Shuuhei glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping woman in the bed, curled up between the sheets, and closed the door behind him. Then he let out a deep sigh and slumped down the stairs while making a knot on his sweatpants to keep them from falling over his hips all the time. As he reached the downstairs, he saw a light coming from the kitchen and headed that way.

“Renji,” Shuuhei said and stopped dead in his tracks at the doorway. Renji lifted his head and looked at Shuuhei with a smile on his face.

“Ah, you can't sleep either?”

Shuuhei shook his head. “No.”

“Then join me, I just made some coffee,” Renji said and stood up from his chair to take a mug for Shuuhei.

“Coffee?” Shuuhei frowned and sat on the opposite side of the table. Renji nodded happily and handed Shuuhei his mug filled with a dark, brown liquid. “Are you sure you’re not trying to poison me?”

Renji laughed and shook his head. “No, no. Just put some sugar in it before you drink.”

“Sugar?” Shuuhei frowned and watched how Renji dropped few spoonfuls of sugar in his mug.

“It’s not that good without sugar,” Renji explained then, remembering the first time he had tasted coffee.

“Then why would you even drink it?” Shuuhei asked confused.

“I’m not actually sure,” Renji shrugged his shoulders. “Ichigo said it helps you keep awake.”

“And why are we drinking it in the middle of the night then?” Shuuhei chuckled, and Renji stared at him with an amusing look on his face. Then his mouth opened, closed, opened, closed, and Shuuhei thought Renji looked like a fish on dry land doing it.

“Let me guess, you didn’t really think about it when you just decided to make coffee?”

Renji nodded slowly and then burst out laughing. “Yeah, I really didn’t. Would you prefer some tea?”

Shuuhei smiled and shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep anyway so this will do just fine,” he said then and took a sip of his coffee. He let the weird liquid linger in his mouth until he was sure he knew exactly how it tasted like and then swallowed. “This is pretty good actually.”

Renji smiled at Shuuhei and leaned his elbows on the table. “What keeps you up? Does Rangiku snore?”

“Luckily no,” Shuuhei laughed shortly and shook his head.

“Then what is it? Does being in the real world trouble you?”

Shuuhei shrugged his shoulders. “It might be.”

“You don’t like it here?”

Shuuhei shook his head. “Not really. The beds are too soft and the air smells weird and the clothes,” Shuuhei sighed. “Oh, don’t even get me started with the clothes.”

Renji smiled and then glanced at Shuuhei under his brows. “At least they look good on you.”

Shuuhei almost choke on his coffee. What did Renji just say?

“I mean, if you look at yourself, those doesn’t look too bad on you. I would look ridiculous if I pulled those on.”

Shuuhei followed Renji’s gaze at his waistline and felt a blush creeping on his cheeks. How could something so innocent make him feel this way? Shuuhei swallowed hard and tried to laugh.

“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

Renji shook his head. “Hell no. I mean everything I say. Man, I’m even jealous. You could pull anything on and still look good.”

“Shut up,” Shuuhei murmured.

“You’re blushing.”

“I said shut up!”

“Don’t tell me that Rangiku doesn’t say these things to you already? Really? She doesn’t scream them in your ear while you’re wildly taking her from behind?” Renji laughed, and Shuuhei glared at him.

“You know you’re annoying, don’t you?” Shuuhei groaned and drank the rest of his coffee.

“Actually I believe I’m very lovable,” Renji grinned so widely that Shuuhei couldn’t keep the frown on anymore.

“I hate you,” Shuuhei laughed.

“Oh? Why?”

“Because I can't stay mad at you and your rubberface.”

“Rubber… I’ll show you some rubber!” Renji laughed and kicked Shuuhei’s angle under the table. Shuuhei winced and got up from his chair.

“You’re such a child, Renji,” Shuuhei laughed then and Renji got up too. Then he circled the table and made Shuuhei back up against the kitchen sink. Suddenly Shuuhei didn’t feel like laughing at all. Renji’s warm breath on his face made him painfully aware of how close Renji’s mouth was to his own.

“I might be,” Renji leaned down to whisper into Shuuhei’s ear and cold shivers went down his spine making him want to moan. “But at least I’m bigger than you.”

“Taller,” Shuuhei corrected and smirked. Renji lowered his gaze at Shuuhei and smirked back.

“I can't believe you just said that,” Renji chuckled.

“I can't believe we’re even talking like this,” Shuuhei chuckled back and pushed Renji away from him. He had to get away from Renji and he definitely had to change the subject or else he didn’t know what he would do.

“I think I should go back to bed,” Shuuhei mumbled then and turned to leave but Renji grabbed his arm.

“Do you really have to go?” Renji asked quietly and Shuuhei glanced at him. “I mean, can't Matsumoto survive even one night without you?”

Shuuhei frowned. “I’m sure she can but…”

“Ah, I get it,” Renji nodded. “It’s you who can't survive?”

Shuuhei shook his head with a smile. “No, I can survive too.”

“Then stay here with me,” Renji pleaded. “I really can't sleep and it’s very boring staying up all alone.”

Shuuhei sighed and glanced from Renji to the upstairs and back to Renji. The wisest thing would’ve been going back to Rangiku, Shuuhei knew it. But then again, Shuuhei sighed, we are friends with Renji. I can't stop spending time with him just because… well, just because.

“Alright,” Shuuhei nodded, and Renji pulled him under his arm and messed his hair. “But I will not start measuring who’s the bigger man.”

“Oh, c’mon!” Renji laughed. “Aren’t you even a little curious?”

Shuuhei slapped the back of Renji’s head and pushed him further.

“Hell no.”

If only you knew…