Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters therein. They belong to Tite Kubo. This fan fiction is solely for the entertainment of the readers and to exercise my writing ability.

A/N: Hey everyone! -Smiles- I know it's been a while since I've posted anything on here, that is, if anyone who's read any of my other stuff is checking out this story. I hope that you enjoy this one-shot. I wanted to have it posted a lot sooner, but October has been a crazy month for me. Car accidents, finding a new car, a baby being born (my nephew), baby sitting said baby's siblings and watching my own little one, and the anniversary of my best friend's death. I was working on a RenTatsu Halloween picture, but as I said, October has been crazy. I have Renji sketched out, except for his arms, and no Tatsuki yet. When I finally get it finished I'll post it on my Deviantart.

This story takes place a few years after the end of the war with Aizen, as if Soul Society won the war. This story is primarily a RenTatsu with a little IchiRuki, IshiHime, and ChadOC. If I got any details about Mexico's Day of the Dead wrong, I apologize. I did research before I wrote about that part, but I may have still misunderstood what I read.

I do wanna dedicate this story to my friend's memory. She passed away in a car accident five years ago on the twenty-ninth of this month. When it happened I didn't find out until Halloween, so this time of year has always been a bit of a downer for me. So this story is dedicated to Melinea. She was a fellow fan writer and reader. I love you and miss you, A-chan. You are with God and His angels. Friends eternal, chica.

I'm hoping to have the time to do a special Christmas RenTatsu based on the twelve days of Christmas. So it will be at least twelve chapters long. Lord willing I'll have it done so I can post it on each Christmas day. It's going to be called "On the First Day of Christmas…." For those of you who have been misinformed, the first day of Christmas begins on Christmas and ends on the 5th of January.

Happae Halloween!

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All Hallow's Eve

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Tatsuki closed the door of her bedroom behind her, looking down at the thick, cream colored envelope in her hands. Written across it in a messy scrawl was the nickname he'd given her. She knew who the letter was from the moment she saw the large eyed, female Shinigami standing on her doorstep.

She opened the letter carefully, her fierce brown eyes deciphering the horrible chicken scratch that was his handwriting. A small smile formed on her lips as she walked toward her desk. When she finished, she folded it and looked out her window at the street below. Children dressed in brightly colored costumes were beginning to take to the streets, their orange jack-o-lantern pails in hand.

She looked down at the paper in her hand. It brought some good news, to her relief. The restoring of Soul Society was almost complete. The war between the Shinigami and Aizen's Espada army had taken a heavy toll on everyone involved. The number of casualties was high and even then, almost four years after its end, they were still recovering. The bad news was, he was still being held up with all the work of a Fuku-taichou. She hadn't seen the red head since he'd returned to Soul Society all those years ago.

Tatsuki gave a soft sigh as she placed the letter on top of her desk. She looked toward her door where her pirate costume was hanging. Orihime called before she received his letter, telling her that Uryu and herself were on their way to pick her up for the costume party they were attending that night. She looked at the clock on her wall and frowned.

"Time to get ready, Tatsuki. They'll be here any minute," she said aloud, walking toward her door.

What's gotten into you? Zoning out because you got a letter from the red headed menace. Get a grip girl! She scolded herself as she put her costume on. She turned back to her desk to pick up a piece of her costume that was very important to her. She played with the cotton material of the plain red bandana, her lips upturning into a half smile.

"You've never worn a bandana before? You've got to be kidding me," he said, yanking the red cloth from her hands. She scowled up at him.

"I'm not the one who wears one like his head's gonna fall off," she retorted. He stuck his pink tongue out at her as he folded the square into a triangle.

"You know I gotta cover my tats when we're at school, Tatsu," he replied, moving to stand behind her. He reached around her front, taking the ends of the bandana in each large hand. She felt his sculpted chest press into her back with each breath he took, his chin hovering above her left shoulder. He pulled away after lining the edge of it up with her hairline and she immediately missed his warmth. His breath tickled her ear as he secured the ends over her short, black hair.

"There," he said, wrapping his strong arms around her. He kissed her just under her ear and a warm feeling ran down her spine as she leaned back into him.

The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts and she jumped. She smoothed down her wild hair, tying the bandana over it like he'd shown her.

"Coming!" she called, making sure the bandana was properly tied. She made her way out of her room and to the front door. She opened it to find Orihime and Uryu waiting for her. The ginger haired girl was dressed in a shimmering pink princess gown complete with tall pointed hat and long billowing sleeves.

"Hi, Tatsuki-chan!" she greeted cheerily. Tatsuki smiled.

"Hey, Orihime and Ishida-kun. Come in. I'm not ready yet," she replied. The bespectacled young man put his arm out, motioning for Orihime to go first.

"My lady," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose shyly. Orihime giggled, entering the small apartment. That was when Tatsuki realized he was dressed like a knight, minus the helmet. His outfit was all white with blue Quincy crosses adorning his left shoulder and his gloves. Tatsuki rolled her eyes when they weren't looking and mouthed the words, "Of course."

"Need any help getting ready, Tatsuki-chan?" the brown eyed girl asked.

"Yeah, I need help with my corset," she answered.

"No, problem!" Orihime smiled. They left Uryu in the living room as they went back to Tatsuki's room. They closed the door and Tatsuki picked up her black, leather corset and handed it to her friend. Orihime was tying it up the back, over Tatsuki's blood red shirt, when she noticed the letter on the desk.

"Another letter? How is he doing?" she asked. Tatsuki's eyes turned toward her desk.

"He's still pretty busy, but he's hoping to sneak away soon." Her friend smiled.

"Sounds good to me! Are you excited?" Tatsuki frowned slightly.

"I used to be. He's been saying that for months now. It's more of a wishful thinking thing." Orihime tied off the corset and Tatsuki turned to face her. Her friend was uncharacteristically serious.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon, Tatsuki-chan. He isn't the kind of guy that runs away when it gets rough and you know that. So cheer up, okay?" Tatsuki nodded. Orihime, ever the optimistic one, always knew how to help her feel better. She grabbed her tri-corn hat and put it on her head.

"Thanks, Orihime." The large breasted teen smiled as her friend grabbed her belt from her bed. Attached to the belt was a realistic, toy cutlass. She turned back to Orihime and clenched a fist in front of her, "Let's get going. We can't let Ichigo have all the fun!" Orihime's smile widened.

"That's the Tatsuki-chan I know! Let's go!" They left the room, collected Uryu and made for the door. The couple slipped into their shoes as the tomboy buckled her belt around her slim waist. She grabbed her black knee high boots and slipped them on over her equally dark leggings.

"Are you girls ready?" Uryu asked, looking at them with blue eyes.

"Yes!" they answered. They left the apartment and Tatsuki locked the door behind them. The air outside was somewhat chilly, the sky above them beginning to change color as the sun neared the western horizon. Children skipped and ran past them, laughing as they made their way to the next house promising candy. Tatsuki walked behind the two lovebirds, smiling as her friend talked to her boyfriend.

Occasionally, a child stopped to talk to Orihime, who would produce a piece of candy from some random place and give it to them. Tatsuki was glad that her best friend was finally able to find someone she could be happy with and that they treated her like the princess she was.

Before Orihime was taken to Hueco Mundo she had strong feelings for Ichigo. When they returned from that horrible place she came back a changed person. She knew Ichigo couldn't return her feelings because he was in love with Rukia Kuchiki. After rescuing Rukia from Soul Society, Uryu returned with feelings for Orihime. He helped her move passed Ichigo after the war and the pair finally became an official couple only a year ago. Now they were inseparable.

Somewhere in the middle of all that Tatsuki fell for Abarai Renji, the obnoxious red head who'd burst so rudely into her life. It was so subtle that by the time she realized her feelings it was too late to shut them down and prevent her heart ache. Renji was so obviously in love with Rukia that Tatsuki knew he would never see her as anything more than the lady dragon that she was. Because she hid how she felt so well, only Orihime and Ichigo were aware of it.

Then there was the night, late in the fall, Tatsuki ran into a Hollow on her way home from a martial arts tournament. She'd taken a short cut because it was cold and she wanted to get home quicker. It was trying to eat the soul of a young girl and being the fighter that she was, Tatsuki couldn't ignore the situation.

The confrontation hadn't ended well for her. She was able to make it drop the little girl and even get it to follow her away from its small prey, but when she tried to fight it on her own she only got in a couple of punches before it backhanded her into a concrete wall. She was left crumpled on the ground, broken and bleeding, awaiting her death. When nothing happened to her she'd looked up to find someone had stopped the creature's advances.

Her vision was blurry and there was blood in her eyes so she couldn't see her rescuer clearly. Her consciousness was beginning to fade and she fought the enveloping darkness, willing herself to stay awake.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" a furious, male voice shouted into the quiet. The sounds of a fight met her ears, but she was unable to see what was going on. The monster gave one last cry of pain before it fell silent. She closed her eyes in relief and also because she was so tired. Faintly, she heard footsteps running toward her, but her eyelids felt like lead. She was gently rolled onto her back, large, cold hands cupping her face.

"Can you hear me? Open your eyes if you can hear me." His voice sounded so familiar, but she couldn't think straight through the pain. She tried fighting the darkness that wanted to consume her. She wanted to respond to him, but her body wasn't listening to her, "Damnit, Arisawa! Talk to me, hit me, curse at me, I don't care! Just do something so I know you're still with me." His voice was panicked and it made her fight harder to answer him.

He knows me…. She thought. She shook away the darkness and began coughing. She peeled open her eyes to find a worried face hovering over her. She blinked several times, trying to make him come into focus. She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Ren… Renji?" she asked, her voice no louder than a whisper. His brown eyes softened when he heard his name.

"Thank the gods!" He cradled her head with one hand, placing the other on her abdomen, "I'm not good at this so forgive me if you still have some pain." Before she could ask what he meant, she could feel a strange warmth coming from his hands. Her pain was slowly but surely fading as she stared up at him. His face was twisted in his concentration.

"Arisawa, tell me something."

"What?" Her voice was coming back to her as the pain ebbed away.

"What the hell were you thinking when you decided to take on that Hollow? You could have gotten killed!" His voice was angry as he glared down at her. Her eyebrows lowered as she scowled back up at him.

"I was trying to save that little girl. I couldn't just let it kill her!" She tried to sit up when she remember the girl, "The girl! I completely forgot. Is she okay?"

"The girl is fine. She's been taken care of. You need to lie still. I said I'm not good at this." She laid back down.

"Why are you here anyway? Were you following me?"

"No! I'm sensitive to people who have spirit energy. That's why you can see Hollow. I felt yours spike and then drop suddenly. I came as fast as I could to help you so don't get bitchy." She bristled at the insult and sat up anyway.

"You listen here. I didn't ask to run into that Hollow or whatever it is. I saw some kid in danger and knew that if I didn't do something it could have killed her. It's in my blood to fight. I thought you of all people would understand that."

"Yeah, I do, Arisawa. I'm a Shinigami. It's my duty to protect the souls of the living even at the cost of my own life. It's my job to fight Hollows, not yours." His face looked pained, "If you hadn't been okay, if I'd of gotten here just a moment too late, you might have died." She mistook his statement to mean something else and looked away. She worked hard to keep the hurt off her face.

A Shinigami…. So he's a Death God. She scoffed at herself. It all makes sense now.

"And then you would have failed to do your job. I get it, Abarai. Let me up so I can go home. My house is right there." She motioned toward a house about a block away. He paled and put his hands on her shoulders.

"No, I didn't mean it that way, damnit! You aren't just another person I have to look after." His chest heaved with suppressed emotion, "I'm trying to say that I wouldn't be the same if you died." His hands were gripping her shirt and she was getting confused.

"What are you talking about?"

He's in love with Kuchiki-san, so what is he saying?

"God, Tatsuki. I saw you laying there and I was scared. You've got no idea what that did to me." Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "I realized that even if I'm a Shinigami and you're a human, I… mmph!" Before she really knew what came over her, she took his face in her hands and kissed him, effectively cutting him off. Suddenly her chances didn't seem so bad.

Yes, he was a Shinigami and she was a human, but he was admitting his feelings for her just the same and damnit she wanted him! So she was taking him for all he was worth even if it meant she would have to say goodbye in the future.

It was more a struggle for dominance than a kiss. Both wanted to lead, but neither would relinquish their position. They fought furiously until they had to come up for air. They broke apart and stared at each other before he leaned forward.

"You kiss like a goddess, Tatsuki," he whispered, his kiss bruised lips brushing her ear. That was only the beginning of their relationship. It was also why she was where she was three and a half years after he left.

She shook herself free of her thoughts once more as they turned the corner and arrived at their destination. It was a large building decorated in black and orange streamers, fake spider webs hanging in the trees and skeletons. There was a line at the front door as people waited to get inside. There was someone dressed in black at the head of the line, handing out masquerade masks from a table next to him.

"Ooo! A masquerade! It's so exciting. What do you say, Tatsuki?" Orihime squealed. Tatsuki smiled.

"It'll definitely make things interesting," she agreed. They walked up to the door and waited in line for a mask. They were all kinds of colors mixed with black and only covered the top half of the face. Uryu took a blue one and Orihime a pink one. When Tatsuki reached out to take a mask of her own, the man handing them out picked up one that was black around the edges a faded into red at the middle. It was decorated in glitter that shimmered between the two colors.

"This one suits you best," he said in a deep voice, watching her from behind his own orange and black mask. Slightly taken aback, Tatsuki took the mask, her fingers brushing his black gloved hands.

"Um, thanks," she replied. He smiled at her from behind his long, black bangs as she took her hat off to put on her mask. She put her hat back on and followed after her friends. They were led through a foyer filled with more decorations into a large room with a chandelier. More spider webs hung in the corners of the rooms where black and orange streams began, stretching across the room in a graceful dip to the chandelier that hung over the dance floor. Along the right side of the room were tables and chairs for people to sit at and on the left were more tables with various Halloween themed foods and drinks. A fake, severed head served as the centerpiece. Across from the three friends was a raised platform where a DJ was set up to play music.

"Let's find Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-san! Sado-kun should be with them too," Orihime said.

"How are we going to find them in this crowd?" Tatsuki shouted over the music. Uryu smirked.

"You forget, Arisawa-san, that I can sense their spirit energy. We will find them in no time, just follow me," he answered. He began moving through the crowd, leading them toward the tables where several people were already sitting. He walked up to a trio of people sitting at a table in the corner. Ichigo was immediately recognizable due to his spiky orange hair, which was slicked back with gel. He was dressed as a vampire and was sitting between Rukia and Chad.

"Hey guys. It's about time you slow pokes showed up," Ichigo greeted. Tatsuki folded her arms and smirked.

"I always told you he was a blood sucker," she responded. The other girls giggled as Ichigo scowled.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not a pirate who forgot her eye patch," he shot back. She stuck her tongue out at him as they took a seat at the table.

"I didn't want to wear an eye patch. I don't want Kenpachi thinking I copied him," she said. Rukia snorted at an image of Tatsuki with Kenpachi's spiked hairdo, wearing an eye patch and the Eleventh Division taichou's trademark grin on her face. The petite Shinigami was dressed as a cutesy witch, her broom leaned against the table next to her. Her hat was titled on her raven head and the point turned to the side instead of going straight up.

"Thanks, Rukia-san," Tatsuki said quietly, sitting next to her. Rukia smiled.

"You're welcome, Tatsuki-san," she replied. The song changed and the two couples decided to get up and join the rest of the party. They left Chad and Tatsuki at the table so they could dance. The dark haired giant got up from his seat and sat down closer to her. He was dressed and painted elaborately as a skeleton. She smiled as he looked at her through his wavy bangs.

"Hey, Sado-kun," she greeted. He nodded, "Looks like it's just the two of us for now."

"Are you not having fun, Arisawa-san?" he asked.

"I'm just not feeling like myself today. How about you?"

"This time of year is a big celebration for Mexico called El Dia de los Muertos. It's a time for remembering our dead loved ones and having fun in their honor. So, I'm having fun in my own way." She was curious about how the Mexican's celebrated Halloween so she asked,

"El Dia de los Muertos, what does that mean?"

"It's Spanish for the Day of the Dead. We don't actually celebrate it on the thirty-first of October. It's celebrated on the first two days of November. We believe that it's easier for the souls of the dead to visit us during that time. We spend a lot of time at the grave sides of our loved ones and talk with them. We bring them food and treats. Since all of my Mexican relatives were buried in Mexico I can't visit their graves, so I built small alters for them here to do the same thing." Tatsuki smiled again. It was the most she'd heard the quiet teen say at one time.

"That's a lot like Obon here." Chad nodded.

"They are very similar."

"Is that why you are dressed like a skeleton?" He nodded again.

"During El Dia de los Muertos there are many skeleton themed things. Some people even dress like them, like I am."

"Thanks for sharing that with me. It makes me feel a little better." His lips turned upward slightly, his large brown eye shining. They were interrupted by a young lady dressed as an angel, who approached their table. She stood closer to Tatsuki and looked at the table with green eyes.

"Um, excuse me, Pirate-san? Is it okay if I ask Skeleton-san to dance with me?" she asked, her hands behind her back.

"Sure. He's just a friend of mine, not my date," Tatsuki answered. The girl smiled shyly, blonde curls framing her white mask.

"Then, Skeleton-san, would you dance with me?" she asked. Chad looked at Tatsuki.

"Go ahead, Sado-kun. I'll be fine. I was about to go to the snack tables anyway. Have fun!" she replied. He nodded and stood, disappearing into the crowd with his new dance partner. Tatsuki gave a sigh, a little disappointed that she was the only one left at the table.

She was about to stand up when a large shadow fell over her. She looked up to find the black clad man who was handing out masks standing in front of her. He bowed deeply, taking her right hand in his. He pressed his lips against the back of her hand, looking up at her. His dark eyes glittered as he smiled at her.

"Would you honor me with a dance, Pirate-sama?" he asked. Tatsuki looked down at him in surprise.

"O-okay," she stammered, taken off guard. She had nothing better to do and she was curious about him. He straightened, taking a firmer grip on her hand as she stood. He gently pulled her out to the dance floor, stopping under the chandelier. He placed her hand on his shoulder, taking her other hand in his left. He placed his remaining hand on her waist and began leading her across the dance floor. His eyes never left hers and she didn't know if she should be flattered or worried.

"You looked a little lonely so I thought I would join you," he said.

"Well, thank you for keeping me company. All of my friends have someone to dance with and it sucks being at a party by yourself," she replied.

"Agreed." His voice had a hypnotic effect on her and he pulled her closer as they spun and glided across the floor. The look in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. They were soft and caring, giving her a feeling of déjà vu. She was drowning in his gaze, unaware of the movement as he leaned forward, his lips brushing hers. She had no idea what possessed her to kiss him back, but she did.

His kiss was passionate with a hint of controlled dominance. She melted into his arms and as his gloved hand brushed her face she was reminded of Renji. As soon as the red head crossed her mind, she jerked away, dread filling her chest. She pushed him back, eyes wide as she shook her head.

"I can't do this. It's not right," she said forcefully.

"Why not?" he asked, watching her.

"I have a boyfriend and I'm waiting for him to come back for me. I'm not the kind of girl that would betray his trust in me. I'm sorry." She turned to walk away, but she was stopped when he grabbed her wrist. He pulled her back to him, spinning her around so that his lips brushed her ear.

"It's been almost four years and you still kiss like a goddess, Tatsu," he whispered. Her eyes went wide once more, this time out of surprise and recognition. She pulled away again so she could look at him. His eyes were sparkling mischievously as she reached up to touch his mask.

"Renji?" He grinned, canines showing. That grin was a Abarai Renji trademark and she confirmed it further when she lifted the mask from his face, revealing the thick black lines of the tribal tattoos trailing up his forehead, "Renji!" She threw her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly as if she were afraid he would disappear. She dropped the mask to the floor as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her from the floor.

"I take it you missed me, then?" She pulled back to glare at him.

"What do you think, you idiot? I haven't seen you in years and you suddenly show up out of the blue like this? What did you expect?" He smiled a more sincere smile, eyes soft.

"I'm sorry, Tatsu. I wanted to come back sooner than this." She put a finger to his lips, silencing him. He put her down and she took his hand.

"Let's go somewhere with less people and not so much noise." The two of them left the party, stepping out into the chilly air and the light of the full moon. They slipped behind the building so no one would see them and she took off her mask. He scooped her up in his arms, bridal style and leapt high into the air above the rooftops. She looked at him, eyes questioning him.

"First off, what happened to your hair?" She reached up to grab a piece of his bangs, "Secondly, aren't you in your Gigai?" He grinned.

"No, I'm in my spirit form. There is something almost magical about this time of year. The dead are closer to the living than any other time of the year. So, people with spirit energy aren't the only ones who can see me." He reached up, taking a hold of his hair, "And this is a wig." He pulled it free, revealing his true hair color.

"Good, you look better as a red head." She paused, "I thought you were busy?"

"Kuchiki taichou gave the okay and during this time of year, things get a little crazy in the real world with the dead souls. We have to keep it under control because the Hollows like to cause problems." She looked at him with an eyebrow cocked.

"A Fuku-taichou assigned such a duty? Really?" She didn't believe him for a moment. He smiled wolfishly.

"No, I came here to see you." His face became serious, "I've really missed you, Tatsu. I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"Don't apologize, Ren. I'd rather catch up with you." She pulled his face down to hers, kissing him hard. She pooled all of her pent up emotions into the fight their kisses always became. He responded likewise as she tangled her fingers in his long red locks, tugging his hair tie free. When they ran out of breath, they parted, breathing heavily. Their breath clouded the air around them.

"Let's go to your house." She nodded in agreement and he took off through the air toward her apartment. She opened the window to her bedroom and they climbed inside, over her desk. They knocked a few things off her desk and onto the floor. They closed the window before becoming a tangle of arms and lips once more. He unbuckled her belt and it fell away to the floor. She tugged his shirt up and over his head, dropping it at their feet. She stood there a moment, taking in the sight of his muscled, tattooed chest, something she hadn't seen in a long time. Her fingers traced the lines of ink for a moment before he picked her up and dropped her on her bed. He leaned down to kiss her again, his hair falling in a red curtain around them.

Laying in the moonlight on her floor was his letter. It'd fallen off her desk and landed, unfolded where Tatsuki had dropped his shirt.

Even if I'm not with you, Tatsu, I wish you a Happy Halloween.

Love,

Ren

And a Happy Halloween it was indeed.

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