Ichigo didn't know how the two of them always got into such ridiculous trouble. In fact, every time, after some crazy shenanigan or other, he'll tell Renji that was it, that was the last time they were doing something so dumb - and then a few days would go by, and there they go again.

Today was one of those days - and to be honest, this time he'd kind of started it.

To explain the situation they were in now, one had to look back a few months to a certain incident in which Ikkaku, who was more Renji's friend than Ichigo's, had made fun of this one t-shirt Ichigo had, the one with the fifteen on it. Ichigo fucking loved that shirt, and hadn't been happy to be made a fool in front of everybody. He understood that it was kind of stupid to hate superstitions and puns made about his name but love a shirt that said 'fifteen' on it, but he didn't care! He liked the shirt!

In any case, Ikkaku had thought it would be funny later to steal it from his locker at the gym and then act dumb like he didn't know what happened. Thus had ensued a months long war in which Ichigo would take the shirt back and the two of them would beat each other up. He knew that this was just Ikkaku's way of provoking him into a fight, because for some reason that's what the guy likes, and although Ichigo knows it's dumb to pretty much give him his way, he can't help it. It fucking pisses him off!

Anyway, the latest time had been particularly annoying, because the shirt's been gone for over two weeks, and Ichigo was seriously ticked. He wanted to teach Ikkaku a lesson about taking other people's stuff for kicks. He was going to that fucker's house.

When his roommate and best bud Renji had heard his plan, he hadn't been happy - in fact, he'd tried for several days to sway Ichigo into changing his mind. When Ichigo hadn't been moved, Renji had begrudgingly agreed to come too, but had complained endlessly, because he didn't want to break into his senpai's house. "Hey man, whose side are you on?" Ichigo had accused, which had shut him up.

Hah, even Renji thought Ikkaku was wrong! Ichigo was going to prank Ikkaku so hard that he'd think twice next time about taking his stuff!

Renji came with him reluctantly to Ikkaku and Yumichika's apartment, standing around awkwardly with his hands in his pockets while Ichigo opened the door with the key he'd swiped from Ikkaku's keyring. "Ichigo, I dunno' about this," Renji muttered again. "He's gonna' be pissed."

"Yeah, that's the point, just c'mon."

"Okay, but we're just getting the shirt. In and out and then we're gone."

"Yeah, sure," Ichigo said distractedly, getting the door open. He gave a low whistle. "Whoa, nice digs." Renji stepped into the apartment after him, shutting the door and looking around uncomfortably. "How the hell do they afford this place? I know Ikkaku doesn't make enough doing whatever personal trainer shit he does to cover this."

"Yumichika does something or other online, it's-" Renji shook his head. "Look, we shouldn't be in here, just get the shirt and let's get out of here."

"They're not gonna' know, just chill out," Ichigo soothed. "Help me find it."

"I'm not gonna' look through their stuff!" Renji yiped, shoulders going up as he shook his head.

"What, you think it's just gonna' pop out?! We have to look a little bit," Ichigo insisted, then shoved Renji's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm just here to keep watch!"

"Dude, just help so we can leave."

"Geez, okay."

Ichigo left Renji then to go open a couple doors in the hallway and peek in some of the rooms, at last finding what had to be Ikkaku's bedroom judging from the state of the floor, clothes and shit everywhere, or at least covering half. Weird, there were two beds in here.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Renji hissed from down the hall. "Get out of there!"

Ichigo ignored him, checking the different piles quickly, then pulling out the drawers in the bureau. These didn't look like Ikkaku's clothes. "Ichigo," Renji insisted.

"Relax, I found it," he muttered, finally finding it balled up on the floor of the closet. Renji stormed up behind him, halting at the doorway of the bedroom and then tiptoeing in and making to grab him by the arm. "Aw gross, did he use it as a sweat rag? That fucking-!"

They both froze, heads snapping up as all of a sudden they heard keys jingling and voices outside the front door. Looking at each other with wide eyes, not daring to do more than breathe, Renji whispered, "Oh shit."

Ichigo grit his teeth, looking around frantically. Renji thought quicker, yanking him out of the bedroom and kicking the door shut, then throwing him into the hall closet. Ichigo barely grabbed onto the molding of the door to keep from banging into the back wall and knocking over a bunch of coats. A second later, Renji barged in after him, shoving him into the tiny space and shushing his angry cursing. They'd just crouched down in the corners and pulled the door almost all shut when the front door handle rattled.

Renji tried his best to calm his heavy breathing and stay quiet, while Ichigo just tried not to move at all, the bottoms of coats on his head and in his face. The both of them didn't make a sound as they listened to the distorted voices of their friends as they banged around outside taking off their shoes and coming in the front door.

All long legs and bulky shoulders, Renji let out a tight grunt, crammed against Ichigo uncomfortably so in the small space. At last he hissed, "This is your fault," and Ichigo just widened his mouth in a grimace, narrowing his eyes.

"No, this is your fault," he whispered back.

"Me?"

"Yeah, we could've just let them catch us and then I could've punched that smug bastard in the face, but now if we pop out, we're creepy closet lurkers."

Renji was silent for a couple seconds and then kicked him in the leg sharply. Ichigo couldn't retaliate before Ikkaku and Yumichika came into the house. Looked like they were stuck here for the long haul.