Title: Bad Romance
Author:zealot1138
Pairing: Renji x Ichigo
Rating: M (for language, situations, yaoi – angst, romance, sex, fluff)

Summary: AU. Ichigo is so NOT gay, so when he goes to the exclusive bordello Club Sakura, will a certain redhead named Renji make him think twice?

Disclaimer for the entire story: I do NOT own any of these characters from BLEACH which belongs to Tite Kubo et al. Thank you.

DISCLAIMER: All characters depicted in sexual situations in this post/fanfiction/fanart (including material in the comments) are fictional and are intended to be and considered to be by the author of said material of the legal age of consent in the United States state of California, regardless of what age these characters may be in the material they are derived from.

Hi everyone,

I don't have much to say this time… it's more a continuation chapter.

Will write a bit more at the end of this chappy.

I love everyone's reviews and comments – hell, I live for 'em. So thank you!


Thanks to those who've added/faved/alerted this story too. It all fuels me towards finishing. XD

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Chapter 11

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Renji awoke with a mass of red locks in his face. For a split second he'd wondered why he forgot to braid his hair before falling asleep when the memories flooded back. He felt the weight and warmth lying across his back so he shifted slowly to look at the orange-haired lad who'd stayed the night with him.

He slid out from under his sleeping lover and he sat up to watch Ichigo readjust. Ichigo's face registered a slight scowl as he reached for the warm body that had disappeared. Renji smiled and put his hand along Ichigo's cheek, using his thumb to smooth one eyebrow. Ichigo's scowl started to smooth out and his face began to return to its previous peaceful expression.

As much as he didn't want to, Renji had to get back to his day and he'd already pushed his luck with having Ichigo with him at all. At least he could sneak Ichigo back out in the morning while the House slept in.

"Oi, Ichigo."

"Huh…errr….mmm." Ichigo snuggled closer towards the redhead not fully registering in reality just yet.

Renji leaned over and kissed the cheek he had been caressing and then moved to nuzzle his neck administering further kisses. At this, Ichigo stirred awake with a satisfied smile as he twisted to meet Renji's lips with his own.

"Um… hi." Though waking up in a strange bed with a man was a new experience Ichigo hadn't anticipated, the comforting kisses he'd just received from the redhead immediately put him at ease.

Renji pulled away, just slightly, to eye Ichigo before speaking. "So, as much as I don't want to do this, I gotta take you home."

The reality of Renji's life dampened Ichigo's mood as he looked away from the burgundy eyes in disappointment. It was the reaction Renji was afraid he'd get from him.

"Hey, Ichi… what we did… what I feel for you has nothing to do with what I do. And I promise that any free time I get, I plan to spend it with you… so long as you'll still want that."

Ichigo looked up at the redhead and saw the look of hope tinged with sadness in the burgundy eyes. He didn't doubt that Renji was sincere, and Ichigo did want this. "Of course, Ren. Nothing's changed."

Glad to hear the reassurances from the younger lad, Renji leaned in to seal the deal with a long kiss, tongue requesting entrance and being welcomed and met with equal desire.

However, not wanting to lose his objectivity, Renji summoned his self-control and pulled away so it wouldn't lead into anything further.

"You wanna take a quick shower before we have to go?"

Ichigo eyed the redhead and smiled before asking, "Is that an offer?"

Renji barked a laugh to hide the jolt of desire that raced through him at the thought. "Dammit, Ichi! I wish, but yeah, I gotta get you outta here before you cause me some real trouble."

"Fine!" Ichigo huffed good-naturedly as he got off the bed. Both men eyed one another appreciatively but Renji more fully enjoyed the moment as he watched Ichigo walking in his nakedness, body shorter and slimmer, but toned and tight with long lean muscles in all the right places and proportion. Ichigo gave a small glance over his shoulder, smile shy yet sly at the same time as he walked out of Renji's line of sight.

The redhead forced himself to remain seated on the bed, fighting the urge to follow his new lover. Instead, he took a deep breath and released a long sigh before rising. Though he desperately wanted a shower, he figured he'd better get Ichigo home sooner than later since he felt any further delays might make him change his mind.

Renji reached for the remote to open the curtains and blackout shades wide to let the sunlight in. He blinked for a second before tossing the remote back onto his nightstand. Seeing his cell phone, he reached for it to check for any new messages.

"A missed called? … I don't remember hearing the phone ring," he mumbled to himself. Renji scrolled through and stopped short when he saw the name on the display. "Fuck," he growled.

He immediately hit Redial and waited for it to connect but it went straight to voicemail, so he hung up. Instead, he started to compose a text:

Sorry I missed your call. I'm here. RA

Renji locked the keyboard and threw the cell on his bed in uncertainty. Without wasting any more time, he quickly grabbed the easiest items of clothing he could get to and waited for Ichigo to come out of the shower.

As soon as Ichigo walked through the bathroom doors, towel slung low around his hips, another towel being worked through his orange locks, Renji threw at him the brown sweatshirt he'd had to wear the day before. Ichigo reactively dropped the towel drying his hair to catch the sweatshirt. "Hey, Ren, what giv-!" His sentence was cut short as his jeans also hit his chest. "Renji! What the hell?!"

"Come on." Renji was dressed in a white track suit with red chevron trim. He had pulled a white bandanna around his head and pulled on a pair of dark sunglasses. He didn't give Ichigo another glance as he turned and left out the door leading into the garden.

"What the fuck…" Ichigo found the rest of his clothes and got dressed as quickly as possible and followed the redhead outside.

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Renji hadn't said more than two words after opening the trunk and motioning for Ichigo to get inside once again. Ichigo did so without much argument out of confusion, but riding in the cramped dark compartment for several minutes only fueled his annoyance turning it into anger. Ichigo tried to piece together what happended between the time he went to take a shower to when Renji threw his clothes at him.

The car came to a stop sooner than Ichigo expected and the trunk was unlatched. He pushed it open and expected to see Renji and the outside of his apartment building, but they were merely pulled over at the side of a quiet street. Ichigo presumed Renji had stopped early so he didn't have to ride the rest of the way in the trunk once they were in the clear.

He climbed out and moved over to the passenger side and opened the door to get in. Renji hadn't shifted his gaze from looking out the front windshield even as Ichigo climbed in. He didn't move a muscle until Ichigo had buckled himself in and closed the car door. Renji then speed off away from the curb and back onto the road.

"Renji, could you tell me what the fuck is wrong?" Ichigo looked at Renji's profile before continuing. "Did I do something… wrong?"

Renji bit his lip in frustration. "Don't fuck with my cell, OK?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Ichigo, I saw I had a missed call last night and I know I didn't hear it ring…"

"Is that all? So, you missed a call, what the fuc-"

"That's not all, Ichigo! I have to stay connected to my clients."

"And, what? You're not allowed to miss one call?!"

"Not hi- … No."

"I'm pretty sure that's what they invented voicemail for." Silence. "You were asleep. The phone rang so I silenced it so you could get some sleep. I didn't think I was destroying your world by doing that!"

"Shit, Ichigo, it's complicated! You could have really messed some shit up for me!"

"Why is everything so complicated? How am I supposed to know what's what if you don't tell me anythingI"

"Fuck, Ichigo! You're not even supposed to know half the shit you already do know!" Renji hit the steering wheel in anger. The redhead immediately regretted it as he continued to bite his bottom lip in frustration. He knew that Ichigo hadn't meant anything by his innocent action; of course he had no idea Renji had never missed a call from him.

As Renji did his best to control his temper, he also tried to rationalize his thoughts as well. I guess I've never missed his call before… doesn't mean it has to be a problem, does it? Maybe I am overreacting.

Ichigo flinched at seeing the redhead like this. He was torn between being completely pissed off at the redhead and feeling hurt by his reaction. He scowled as he shifted his entire body to face out the passenger-side window.

Renji chewed on his thoughts and his lip all the way until they reached Ichigo's street. As soon as the car slowed to a stop in front of his apartment, Ichigo flew out in one smooth movement. He didn't look back as he grabbed for the keys in his pocket to get inside as fast as possible.

Ichigo was through and slammed the door to shut it behind him but the loud crash he waited to hear never came. Renji had walked through behind him, holding the door with one hand as his other reached to grab Ichigo's arm.

"Ichi – I'm sorry. I was outta line."

Ichigo was glad to hear the words, but his emotions were still a whirlwind and his mouth reacted before his mind could. "Yeah, you were!"

This stung Renji's pride, but he knew he deserved it. "I've been doing things my own way for a long time, Ichigo. It's- I'm not used to having someone being any part of my daily life, Ichi. I'm sorry I didn't handle it well… this is something I wasn't prepared to deal with."

"Don't apologize." Ichigo looked up into Renji's eyes to try and express his feelings as well. "I… forget that… I mean, I'm trying to say that I get it; your calls and messages aren't simple things like I get from my friends. It's all… work for you. So, I won't do anything like that again."

Both suddenly grew quiet, feeling a little more awkward with each other than ever since meeting.

"Argh, this is stupid!" Renji reached for Ichigo, grasping each side of his face to bring him in for a kiss. Lips and tongue met for a single strong deep kiss before Renji pulled away to ask, "So, can I see you again, once I know what my schedule is?"

"You better." Brown eyes melted into a warm smile to emphasize the answer as well.

Renji pulled the face back for a quick kiss before replying. "Definitely."

The redhead reluctantly pulled away but he had to return to the House as soon as possible; not to mention he was eager for a shower as well. Renji walked out of the apartment, though he turned his body a full 180 degrees to see Ichigo one more time.

Ichigo watched the redhead go through the door before moving to the window to watch him get into his car. As the car started to pull away from the curb, Ichigo lifted a hand in a small wave. He was full of warring emotions as he watched the car disappear from his line of sight. Ichigo had spent an incredible night with someone he essentially just met whose job is something he couldn't even fathom, and they'd sort of had their first fight. But all he knew was that he wouldn't feel satisfied till he knew when he could see Renji again. "I hate waiting."

Renji drove away feeling less agitated but still very unsettled. It had been so long since he had to consider anything else in his life, let alone the thoughts and feelings of someone to care for and one who wasn't a part of his current world, Renji was in an unusual spot emotionally. His reverie was cut short when his cell phone started to vibrate. He looked at the screen on his dash to read the Caller ID name before answering; of course it was the call he'd been expecting.

"Aizen-san! I'm sorry I missed-"

"Abarai-kun, I wasn't aware I'd wanted you to address me in any other way than upon my title when out in public." The voice that reverberated through the Audi's sound system was smooth and light, but an underlying edge existed in the words. It was an edge Renji hadn't been on the receiving end of in a long while.

"I'm in my car alone. I didn't think-"

"Has that ever changed the nature of our agreement, Abarai-kun?"

Renji took a deep breath as quietly as he could before answering in a calm voice. "No, Taichou."

"And what did keep you from answering my call last night?" the voice asked in a sweet affected tone of concern.

"I was asleep."

"Oh? Hmm… I was sure there weren't enough rings before I got your voicemail message. I could have sworn someone had rejected the call for me to get voicemail so quickly."

Shit, he really doesn't miss a thing – ever. "No, I suppose you're right."

"Why so shy, Abarai-kun? If you were with another client, that would hardly be a surprise for me. I know we are not exclusive, yes?"

"Of course. Taichou is correct."

"Hmm… you have piqued my curiosity, Abarai-kun. Perhaps I need to reestablish my time with you for a longer period than we have had in a while? It has been some time since my last visit and perhaps you need some discipline."

"…" It was as if Renji could hear the falsely sincere smile coming through the speakers.

"No answer, Abarai-kun?" The tone was hardly spoken like a question.

"As you wish, Taichou."

"I'll have Momo make arrangements with Lady Unohana for my visit. Please send Byakuya my best." The dashboard screen read Call Ended.

"Shit."

TBC

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So, the Good – I finished the story.

The Bad – um, I need to write something between the ending chappy here and getting towards these scenes that lead to the end.

I'm working on it!

Please stay tuned. _ Thanks. ~z.