Bleach fic - A Tight Squeeze
Title: A Tight Squeeze
Series: Closet (first in the series)
Author: Akuni
Universe: Bleach
Genre: PWP, Drama/Romance
Rating: NC-17 (Smut)
Pairing: Renji/Ichigo
Spoilers: through manga chapter 250
Summary: Ichigo and Renji attempt a rescue mission, but their plans are foiled and they're caught in a tight spot...
Word Count: 2400
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, I'm just borrowing it for a while.
Distribution: Crossposted to kurosaki_clinic, bleach_yaoi, and ren_x_ichi. Please ask if you want to share it. :) (Edit: Whoops, I always forget to add asterisk_plus til the last minute... sorry!)
Dedication: To all fellow Renji/Ichigo fangirls/guys out there. We know it's impossible, we know it's silly, and we know it's damned hot!
A/N: I don't really need an excuse to write more Renjigo, but I wanted to try my hand at writing something a little more pr0ny than my usual style. I think it came out ok. I'm not even going to apologize for the lack of plot. ^_^ Stupidity ahoy, boys and girls - all aboard the Gratuitous Smut and Cheese Express!
*
A Tight Squeeze
Kurosaki Ichigo ran stealthily down the long corridor, Abarai Renji hot on his heels. They had this one chance to reach their abducted comrade Inoue Orihime and retrieve her without engaging in any more incidental battles. Their other team mates were creating a loud, offensive diversion to draw off the enemy forces while they made a run for her.
They eased open the door to the suite of rooms they'd identified as Orihime's prison. Renji guarded the door as Ichigo darted to the inner rooms to find their comrade. All too soon the truth became clear to him - she wasn't there anymore.
His loud curse brought Renji running. "What's wrong?"
"They moved her!"
"She's gone?" Renji looked around in confusion.
"Where did they take her?" Ichigo fumed. "She can't be far, we can follow her."
"Too late!" Renji grabbed his wrist, preventing him from running off as powerful energy signatures entered the range of their senses. "They're comin'!"
"Shit!" Ichigo whispered hoarsely. "Now what?" He looked around frantically.
"Hide!" The hand on his wrist pulled him back into the outer room.
"What-"
"There, get in!" Renji yanked open the door to an impossibly small storage closet.
Ichigo didn't waste any time - he backed into the small space. "What about you?" he whispered urgently.
"I…" Renji glanced around the room desperately. The approaching reiatsu was much closer now.
"No time!" Ichigo hissed. He reached out and hauled the startled shinigami into the closet with him. "Shut it, quick!" Renji fumbled behind him for the handle; the door swung shut with an ominous click.
Just enough light came through under the door for them to stare at each other in dismay. They were locked in. And those stares were a lot closer than they would've liked. The closet was barely big enough for one person - the two of them together just did not fit. They looked away quickly. They could break the door down easily enough, but that would have to wait until whoever was approaching was long gone.
They were pressed up against each other awkwardly; Ichigo's slightly smaller stature gave him a close-up of Renji's ear and tattooed neck, and he could feel Renji's breath stirring his hair.
"Can you move back at all?" The shelves behind him bit into his back uncomfortably but he was held in place by the push of Renji's hips and shoulders against his own.
"The handle's already diggin' a hole in my kidney." Renji shifted his body, trying to ease the pressure off them both.
Ichigo drew in a sharp breath as he was first shoved more firmly into the shelves and then… he felt the blood rush to his face as Renji's hip slid over his groin.
They froze. "Sorry," Renji muttered. He opened his mouth to say something more, but the reiatsu closing in on them was near enough to be read - and what they read there chilled them both.
"Fuck, Aizen is here?" Renji swore. "We ain't ready for that bastard yet." He looked at Ichigo again distinctly for the first time since they'd gotten stuck in the closet. "Pull your energy in all the way," he urged. "He'll feel ya for sure like that."
Ichigo tried not to panic; he'd gotten better at it, but he still couldn't control his reiatsu perfectly. "I… I don't think I can." He tried, focusing hard, but the ache in his back and Renji's awkward proximity made the already difficult task impossible.
"Not good enough." Renji's eyes were strained. "They're gonna catch us."
"Help me, then!" Ichigo closed his eyes and bit his lip, forcing his mind away from the pain in his back and the persistent tingle in his groin. Almost… just a little more…
Renji's hands on his waist snapped the tenuous control he'd barely managed.
"Get your hands off me! What the hell do you think you're doin'?" Ichigo managed to keep his voice down but he couldn’t hide the nervous tremor.
"You were about t' fall over, asshole!" Renji retorted. His hands stayed firmly in place, holding Ichigo upright as he suddenly swayed. "Focus!"
"How'm I supposed to focus with you all over me like this?" Ichigo shot back. "I can't do it, and he's almost here!" They looked at each other helplessly.
"I think I can help… but ya gotta trust me," Renji offered.
"Of course I trust you, don't be stupid," Ichigo snapped.
"Ok… don't freak out, just hang on."
What does that mean? "Eh?" Ichigo didn't have to wonder long; Renji's reiatsu pressed against him from all around. It was an odd feeling of warm pressure.
"Now ya got ta… erm… accept me into ya," Renji explained, flushing slightly. "Let my energy in t' mix with yours."
"How do I do that?" Too much was at stake here to argue any more.
"Just… let me in. Trust me. Accept me. Reach out t' me… think 'bout how much ya-" he broke off.
Renji's energy flooded into him just as his own filled the red-haired shinigami. They gaped at each other as their energies blended together easily. Ichigo could feel the other man's surprise almost as clearly as his own.
"Is… is this right?" Ichigo asked.
"Oh… yeah, now I can…" Ichigo felt him concentrate, and then his own energy was firmly under control, held within Renji's.
"Thanks." Ichigo was a bit put out that he'd needed to ask his comrade for help.
"Don't be," Renji whispered. "Part a' bein' a team."
Ichigo hadn't realized the shinigami would be able to read him so easily. The sincerity in his friend's words was reassuring, but the intimacy of their connection was unsettling.
Outside, Aizen's spiritual signature still loomed, but he'd stopped moving - right outside the suite.
"What's he doin', holding court in the hallway?" Now that the immediate danger of being caught had been dealt with, Ichigo was hyper aware of the sharp lines digging into his back and the door handle gouging Renji's.
"Long's he's out there, he ain't in here," Renji reminded him. "Maybe we can-" His hands tightened on Ichigo's waist as he shifted, trying to ease them both into a more comfortable position.
"No wait, don’t-" Ichigo grabbed Renji's hips too late. The contact to his groin sent a ripple of pleasure through him. He felt his body react, and a wave of embarrassment spread.
"Ow, fuck, no good - my spine…" Renji moved again quickly. This shifting brought them flush together; each movement against his hardening member produced a jolt of pleasure - one Ichigo knew Renji would feel.
"Stop wiggling, Renji - please!" Ichigo didn't think his mortification could get any worse, but he was wrong. Renji's matching embarrassment washed over him, followed quickly by a feeling of contrition and…
The press of the other man's arousal against his own confirmed the guilty pleasure he read in both their energies.
"Er… just ignore it," Renji muttered. "Just a physical reaction."
Ichigo dearly would've loved to believe that, but their meshed reiatsu gave up the lie. The way their hands still hadn't left each other's bodies should've been a clue.
The barriers to their long-suppressed feelings broke down, and an inexplicable calm settled over him. "This's too much honesty for a friendship to survive," Ichigo observed. Ah, what the hell!
"What-"
Ichigo rolled his hips, sending another shaft of excitement through them and drawing a silent groan from his companion. Long fingers dug into him as Renji pulled their bodies even closer together. Ichigo felt the soft material of Renji's bandana as the shinigami pressed their foreheads together.
"Honesty, huh?" Renji licked his lips nervously before bending his neck further. "Last chance t' change your mind." His breath ghosted over Ichigo's face, dark eyes holding his intently.
Ichigo responded by crushing their mouths together. Renji returned the pressure eagerly, and it was all Ichigo could do not to moan aloud at the heat racing through them. He parted his lips, inviting Renji's tongue to twine with his. Soft, wet mouths moved together feverishly, hot and needy.
They broke apart when the ominous reiatsu in the hall began moving again - this time away from the room where they'd trapped themselves. They opened eyes that had slid shut at some point during the embrace, and shared a long look.
"Renji…" he breathed softly against the soft lips still only a hair away from his.
"Ichigo, I-" With a subdued moan, Renji caught him up in another insistent kiss.
He explored the other man's mouth with his tongue, sliding it over pointed teeth and licking the swollen lips. Ichigo's gasp was lost in Renji's mouth as the red-haired shinigami twitched his hips, grinding their cocks together again. He had no idea how Renji was suppressing their energies, but whatever this trick was it was working - the wild swirl of reiatsu was confined to the two of them alone. And it was a good thing, too, because…
Ichigo rocked against Renji sharply, enjoying the hitch in his companion's breathing and the increased pressure from their straining erections. They moved together as best they could in the confined space, biting back yelps when they lost their rhythm and banged painfully against the sturdy shelves and protruding door handle.
It didn't matter - their breathing intensified even in the midst of the kiss as the tension built. Somewhere in the haze, Ichigo realized that continuing like this would cause problems in the very near future; he relinquished his grip on Renji's hips to slide his hands into the shinigami's hakama. He grasped the hard length and drew it out of the folds. Ichigo slicked his hands with the sticky fluids already leaking from the tip and began stroking quickly.
Renji got the point, and immediately moved to free Ichigo from his pants. His hands were rough and calloused, but they felt impossibly good on his cock. Hot flesh rubbed together as they moved; someone whimpered, Ichigo wasn't certain who, or maybe it was both, but the desperate sound was apparently more aphrodisiac than they needed; Renji dropped the kiss, his mouth gone slack as he began to shudder. His hands slowed, and his eyes opened wide to stare directly into Ichigo's as his cock pulsed in Ichigo's hands.
"Ahh, careful, gonna-" Ichigo caught the wet splashes with one hand while he milked the other man's orgasm to the end. He'd never seen anything as arousing as the flash in Renji's eyes when he found his release. His own member throbbed in anticipation as Renji's hands went back to work, shaking with the aftermath of pleasure but still running firm and sure over his length.
Renji's lips closed over his again briefly, muffling the moan that threatened to spill out. His movements quickened as Ichigo quivered and clutched his neck with his clean hand.
"Come on," Renji whispered against his lips. "Come for me."
The low, sensual tone washed over him and pushed him over the edge. Ichigo's head fell back; he bucked slightly as he spasmed, his sticky release spilling onto Renji's hands. A hot mouth attacked his exposed neck as he shook, teeth nipping the soft skin, soft lips and tongue following after.
Ichigo fought to catch his breath as the shinigami slowly released him. He tilted his head, biting gently across Renji's jaw as they stood trembling together.
"Now what?" Ichigo asked quietly. Renji's head dropped onto his shoulder, and he felt the shinigami fumbling for something in his robes.
"Here." Renji offered him a handkerchief.
"You carry a handkerchief?" Ichigo asked, bemused. He wiped his fingers clean, but couldn't resist sneaking one into his mouth for a taste of the milky fluid. He flushed when Renji caught him at it, but couldn't tear his eyes away when the red-haired shinigami mimicked the gesture.
"Shaddap." Renji took the handkerchief back and finished cleaning up. "Just be glad one a' us is prepared."
Ichigo snorted softly. "Prepared for making out in a closet in Aizen's fortress?"
Renji grinned. "Well no, gotta admit that was a surprise, but ya never know what might come in handy in the field." His eyes narrowed. "An' speakin' a' that, how long do ya think we should wait before we try an' get outta here?"
He thought about it. "I can still sense him on the very edges… maybe another 5 or 10 minutes after he's completely gone?"
"Right." With no more reason to be uncomfortable, they wiggled around trying to fit their bodies together more comfortably in the cramped space.
"Ow careful, idiot, that's my foot!" Ichigo hissed.
"Watch your elbows!" Renji sighed as he finally escaped the prodding door handle. "Damn that hurt."
They finally settled into a less awkward resting position, holding each other upright and away from the painful protrusions on all sides.
Gotta deal with this sometime… "Um…" Ichigo began uncertainly. "What does this mean, exactly?"
Renji twisted a little to look at him. "I dunno. It was fun. I wanna do it again, with you, an' not anyone else. I like your company. That enough for now?"
Ichigo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good to me." It was as close as they were going to get to an admission of their feelings.
They waited out the rest of the time in a silence far too easy for the situation they were in. When they finally judged it safe, they shattered the lock on the door with ease and tumbled out into the room. Cautiously they waited for any sign that they'd been heard, but no angry swell of energy or hurried footsteps were forthcoming.
Ichigo looked around the room, disappointment at having lost the trail finally setting in. "Ok, let's join up with the others. The diversion's long over by now, and they'll be wondering what the hell happened to us." He started for the door, but the shinigami halted him with a hand on his shoulder.
"What-" Renji's hands gripped his shoulders, mouth pressing against his, hard and swift. Ichigo's head spun, but he managed barely to respond.
"We'll get her back," Renji promised. "We ain't gonna lose, and we ain't gonna leave anyone behind."
"Hell yeah we're gonna beat that bastard," Ichigo growled. "Gotta pick up the others first, though. This's a team effort, right?" Took me a while, but I finally got that.
"Damn straight."
They shot off together back down the long corridor.
END
Sequel: An Important Discussion
Series: Closet (first in the series)
Author: Akuni
Universe: Bleach
Genre: PWP, Drama/Romance
Rating: NC-17 (Smut)
Pairing: Renji/Ichigo
Spoilers: through manga chapter 250
Summary: Ichigo and Renji attempt a rescue mission, but their plans are foiled and they're caught in a tight spot...
Word Count: 2400
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, I'm just borrowing it for a while.
Distribution: Crossposted to kurosaki_clinic, bleach_yaoi, and ren_x_ichi. Please ask if you want to share it. :) (Edit: Whoops, I always forget to add asterisk_plus til the last minute... sorry!)
Dedication: To all fellow Renji/Ichigo fangirls/guys out there. We know it's impossible, we know it's silly, and we know it's damned hot!
A/N: I don't really need an excuse to write more Renjigo, but I wanted to try my hand at writing something a little more pr0ny than my usual style. I think it came out ok. I'm not even going to apologize for the lack of plot. ^_^ Stupidity ahoy, boys and girls - all aboard the Gratuitous Smut and Cheese Express!
*
A Tight Squeeze
Kurosaki Ichigo ran stealthily down the long corridor, Abarai Renji hot on his heels. They had this one chance to reach their abducted comrade Inoue Orihime and retrieve her without engaging in any more incidental battles. Their other team mates were creating a loud, offensive diversion to draw off the enemy forces while they made a run for her.
They eased open the door to the suite of rooms they'd identified as Orihime's prison. Renji guarded the door as Ichigo darted to the inner rooms to find their comrade. All too soon the truth became clear to him - she wasn't there anymore.
His loud curse brought Renji running. "What's wrong?"
"They moved her!"
"She's gone?" Renji looked around in confusion.
"Where did they take her?" Ichigo fumed. "She can't be far, we can follow her."
"Too late!" Renji grabbed his wrist, preventing him from running off as powerful energy signatures entered the range of their senses. "They're comin'!"
"Shit!" Ichigo whispered hoarsely. "Now what?" He looked around frantically.
"Hide!" The hand on his wrist pulled him back into the outer room.
"What-"
"There, get in!" Renji yanked open the door to an impossibly small storage closet.
Ichigo didn't waste any time - he backed into the small space. "What about you?" he whispered urgently.
"I…" Renji glanced around the room desperately. The approaching reiatsu was much closer now.
"No time!" Ichigo hissed. He reached out and hauled the startled shinigami into the closet with him. "Shut it, quick!" Renji fumbled behind him for the handle; the door swung shut with an ominous click.
Just enough light came through under the door for them to stare at each other in dismay. They were locked in. And those stares were a lot closer than they would've liked. The closet was barely big enough for one person - the two of them together just did not fit. They looked away quickly. They could break the door down easily enough, but that would have to wait until whoever was approaching was long gone.
They were pressed up against each other awkwardly; Ichigo's slightly smaller stature gave him a close-up of Renji's ear and tattooed neck, and he could feel Renji's breath stirring his hair.
"Can you move back at all?" The shelves behind him bit into his back uncomfortably but he was held in place by the push of Renji's hips and shoulders against his own.
"The handle's already diggin' a hole in my kidney." Renji shifted his body, trying to ease the pressure off them both.
Ichigo drew in a sharp breath as he was first shoved more firmly into the shelves and then… he felt the blood rush to his face as Renji's hip slid over his groin.
They froze. "Sorry," Renji muttered. He opened his mouth to say something more, but the reiatsu closing in on them was near enough to be read - and what they read there chilled them both.
"Fuck, Aizen is here?" Renji swore. "We ain't ready for that bastard yet." He looked at Ichigo again distinctly for the first time since they'd gotten stuck in the closet. "Pull your energy in all the way," he urged. "He'll feel ya for sure like that."
Ichigo tried not to panic; he'd gotten better at it, but he still couldn't control his reiatsu perfectly. "I… I don't think I can." He tried, focusing hard, but the ache in his back and Renji's awkward proximity made the already difficult task impossible.
"Not good enough." Renji's eyes were strained. "They're gonna catch us."
"Help me, then!" Ichigo closed his eyes and bit his lip, forcing his mind away from the pain in his back and the persistent tingle in his groin. Almost… just a little more…
Renji's hands on his waist snapped the tenuous control he'd barely managed.
"Get your hands off me! What the hell do you think you're doin'?" Ichigo managed to keep his voice down but he couldn’t hide the nervous tremor.
"You were about t' fall over, asshole!" Renji retorted. His hands stayed firmly in place, holding Ichigo upright as he suddenly swayed. "Focus!"
"How'm I supposed to focus with you all over me like this?" Ichigo shot back. "I can't do it, and he's almost here!" They looked at each other helplessly.
"I think I can help… but ya gotta trust me," Renji offered.
"Of course I trust you, don't be stupid," Ichigo snapped.
"Ok… don't freak out, just hang on."
What does that mean? "Eh?" Ichigo didn't have to wonder long; Renji's reiatsu pressed against him from all around. It was an odd feeling of warm pressure.
"Now ya got ta… erm… accept me into ya," Renji explained, flushing slightly. "Let my energy in t' mix with yours."
"How do I do that?" Too much was at stake here to argue any more.
"Just… let me in. Trust me. Accept me. Reach out t' me… think 'bout how much ya-" he broke off.
Renji's energy flooded into him just as his own filled the red-haired shinigami. They gaped at each other as their energies blended together easily. Ichigo could feel the other man's surprise almost as clearly as his own.
"Is… is this right?" Ichigo asked.
"Oh… yeah, now I can…" Ichigo felt him concentrate, and then his own energy was firmly under control, held within Renji's.
"Thanks." Ichigo was a bit put out that he'd needed to ask his comrade for help.
"Don't be," Renji whispered. "Part a' bein' a team."
Ichigo hadn't realized the shinigami would be able to read him so easily. The sincerity in his friend's words was reassuring, but the intimacy of their connection was unsettling.
Outside, Aizen's spiritual signature still loomed, but he'd stopped moving - right outside the suite.
"What's he doin', holding court in the hallway?" Now that the immediate danger of being caught had been dealt with, Ichigo was hyper aware of the sharp lines digging into his back and the door handle gouging Renji's.
"Long's he's out there, he ain't in here," Renji reminded him. "Maybe we can-" His hands tightened on Ichigo's waist as he shifted, trying to ease them both into a more comfortable position.
"No wait, don’t-" Ichigo grabbed Renji's hips too late. The contact to his groin sent a ripple of pleasure through him. He felt his body react, and a wave of embarrassment spread.
"Ow, fuck, no good - my spine…" Renji moved again quickly. This shifting brought them flush together; each movement against his hardening member produced a jolt of pleasure - one Ichigo knew Renji would feel.
"Stop wiggling, Renji - please!" Ichigo didn't think his mortification could get any worse, but he was wrong. Renji's matching embarrassment washed over him, followed quickly by a feeling of contrition and…
The press of the other man's arousal against his own confirmed the guilty pleasure he read in both their energies.
"Er… just ignore it," Renji muttered. "Just a physical reaction."
Ichigo dearly would've loved to believe that, but their meshed reiatsu gave up the lie. The way their hands still hadn't left each other's bodies should've been a clue.
The barriers to their long-suppressed feelings broke down, and an inexplicable calm settled over him. "This's too much honesty for a friendship to survive," Ichigo observed. Ah, what the hell!
"What-"
Ichigo rolled his hips, sending another shaft of excitement through them and drawing a silent groan from his companion. Long fingers dug into him as Renji pulled their bodies even closer together. Ichigo felt the soft material of Renji's bandana as the shinigami pressed their foreheads together.
"Honesty, huh?" Renji licked his lips nervously before bending his neck further. "Last chance t' change your mind." His breath ghosted over Ichigo's face, dark eyes holding his intently.
Ichigo responded by crushing their mouths together. Renji returned the pressure eagerly, and it was all Ichigo could do not to moan aloud at the heat racing through them. He parted his lips, inviting Renji's tongue to twine with his. Soft, wet mouths moved together feverishly, hot and needy.
They broke apart when the ominous reiatsu in the hall began moving again - this time away from the room where they'd trapped themselves. They opened eyes that had slid shut at some point during the embrace, and shared a long look.
"Renji…" he breathed softly against the soft lips still only a hair away from his.
"Ichigo, I-" With a subdued moan, Renji caught him up in another insistent kiss.
He explored the other man's mouth with his tongue, sliding it over pointed teeth and licking the swollen lips. Ichigo's gasp was lost in Renji's mouth as the red-haired shinigami twitched his hips, grinding their cocks together again. He had no idea how Renji was suppressing their energies, but whatever this trick was it was working - the wild swirl of reiatsu was confined to the two of them alone. And it was a good thing, too, because…
Ichigo rocked against Renji sharply, enjoying the hitch in his companion's breathing and the increased pressure from their straining erections. They moved together as best they could in the confined space, biting back yelps when they lost their rhythm and banged painfully against the sturdy shelves and protruding door handle.
It didn't matter - their breathing intensified even in the midst of the kiss as the tension built. Somewhere in the haze, Ichigo realized that continuing like this would cause problems in the very near future; he relinquished his grip on Renji's hips to slide his hands into the shinigami's hakama. He grasped the hard length and drew it out of the folds. Ichigo slicked his hands with the sticky fluids already leaking from the tip and began stroking quickly.
Renji got the point, and immediately moved to free Ichigo from his pants. His hands were rough and calloused, but they felt impossibly good on his cock. Hot flesh rubbed together as they moved; someone whimpered, Ichigo wasn't certain who, or maybe it was both, but the desperate sound was apparently more aphrodisiac than they needed; Renji dropped the kiss, his mouth gone slack as he began to shudder. His hands slowed, and his eyes opened wide to stare directly into Ichigo's as his cock pulsed in Ichigo's hands.
"Ahh, careful, gonna-" Ichigo caught the wet splashes with one hand while he milked the other man's orgasm to the end. He'd never seen anything as arousing as the flash in Renji's eyes when he found his release. His own member throbbed in anticipation as Renji's hands went back to work, shaking with the aftermath of pleasure but still running firm and sure over his length.
Renji's lips closed over his again briefly, muffling the moan that threatened to spill out. His movements quickened as Ichigo quivered and clutched his neck with his clean hand.
"Come on," Renji whispered against his lips. "Come for me."
The low, sensual tone washed over him and pushed him over the edge. Ichigo's head fell back; he bucked slightly as he spasmed, his sticky release spilling onto Renji's hands. A hot mouth attacked his exposed neck as he shook, teeth nipping the soft skin, soft lips and tongue following after.
Ichigo fought to catch his breath as the shinigami slowly released him. He tilted his head, biting gently across Renji's jaw as they stood trembling together.
"Now what?" Ichigo asked quietly. Renji's head dropped onto his shoulder, and he felt the shinigami fumbling for something in his robes.
"Here." Renji offered him a handkerchief.
"You carry a handkerchief?" Ichigo asked, bemused. He wiped his fingers clean, but couldn't resist sneaking one into his mouth for a taste of the milky fluid. He flushed when Renji caught him at it, but couldn't tear his eyes away when the red-haired shinigami mimicked the gesture.
"Shaddap." Renji took the handkerchief back and finished cleaning up. "Just be glad one a' us is prepared."
Ichigo snorted softly. "Prepared for making out in a closet in Aizen's fortress?"
Renji grinned. "Well no, gotta admit that was a surprise, but ya never know what might come in handy in the field." His eyes narrowed. "An' speakin' a' that, how long do ya think we should wait before we try an' get outta here?"
He thought about it. "I can still sense him on the very edges… maybe another 5 or 10 minutes after he's completely gone?"
"Right." With no more reason to be uncomfortable, they wiggled around trying to fit their bodies together more comfortably in the cramped space.
"Ow careful, idiot, that's my foot!" Ichigo hissed.
"Watch your elbows!" Renji sighed as he finally escaped the prodding door handle. "Damn that hurt."
They finally settled into a less awkward resting position, holding each other upright and away from the painful protrusions on all sides.
Gotta deal with this sometime… "Um…" Ichigo began uncertainly. "What does this mean, exactly?"
Renji twisted a little to look at him. "I dunno. It was fun. I wanna do it again, with you, an' not anyone else. I like your company. That enough for now?"
Ichigo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good to me." It was as close as they were going to get to an admission of their feelings.
They waited out the rest of the time in a silence far too easy for the situation they were in. When they finally judged it safe, they shattered the lock on the door with ease and tumbled out into the room. Cautiously they waited for any sign that they'd been heard, but no angry swell of energy or hurried footsteps were forthcoming.
Ichigo looked around the room, disappointment at having lost the trail finally setting in. "Ok, let's join up with the others. The diversion's long over by now, and they'll be wondering what the hell happened to us." He started for the door, but the shinigami halted him with a hand on his shoulder.
"What-" Renji's hands gripped his shoulders, mouth pressing against his, hard and swift. Ichigo's head spun, but he managed barely to respond.
"We'll get her back," Renji promised. "We ain't gonna lose, and we ain't gonna leave anyone behind."
"Hell yeah we're gonna beat that bastard," Ichigo growled. "Gotta pick up the others first, though. This's a team effort, right?" Took me a while, but I finally got that.
"Damn straight."
They shot off together back down the long corridor.
END
Sequel: An Important Discussion