Random jotter post

[fay_e]

OK self, time to try this out

"Budge up."

Ichigo, who had been trying to make himself sleep by sheer force of willpower, budged up. With a groan, Renji settled himself beside Ichigo, and began his usual practice of burrowing a space for himself. One of his elbows whacked into Ichigo and he gave a yelp of surprise.

"Yeah yeah, I'll give you more space," Ichigo grumbled, and rolled more to his right before settling on his side again.

"You're like a block of wood!"

"Just go to sleep."

"No, seriously. You're tense." Now Renji was poking Ichigo with a finger. Out of reflex, Ichigo whacked back. "Hey! I'm just stating facts."

"I want sleep."

Renji snorted. "With how tense you are? Suuuure."

"Oh, so your yammering away is going to put me to bed?" Ichigo snapped back.

"Nope, but I've got a good pair of hands." Renji cracked his knuckles. "How about a massage?"

Ichigo probably wasn't hearing right. "What?"

"C'mon, you saw me massaging Rukia's back for her, and she liked it."

Ichigo thought back to the needy noises Rukia had been making during Renji's last massage, and shuddered. "No thanks."

"You sure?" Renji curved his palm over Ichigo's free shoulder and his thumb pressed into an especially tight knot. Ichigo yelped and shoved his hand away. "Hey! I'm trying to do something nice here."

Ichigo longed for a pillow to throw. "Just go to sleep."

Renji muttered to himself, but settled down. Ichigo tried to do the same, but the spot that Renji had attempted to massage was now twinging painfully. Ichigo told himself he could stick it out - he had survived gut-spilling wounds, what was a bit of fatigue?

His shoulder didn't seem to agree.

Sucking in a breath, Ichigo tried for a tentative "Renji?"

A sleepy grunt greeted him.

"About just now - a massage huh?"

Another grunt.

"Do I get to keep my tops on?"

There was silence, then Renji said, "So that's what had your panties in a twist?"

"Blow it out your ass."

"It's not as if I haven't seen you half-naked in training before."

"What? No I wasn't worried about that!"

"Oh? You're worried about Rukia's virgin eyes - ?"

"Not the one who half-strips any chance he gets here," Ichigo grumbled. "Rukia's seen you half naked a dozen times. I don't think she cares anymore."

"Then what was the fuss about?"

This was becoming more trouble than it was worth. "Forget I said anything."

Renji let out an exasperated sigh. "Make up your mind Kurosaki." This was followed by his hand curving over Ichigo's shoulder again. "Roll on your front. Before I change my mind."

Ichigo did as he was told. Renji's other hand joined the first on Ichigo's back; both were abnormally warm. Ichigo felt himself relaxing into the warmth already. When those palms began rubbing at tired muscles, he almost groaned too. Focusing on Renji's steady rub, he recognised the technique as something similar as what he used to do at the dojo. "You did karate too huh?"

"Soul Society trained us in hand-to-hand too," said Renji. "Of course we did karate."

"You're a bit more thorough than that."

"What, in the forms or the massage? And how did you turn yourself into a bundle of knots just by going on patrol?"

Ichigo rolled his face into his arms. "It's not patrol idiot."

"Then what was it?"

Ichigo tried to think of a way to describe this whole situation. Constantly being on alert, living in close quarters with both Rukia and Renji, the situations that Ichigo sometimes found himself in. Like the last time Renji gave Rukia a massage.

(RENJI SUGGESTS IT IS ALRIGHT FOR ICHIGO TO MISS HOME?)


Ichigo holds Rukia close in the train so that she doesn't get separated from him


3. Do compliment your date on how he or she looks. Men and women tend to put a lot of effort into getting ready for a date, and it's nice (and flattering) to hear that all that energy paid off.

4. Do be interested and interesting. Ask questions, share insights and pay attention when your date is telling you what they like to do, read, watch, listen to, etc.