Title: Möbius
Author: Akuni
Series: Follows 'Fit to be Tied'
Universe: Bleach
Genre: Humour
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Renji/Ichigo
Spoilers: none really, but it makes more sense if you're familiar with the SS arc
Word Count: 597
Summary: Renji's birthday holds a surprise – for Ichigo.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, I'm just borrowing it for a while.
Distribution: Posted to my LJ. Please ask if you want to share it. :)
Dedication: For Renji, because it's his birthday. And for Ichigo, because you just can't have the one without the other. ;) Happy birthday, Renji! You know I love you – this should prove how much. :)
A/N: Surely you didn't think I was going to leave it there? Fair's fair, after all. /grin/ Many thanks to the usual suspects for eyeballing this for me.
Möbius
Payback, Ichigo thought, struggling wildly in his captors' grips, is a bitch.
The young substitute shinigami knew exactly how he'd wound up in this position, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He kicked and bit and flailed, but all he got for his trouble was rough laughter and rougher hands pinning his arms behind his back as he was carried off.
"I'll get you for this!" Ichigo swore loudly and creatively as he was dumped on a hard floor. He shot to his feet and made a dash for the exit, but a sharp rap on the back of his head had him tripping head over heels as his soul was shoved out of his body.
"Turnabout's fair play, little shinigami," came the mocking reply.
He was going to kill them all.
Just as soon as he could get his clothes back. He glared up at the three shinigami methodically stripping him of his uniform.
In desperation, he tried reasoning with them. "Can't we talk about this? I mean, there's gotta be a better way!"
Hisagi Shuuhei's face appeared upside down in Ichigo's line of sight as he knelt behind his head and pinned his shoulders. "C'mon now, Ichigo. Fair's fair, right?"
Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika laughed at Ichigo's scowl; Yumichika produced a spool of familiar bright pink ribbon from his pocket. Ichigo flushed hotly as the three shinigami trussed him up like a chicken for the spit.
"Urahara-san, we're ready to go now!" Shuuhei called. The exiled shopkeeper materialized from within a shadowed corner, and Ichigo knew he was doomed.
They put a great deal of effort into sneaking him into Soul Society without raising a big fuss. Ichigo endured the journey slung over Ikkaku's shoulder, holding in his reiatsu as best he could – there was no way he wanted Zaraki Kenpachi to get even a hint that he was in town and catch him like this!
When they left him on Renji's couch, still tightly bound, Ichigo considered his options. He knew he could just burst the ribbons and leave, but… Renji hadn't. And their friends had gone to an awful lot of trouble for their birthdays.
Ichigo sighed resignedly. Suppose I can put up with this in return. And it was an awful lotta fun…
He only had to wait about a half hour before Renji came home. The red-haired shinigami looked tired as he slid his zanpakutou onto a table beside the door and bent to remove his sandals, but he straightened again almost immediately and stared at Ichigo in startled amazement.
"Ichigo! What the hell?!" Renji's jaw fell open, and Ichigo squirmed self-consciously under his lover's appraising stare.
"They got me, too," Ichigo said wearily.
Renji's face broke out in a delighted grin. "But I thought ya couldn't get away, your father needed ya at the clinic?"
"Yeah I was there, 'til they kidnapped me!" Ichigo snorted. "Apparently my old man was in on it all along. The bastard." He wriggled uncomfortably in his bonds. He was right, these damn ribbons do chafe!
Renji took step forward, his look changing to one of concern, and Ichigo remembered again just how much he'd appreciated finding Renji at his flat at all on his birthday – it was a bonus that his lover had been naked under the truly ridiculous length of pink ribbon wound around him, and entirely willing to play 'present'.
"Er…" Ichigo cleared his throat and tried again. "Happy birthday." He raised beribboned hands to his lover. "Now help me get naked already!"
Renji's smile returned immediately.
END