Renji's nostrils flared as he came to a dead stop, realizing at the same time as his friend that their wives weren't here. "You dumbass, I thought you said that they'd be here!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth and took the well-deserved insult. Dammit, just where in the hell could they be if not here? He'd known the moment he'd seen that pint of ice cream melting in the middle of the floor in Tatsuki's kitchen that something was wrong. Orihime would never abandon her ice cream without a very good reason. Even then, she'd still try to take it with her.

Trying to be the bigger man, he bit back a curse as he took another blow from Renji in the shoulder. Ichigo understood and shared his frustration, but hesure as hell wasn't going to be the idiot's punching bag just because Rukia wasn't here as he said. Besides, it wasn't his fault. It was hers for being stubborn and sneaking off to have the baby.

His eyes snapped open when Renji smacked him yet again. "That does it." Ichigo muttered under his breath, giving his temper free reign. If Renji wanted to burn off some frustration with a brawl, he'd be more than happy to oblige. The jackass had no one to blame but himself for when he ended up in the hospital bed beside his wife.

"This was a stupid idea from the …" Renji began, and stopped when Ichigo's fist met his jaw.

Slamming him against the wall, Ichigo pressed his forearm to Renji's throat. "Oh shut