* Info for this short story collection at the end of this chapter.

01.

TITLE: rakujitsu (Sunset)

WORD COUNT: 1,186

SUMMARY: In the warm glow of the sunset, Ichigo and Renji think about what they love the most in their significant other.

RATING: R (A very brief mention of sweet lovin', but otherwise 'tis all about the love.)

NOTE: My favourite out of the first eight I wrote - which is why I'm opening with this one. (And because the first one I wrote in chronological order was a really silly cheesy sex piece, and this makes for such better reading, no?) Inspired by Tokyo Jihen's "rakujitsu" - seriously, listen to the song while reading this.

"I met you by chance/loved you all too naturally/and welcomed this sunset over us; now, let's laugh"

- Tokyo Jihen, "rakujitsu"

Ichigo likes Renji's tattoos – they leave a trail of black all over his body, around his eyes and down his back before tapering off near his hips, some blossoming across his chest and yet some others snaking around his muscled upper arms. And always, when they're together in bed, Ichigo never fails to be amazed by the maze of ink, often tracing their path with his fingers, as if trying to find a way out, and drawing a lazy chuckle from Renji; even with his tongue, too, the wet trail leading down to the tuft of red hairs lining his navel before dipping southwards, earning a breathy moan from the redhead who thrusts his hips upwards to meet Ichigo's rhythm – but always ending up lost within those arms, within the warm embrace of their owner.

The orange-haired teenager's also fond of the redhead's shoulders. Strong and well-built, the result of having wielded a zanpakutou as heavy and bulky as Zabimaru for as long as he has, it's always on those muscles that Ichigo likes to rest his head when the both of them are seated back-to-back atop the school roof, staring into the blue sky and watching clouds drift by lazily, or just closing his eyes and resting, relaxing in the presence of Renji's warm reiatsu enveloping him. It's also those shoulders that he has buried his face and cried into many times, always in the middle of the night, when his memories of that fateful day when his mother was killed before his very eyes warped into nightmares and became too distorted and morphed for him, waking him up with a violent start, cold sweat beading his brow and soaking through the sheet, tears silently wetting Renji's chest, the redhead pulling him closer and stroking his back, muttering soothing nothings in his ear while he lets Ichigo cry it out.

He also has a thing for his partner's scent. Musky and heady, with a hint of spice (a warm one, reminiscent of a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a dash of pepper in the mix, and even a twinge of sweet, creamy vanilla), it's a smell Ichigo can make out easily even in a room full of people, and he loves to rest his head on Renji's chest and feel it rise and fall with every breath the older shinigami takes, while breathing in that sweet scent, his own chest moving in time, his eyelids growing heavy as he dozes off, safe and content in the warmth of Renji's embrace, all while the latter strokes his head gently, the both of them enjoying the tenderness, a brief respite from their duties and their battles. To Ichigo, that perfume is strength, protection and love all rolled into one; it makes him feel at ease and secure, even as his trials and responsibilities weigh down on his shoulders, perhaps a little too much for the teenager he still is.

Renji, in turn, likes Ichigo's arms. From being barely defined and rather average when they first met each other on that hot summer evening in Karakura, they have developed much since then through Ichigo's handling of his zanpakutou, widening and thickening to give a pair of firmly muscled, ripped arms. Yet, for all of their musculature, Renji gapes at Ichigo whenever they're in battle – the way the younger man swings his arms around effortlessly, smoothly, even as Zangetsu is launched in a perfect arc into a Hollow's mask, his sleek movements not unlike those of a cat stalking its prey. And when they're together, he likes the feel of those arms wrapped around him lovingly, protectively, even as Ichigo laughs brightly – something he rarely does, even before the whole Hollowification incident, before the weights of both the spiritual and human worlds came resting on his lean frame, perhaps too heavily – and snuggles up closer to Renji, resting his head on the other's chest.

The older shinigami also has a thing or two for his younger partner's waist – a trim one, with nary an inch of excess fat as a result of all the fierce training and battling Ichigo had to undergo, the tanned skin barely concealing the ripples of muscle and vein beneath. It's around this waist that Renji likes to place an arm around when they're together in bed, with their friends, or, as Renji grows more and more daring, now accustomed to human ways, in public as well, when he thinks that there's no one else looking. And despite Ichigo's mumbled protests and reddened cheeks, Renji knows that he enjoys it as well from the way he slides into the redhead's arm, even positioning himself to make himself more comfortable – and this despite the former claiming it rather possessive a gesture. Rather unfortunately for Ichigo, however, it's also a rather ticklish one, and there is little more that Renji enjoys than running his fingers up and down their length, chuckling even as Ichigo curls up into a ball and gasps for air, while laughing so hard tears roll down his cheeks, pleading for Renji to please let him off, the two of them eventually collapsing onto the bed, the bedsheets wet with their sweat, their sides aching from all the laughter.

He is also fond of Ichigo's eyes. Renji can't remember the number of times he's looked into those brown irises and found courage in their steely, confident gaze, especially on the battlefield, when Ichigo emerges unscathed by the enemy's attack, the unyielding spark in his eyes a light of encouragement for his fellow shinigami as they struggle to get back on their feet, their strength renewed in his fierce determination. It's in those depths that Renji has seen the gaze of a warrior, strong yet humble, and it's something he yearns to become more of.

In the end, however, what they both like the most about each other is their hearts – Ichigo Renji's for being loyal and steadfast, never one to betray his friends, while Renji Ichigo's for being courageous and protective, the safety of his beloveds always the first thing on his mind. It's this that they keep in their minds all the time, be they a sweaty tangle of limbs sprawled across Ichigo's bed on a cool night, or back to back with breathing heavy, blood dripping from the gashes across their foreheads, their chests, their limbs even as they are surrounded by an army of Hollows.

Never mind that one's a few-thousand-years-old shinigami while the other's all of seventeen years of age; never mind that one's a mass of spirit particles and can only walk about the human world comfortably after entering a faux body, with the other being living flesh and blood until he removes his soul from his body in pursuit of a Hollow.

Because they know that it's their love for each other that counts in the end. And everyday, when they find themselves in each other's company, enjoying the last few moments of the warm sunset by the riverbank, the two think that having met each other was probably the best thing that ever happened in their lives.

Story Info

TITLE: inu to tsuki (The Dog and The Moon)

PAIRINGS: RenIchi/IchiRen (yes, they do take turns to top/bottom. Makes for a very balanced relationship.)

SUMMARY: A collection of shorts – some as short as originally intended, some very much longer – centered about Renji and Ichigo, the two very adorable, and very lovable, dorks.

RATING: Like a mixed bag of candy – PG here, R there, and one or two Ms for those involving some naughty bits, yum yum.

SPOILERS: For the Arrancar arc, Hollow Ichigo, as well as events that happened before, in, and after Soul Society, the Winter War, and the Fullbringers period. In short, pretty much the whole series minus the Sternritters, at least for those pieces already complete - just that writing it all out makes it seem a lot longer and gives it a greater sense of gravity, heh. Depending on how future shorts turn out I might just write events from the Sternritters arc in, too.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own BLEACH, Kubo Tite does – I want two kitties, though; would call 'em Ichigo and Renji. (But no, I wouldn't dye Renji's fur red.)

NOTE: This was actually a project I'd started many years ago, at least four, somewhere after the writing of "ame furashi" (which I still get the occasional like and review on, thank you so much readers!), but I eventually shelved it due to real-life commitments getting in the way and how my interest in BLEACH was slowly waning. Now that the manga's getting a hell lot more interesting again, though, my fandom's slowly recovering itself, and I thought it'd be a nice way to get back into the swing of things by finishing this up and publishing it for good, to give an ending to something I started.

…Or so I thought. (The above was written when I restarted this project in 2013.) After writing one or two more shorts, I put the project on hold for a second time, and only recently did I dust it off again, this time to finish it for good.

Most of these were already at least half-written when I initially canned it, a few actually already complete – I've edited all of them, some more than others, and also written two new pieces for the occasion. One of them ended up being over 4,000 words, so I've made it a separate piece of its own, and included a heavily reworked version here. Those interested in the longer version should check out "seventeen".

I'll try to add a new piece every now and then - for now, the first eight or so are pieces that were already completed around 2013.