triumphantly.

"Can you get through?"

"Yeah," Shuuhei managed to wriggle through the small hole he had made. He reached an arm down to help Ichigo up.

"I'd rather you bring me back some clothes," Ichigo said looking up at Shuuhei.

Hah, he's still so young and modest, Shuuhei thought with a grin.

"I'll be back soon," he promised.

After he left Ichigo sat in the dark, trying to not focus on how fantastic it had been feeling Shuuhei touch him all over, to feel his breath on the back of his neck. He also desperately tried to not think about how amazing Shuuhei looked with the pale filtered moonlight lighting up his mostly naked body as he had looked down at Ichigo. He's going to be back soon, Ichigo thought. I really need to not have a giant erection when he opens that door. Masturbating was out of the question too. He didn't know when Shuuhei was coming back; it could be in just a minute. Besides, he had never been a quiet person, not even when pleasuring himself. He would absolutely die if Shuuhei heard him crying out his name in passion while…mmm, while….an avalanche of images flung themselves though Ichigo's mind. DAMN IT NOT NOW, he practically yelled at his brain. YOU TOO! He thought, looking down at his penis. Maybe I could just knock myself out, he thought with a sigh.

Of course I have to run into a captain, Shuuhei thought. At least it's a nice one.

"Ahem. Hello, Captain Ukitake," Shuuhei said.

Jushiro gave him the once over, raising an eyebrow.

"A prank," Shuuhei explained. "Revenge for dropping off Renji in Captain's Kuchiki's room." Whoops, I shouldn't have said that part.

"Oh really?" Jushiro said with interest. "How did that turn out?"

Oh yeah, Ichigo said that he was working with Captain Ukitake on getting those two together.

"Well, it was Ichigo's idea, and it definitely seems to have gone well," Shuuhei said. "Renji was still sore about it though."

"Fantastic!" Jushiro said. He was happy that little Byakuya finally had someone again.

"I don't suppose that you have two pairs of spare clothing I can borrow?" Shuuhei asked.

"Two?"

"Ichigo is still stuck in the closet, and he has even less clothes than I do," Shuuhei replied.

Jushiro's eyebrows went up again. He wanted to ask how that turned out as well but held his tongue. "Of course, follow me," he said.

The two had just about gotten to his quarters when they ran into Captain Kyoraku.

"Um…hi, Shuuhei," Shunsui said. They two were occasional drinking buddies.

"H-hi," Shuuhei answered.

"So, are we going to ignore the fact that you're not wearing clothes?" Shunsui asked.

"Yeah, it would be nice," Shuuhei admitted.

"One second, Shunsui," Jushiro said. "I just need to get him something."

The two disappeared briefly. Shuuhei left clothed, carrying a bundle under his arm.

"I don't suppose you're going to explain that?" Shunsui asked Jushiro.

"Explain what?" Jushiro said aloofly.

"Next you're going to tell me that there's nothing going on between you and Shuuhei just like there's nothing going on between you and Ichigo."

"Of course there isn't," Jushiro responded.

Shunsui sighed and Jushiro laughed at him.

"You're being so odd! I don't comment on your activities. You're acting almost like you're jealous or something."

"Not exactly, it's just that I…" Shunsui started but trailed off.

"You what?"

"…nothing," Shunsui said.

Jushiro sighed.

"Now we just have to get these cuffs off," Shuuhei said.

"My suggestion would be your captain. I don't feel Renji around any place."

"He's probably up at the Kuchiki estate," Shuuhei grinned.

Kisuke answered the door after only minimal pounding. It was late but he kept odd hours and was a light sleeper. He blinked at the sight of Shuuhei and Ichigo on his doorstep. "Mmm, a present for me I hope? I don't usually go with two guys at once but there's always room for exceptions!"

"Oh my god, Kisuke, get your mind out of the gutter," Ichigo growled. He was in no mood for playing games with the former shopkeeper.

"Oh don't get angry, I think it only makes you look cuter," Kisuke teased.

"Get these off of us," Shuuhei said, holding up the spiritual pressure cuffs.

"What makes you think I can?"

"Well if you don't have the capability then I guess I'll just go to someone that does," Shuuhei said. "Come on Ichigo, we're going to squad 12."

Kisuke frowned. "I swear Ichigo is rubbing off on you. You were never this surly before."

Shuuhei's eyes widened. "Sorry, Captain!" he apologized. It was true; he would never have spoken to his previous captains that way.

"Good lord, don't backpedal," Kisuke rolled his eyes. "Come in."

They sat in Kisuke's "living room". They assumed it was a living room at least, because it was near the door and had a couch. It was surrounded by tables and contraptions, Bunsen burners and computer screens.

"You made this room into your lab?" Shuuhei asked.

"What? No," Kisuke answered from down the hall. "My lab is in the basement."

"Maybe he's just making dinner," Ichigo said with a grin.

"I'm never eating anything he makes."

"I'm pretty sure we already warned you not to," Ichigo answered.

"Here we go," Kisuke said, coming back with an odd device. "I just have to calibrate it to each cuff and off they'll come!"

In the end it was really just as simple as that.

"So," Kisuke practically sang, "are you really not going to tell me what happened?"

"What happened is that you better be happy that Renji only decided to get us and not you," Ichigo replied.

"Oh, he did get me," Kisuke said.

"How?" Shuuhei asked.

Kisuke held out his hands.

"He painted your nails hot pink?" Ichigo said, confused.

"No, it's permanent. It will stay until my nails grow out," Kisuke said looking at them sadly.

"Well, that doesn't sound…that bad," Shuuhei responded.

"Are you kidding? I look ridiculous!"

"You know, tonight sucks. I don't even have it in me to make fun of you," Ichigo sighed. "Just take my word that you always look ridiculous."

It was Renji who was pacing this office this morning. Ichigo walked in and Renji looked up.

"Um, how did it go?" Renji asked nervously.

Ichigo shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that because you're an asshole I had to tell one of my best friends that I loved him to explain why I was amazingly turned on by him trying to untie me."

"Yeah, but how did he take it?" Renji asked.

"I don't know. It was pretty dark so I couldn't see his face. He seemed pretty understanding and didn't flip out or anything," Ichigo answered.

"I mean, at least he knows now right? That's good," Renji offered.

"Yeah," Ichigo sighed. No matter how often he had told himself that telling Shuuhei wouldn't make a difference, there had always been that very small sliver of optimism that held out hope that Shuuhei would respond positively to his confession.

"Really, Ichigo?" Shuuhei would say.

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I just didn't want to jeopardize our friendship," he would answer.

"I wish you had, because I love you too."

"Shuuhei…"

And end scene. Or begin, depending on whether Ichigo was alone or not.

God I'm so pathetic sometimes, Ichigo thought to himself.

"Hey Ichigo, cheer up," Renji said. "I mean, if nothing else he totally felt you up, right?"

Ichigo hit Renji in the arm.

"Was that a 'thank you' or a 'fuck you'?" Renji asked.

"Both."