DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH, THOUGH I WISH I DO. JUST LOVE PLAYING GOD IN THEIR UNIVERSE!

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Chapter 1

Having been recently involved in a breakup, Shuuhei decided he badly needed to relax. He still cared for Izuru but the man's emotional baggage took toll on their relationship, on them both. He decided that enough was enough. He needed space to think, to breathe, to forget, or at least move on, even if one step at a time. Renji knew the tattooed man was particularly in dire need of cheering up, so he half dragged his senpai to a club frequented mostly by yuppies and college students.

Both men were greeted by a hulking bouncer. The man looked them up from head to toe, possibly sizing them up if they would cause trouble, after all they look… unusual.

Shuuhei was wearing a red button down long sleeved shirt and a low slung pair of jeans accentuated by a studded leather belt. Renji was wearing his usual black ensemble, made sexier by the fact that his neckline was showing more of his muscled chest. But what made the bouncer think twice were the tattoos. I mean, nothing was more unusual than seeing a guy with a 69 tattoo on his face and another one with weird branching tattooed eyebrows right? However, the bouncer let them through, having been sure that the two were not troublemakers of any sort.

As they stepped into the club, they were greeted by nothing more than neon lights, undulating bodies and the smell of booze, sweat and quite possibly sex. The music started to seep into Shuuhei's head.

He was particularly grateful he went along with his kyouhai. He realized that this was one hell of a distraction. As his eyes adjusted to the neon punctuated darkness of the club, his gaze settled to an orange haired man at the bar.

The orange haired man was lightly built, with beautifully tanned skin, brilliantly orange hair and a scowling face. He also noticed that he was young, probably about eighteen. He was wearing a tight sleeveless black shirt and a pair of low riding skinny jeans which accented his well shaped bum.

What really caught Shuuhei's attention though was the younger man's chocolate brown eyes. They bespoke of an unknown intensity, of something that he would very much like to explore.

"Ne, senpai, that one's pretty hot, isn't he?"

He was startled out of his reverie. "Yes, he is one eye candy."

"Then why don'cha ask his name or somethin' senpai? Come on. He looks pretty much alone. Plus he's also checking ya out."

The innuendo was not lost on Shuuhei. He was not one for one night stands. Renji was right though. The man was indeed checking him out in this very discreet, subtle manner. However, he was still reluctant to go ahead and be done with it. Yet something in the younger man's eyes pulled him anyway, like a moth to flame. He approached the end of the bar where the orange haired man was sitting.

"Hey."

He was nursing a pink martini. Up close, Shuuhei realized that he was even more beautiful, if only he'd lose the scowl…

The younger man slowly turned and looked at him, as if appraising him.

"Yes?"

"I was just thinking, maybe you could use some company."

The scowl softened. He felt the orange haired man's eyes on him, the intensity slowly melting him.

"You're not the first one to say that."

They both grinned. They knew Shuuhei's pick up line sucked big time. The fact that the younger man found the whole thing funny comforted him; that maybe this would not end up in a one night stand after all.

"Name's Ichigo."

"Strawberry? Your name's Strawberry?" the tattooed man asked incredulously.

The said berry only snorted but the scowl disappeared altogether. Instead a smile touched his lips. "I get that all the time." He rolled his eyes.

Upon seeing that smile, Shuuhei was stunned into wordlessness. The only thought that was running in his kind at the moment was "God, he's even more beautiful with that smile on his face". His first instinct was to gently caress that face and probably rain feather light kisses along his jaw toward the junction of his neck and shoulder, suck the skin there… but he controlled himself. Then he remembered that he had not even introduced himself.

"I'm sorry. Mine's Shuuhei."

"I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Nah. Actually, I don't hang out much. It's just that I needed to relax and a friend of mine thought that clubbing was a good idea. Speaking of which, he's over there." The tattooed man waved at the general direction of where Renji was.

"The red head?" He smiled again.

Shuuhei smirked. So he really was checking me out. However, if anything, Ichigo's smile got sweeter.

"Wanna dance?"

"Why not?"

Both men made a beeline to the dance floor. The place was overflowing. People were grinding and bumping to the electronic beats. However, this only served to heighten Shuuhei's adrenaline rush, one which he had not felt in a long time. It was as if he was waiting for this one moment and this moment alone. Then he felt Ichigo's arms wind around his neck. Their eyes made contact and it was smoldering. Again, those chocolate orbs pulled him closer, he did not know where, but he was willing enough to go there. Then the berry started grinding against him, moving his hips this way and that, arms still around his neck. Ichigo's moves and the music were beating him into submission yet for the life of him; he would not fight against them, because he had been waiting for this. He found himself drawn not only to the berry's eyes but to those lips as well… those petal pink lips begging… begging to be conquered. He found his hand doing what he had only thought of before… his hand sought that face and gently caressed it. He slowly drew their faces closer… those eyes, they were trying to drown him but he would not mind, after all, he was waiting for this. Finally their lips met. Shuuhei could still hear the music but it was as if it was muffled. He could still feel the heat of all the people grinding and bumping against them but nothing compared to the heat that was Ichigo.

When they both let go, Shuuhei's lips stung of disappointment, of loneliness. Then he felt a little guilt welling up in his gut. He had never felt like this before. Yet he wanted more of this.

Renji meanwhile watched his senpai grind with the orange haired man on the dance floor. Between the two men, there was mutual attraction. He knew that this was bound to be something more than he initially thought. He smiled, congratulating himself on a job well done.

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a/n: a bunch of thank you's to the people who read my first fan fic "Love Lost" )