Title - One Random Weekend
Author - applejooze
Rating - T
Genre - Romance/Drama/Humor (I hope)
Spoilers - None. Unless you don't know the characters. This is also AU with no shinigami stuff.
Disclaimer - I don't own anything Bleach, nor have anything to do with it, except maybe being a rabid-like fangirl of the manga and anime.
Author's Note - Hi. I like Bleach. -acts bashful- And I wrote a fanfic. -nervous laugh- I never know what to say on these things. Read and please review.
Also let me know any mistakes and stuff. kthxbai.
One Random Weekend
by - applejooze
Walking home has never felt this horrible. For the always cheerful and ecstatic Inoue Orihime, walking home has always been a joy. To pass by the many familiar scenery and faces was something she enjoyed everyday. But not today. Her thoughts were running in circles about what she overheard this afternoon during lunch.
--
"Orihime is such a beautiful creature!" Keigo cried to the group. "If only I ever get a chance with her."
Everyone rolled their eyes, knowing full well that that's not ever going to happen.
"What about you, Ichigo?" Keigo eyed him.
"What about me?" Ichigo glared.
"What do you think about Orihime?"
At this point, Ichigo started to get nervous, he didn't know why. It was just a question. Nothing to be nervous about. And they're both just friends. Yeah. Good friends.
"We're just friends." Ichigo finally stated.
"Then why don't you guys hang out more like you do with Rukia? That way I can move in on Orihime!" Keigo moved his eyebrows up and down as to express his cunning scheme.
Ichigo lifted an eyebrow to indicate he didn't understand Keigo's idea.
"Well, if she spends more time with you, and you spend time with me, I can get to be closer to Orihime!" Keigo exclaimed with stars in his eyes.
Ignoring Keigo, Ichigo focused his attention elsewhere, trying to rid himself of a suddenly throbbing headache.
--
Just friends. Orhime's thoughts wander all around that statement. She was walking back into the class when she overheard their conversation from around the bend of the hallway. At that moment, she knew she couldn't get any further with her feelings for Ichigo. Even after everything that happened to them and their friends, they're still just friends. Maybe that's all they'll be. She probably wouldn't be anything else, BUT a friend to him.
When she reached the steps to her building, she decided firmly that she'll lock up her love for him, and be only what he wants. Friends. She'll be one of his better friends. She smiled at her conclusion. But her heart hurt so much knowing that that's as far as she can be to him.
Orihime cleared her throat to chase away all thoughts and put on a smile before she climbed the steps to her front door. Rangiku would surely know something's bothering her, but as she opened the door, she found the place to be empty.
"Probably another party." Orihime said to herself and threw her bag onto the couch.
Just friends. She repeated to herself as she did her homework, and once more when she made dinner for her and Rangiku. Then just one more time, while taking a shower. And just for good measure, one last time before she fell into a dreamless slumber that night.
--
"Good morning, Orihime!" Keigo exclaimed when she walked thru the door of the classroom the next morning. In return, she smiled at him and politely greeted him then walked to her desk and sat down.
"Inoue."
"Huh?" Orihime turned around to face Ichigo. "Y-yea?"
"Uhh…what did you get for question number 11 on last night's math homework?" Ichigo asked.
"I got the square of 'a'minus 'b'. What did you get?"
"Same thing. Just double checking. Thanks." Ichigo smiled at her and her heart fluttered once again.
"No problem. It's always good to double check answers." She smiled back at him and turned around to face the front of the class.
Ichigo didn't know why he said her name. When she turned around, he had to think of a quick question to ask and last night's homework was the first thing that came to his mind. When she smiled at him, something stirred in his stomach. It was a "giddy" kind of feeling, as Yuzu would call it. After she turned her back to him, he rolled his eyes and mentally slapped his forehead. Stupid.
He didn't have any problem talking to girls. Heck, he talk to Rukia all the time. And Tatsuki. But why does he have such a hard time striking up a conversation with Ori- uh... Inoue. Doesn't make sense. Maybe it's because she's too eccentric for him.
"Orihime!" Ichigo look up to see Tatsuki coming over to her desk. "Where were you this morning? I thought we could walk together, so I came by your place to pick you up, and Rangiku said that you'd already left."
"Oh. Yea. I woke up early and I didn't have anything to do, so I came to school." Orihime replied.
"Well, I was just worried, cause you left kind of quickly yesterday. But as long as you got here safely." Tatsuki smiled and turned around to get to her desk.
"EY! Quiet down! Class is starting!" The teacher walked in and hushed everyone up.
Meanwhile, a cell phone rings in an apartment off campus of the university.
"Uh-llo?" A tired voice answered.
"Wake up, Renji!"
"Oow! Not so loud, please!!"
"In case, you didn't realize it, Renji. You missed class! So, I win." Rangiku gloated from the other end of the phone.
"Oh, shit." Renji let out a sigh.
"Well, I'm just wanna let ya know, so you can prepare. Talk laters!" Rangiku said happily before she abruptly hung up on him.
Dammit. Ow. Renji rubbed his temples to try and see if he could get the hangover to go away. How the hell Rangiku drinks on a school night and be able to make it to class the next day is beyond him. Last night, she had came over to study with Gin and started up a drinking game with the rest of the guys. Only Yumichika was smart enough not to follow in on her ideas. Lucky bastard.
"Be prepared? What the heck?" Renji thought out loud as he got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. He tried thinking back to what happened last night, but the more he thought, the more his head hurts.
"Ah, screw it!" He finally decided and closed the door to the bathroom.
By the time he got out of there, he was refreshed and not so tired looking anymore. But that doesn't say anything about how he's feeling. His head felt like it's been hit by a bulldozer ten times in a row and his movements are slower than a sloths.
"Let me guess. She won huh?" Gin smiled at him as he walked into the kitchen to grab some coffee to chase the hangover away.
"Dude, I have no idea what that means." Renji confessed.
Gin laughed. "I take it, you're not leaving the apartment for a while."
"Ya think?" Renji said, rather annoyingly.
"You should be careful when you're drinking with Rangiku."
"Urgh." Renji growled. "I thought I had her. What the damn did I get myself into last night, anyway?"
"You two bet on who can out drink each other and whoever shows up to class the next morning, gets to dare the other person. No excuses." Ikkaku informed him from the doorway.
"Damn. I must've been already drunk when that happened." Renji stated.
"Yea, you seem to get cocky when you're drunk, bro. And it pretty much sucks to be you right about now!" Ikkaku let out a loud laughter as he took the empty chair next to Renji.
Gin scooted his chair back and got up. "Ah, well, I have to get going. We're doing field study today and I'm leading."
Before he walk out of the kitchen, he looked at Renji. "I'd be afraid if I were you."
He smirked before he quickly ran off, just barely avoiding the croissant that Renji threw at him.
"Oh. It can't be that bad. Besides, Rangiku hasn't done a dare as good as the one she pinned on Kira Izuru three months ago. Now, that one was funny!" Ikkaku assured Renji.
Renji chuckled. "Yea. That was the best night ever. The look on Gin's face was damn priceless!"
"See? Nothing to worry about."
"I ain't worry about the dare. It's the hangover that's fucking killing me!"
"Ha! You're on your own there!" Ikkaku laughed and got up to look in the fridge, while Renji went to the living room to settle down on the couch and watch some daytime tv. Damn that Rangiku.
--
It was lunch time at Karakura High and the girls were situated underneath their usual tree sharing their lunches with each other, while the guys are gathered on the rooftop.
"So! What's everyone's doing tonight, being it Friday and all?" Chizuru exclaimed to the group of girls.
Everyone just shrugged in returned.
"No one has any plans whatsoever?" Chizuru asked dejectedly. "Not even one?"
Orihime's face light up. "Oh! Rangiku said that she's throwing a party at Urahara Café and I should invite everyone I know!"
"Rangiku? You mean your college roommate?" Chizuru asked.
"Yea. Do you guys wanna go?"
"Heck yea!!" Chizuru shouted for everyone since they were pretty much along the same lines with agreeing to attend the party.
"We should ask the guys to see if they want to go too!" Tatsuki suggested.
"Oh. Of course." Orihime said.
Once lunch was over and everyone's back in the room, Orihime asked Tatsuki ask the guys and see if they would like to join them for the party at Urahara Café. The majority of them said they'd come except for Uryuu and Ichigo.
"What for?" Ichigo asked.
"Not my scene." Uryuu stated.
But Tatsuki was determined and she intends to have all her friends there even if she has to drag them there. Even though that was what she planned on doing, the two guys changed their minds at the sight of her fist near their noses.
"Okay! Everyone's going!" Tatsuki announced.
"Only because they're afraid of you." Keigo quietly whispered to Mizuiro.
--
"Orihime, how many people did you ask to come?" Rangiku asked. Since Rangiku had reserved half of the café/club for the night, she and Orihime were there first to see if everything is going according her plans.
"Just a couple people from school." Orihime answered.
"Is Rukia coming too?" Rangiku asked, a bit too excited.
But since Orihime is Orihime, she didn't notice the extra excitement in Rangiku's voice.
"Yup!"
"Great! This is going to be soo much fun!" Rangiku grabbed Orihime and hugged her.
A few moments past and people started arriving into the café/club. Well, café by day, club by night. Their friends didn't arrive til 30 mins afterwards.
"Oy. Renji!" Ichigo called out when he spotted the red-head.
"Ichigo! Didn't know you guys were coming too?"
"We were forced." Uryuu answered as Ichigo nodded.
"Whatever the case, it'll be fun!" Yumichika chimed in.
It was then that Renji spotted Rukia coming thru the entrance. She was in a white baby doll tank top and Capri jeans covering half of her calf. She wore a strappy stiletto to tie the ensemble up.
They were the best of friends during their childhood. They lived next door to each other and played together all throughout. But the Kuchiki's moved during the end of elementary year and they lost contact with each other. It wasn't until recently that Rukia and her older brother moved back into Karakura town. And when Renji heard from Ichigo that Rukia came back, he rushed over to see her. She had changed so much and grown up so beautifully. His childhood friend has become a woman. He secretly fell for her then and there.
Though their friendship quickly resumes its old ways, Renji couldn't help but admire her more and more each day. Though that doesn't deter Renji from still picking fights and calling her names such as Chappy wannabe and tinytot. Rukia doesn't hold back on comebacks either. It was as if they never parted each other. He never exposed those feelings for her, because he's afraid if he does it, she'll shy and run away from him. So for now, he'll admire her from afar.
Rukia was standing at the entrance looking for Orihime, when she spotted Ichigo talking with Renji. Her heart skipped a beat at how gorgeous Renji looks tonight. He has on a simple tee shirt over relaxed fit jeans. A white bandana tied around his forehead and his red locks in its usual ponytail. Simple, but gorgeously handsome. Heck, Renji can make a crayon look gorgeous, just by holding it.
When she first moved back to Karakura town and Renji came over to visit her, she couldn't believe it that this man used to be her childhood best friend. Even all the high school girls talked about him after he graduated. He was an incredible piece of art. But she couldn't think like that of her friend. He would never think like that of her anyway either, so she shouldn't. And she was relieved when he punched her shoulder as a greeting to her, in which she kindly returned with a punch of her own. And then their friendship took off right where it left.
She couldn't see Orihime and since she spotted Ichigo and them, she made her way to where the guys were standing and chatting.
"Hey guys. Have Orihime or anyone else arrived yet?" She asked.
"Rangiku and Orihime should've been the first ones here." Gin answered.
"Oh. Then have you seen them?" Rukia questioned again.
"Nope." Gin replied. "Check the ladies room."
"Eh. I'll wait then." Rukia sigh and followed the guys to a large corner booth without a table in the middle and sat down.
"Rukia?" Yumichika asked.
"Yea?"
"Dance with me?" He held out his hand.
Rukia looked at him, smiled and took his hand. "I would love to."
And he led her to the dance floor as Renji glared at his roommate's retreating back.
"What's with the scowl, Renji?" Gin smiled at him.
"Shaddup." Renji grumbled.
"Whatever." Gin gave a wave of his hand as to dismiss Renji's comment.
"Gin!" Rangiku yelled from the dance floor. "There you guys are!"
Gin waved at her as she and Orihime were approaching the group.
Ichigo noticed Orihime almost immediately. She had on a soft baby blue tank top with a large flowy bow in the middle and white Capri pants. Her hair is in a messy pony tail with her ever present hairpins, which
were a remembrance of her late brother. Ichigo had to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat at the sight of her.
"Glad you guys could make." Orihime smiled at the group and came to sat down next to Rangiku, who had already made her way to sit beside Gin. She knew she shouldn't look at Ichigo, but she couldn't help it once she noticed him there.
Her stomach flutters at the first sight of him and warm natural blush fills her cheeks. As she was trying to keep conversation with Ishida, her gaze keeps glancing back at him. He's in nothing but jeans and a collar dress shirt, and his hair is as messy as ever, but still, he's like the epitome of a grand prize on a pedestal for Orihime.
"Inoue?" Ishida called.
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Ishida-kun." Orihime apologize when Uryuu caught her in her lala land.
"I said, do you want anything to drink?"
"No thanks."
"Just so you guys are aware, there's more to this than just here at Urahara Café." Rangiku smiled slyly.
"Eh?!" Came the unanimous reply from everyone sitting at the booth.
"What are you talking about?" Renji asked suspiciously, recalling the phone call this morning.
Rangiku laughed again. "You don't think this is it, now did you?"
"Uhh.. yea." Ichigo replied.
"Aiii… don't be such party poopers." Rangiku said right before she dragged Gin to the dance floor.
Renji turned to face his left. "Uh, Inoue, what is your screwed up roommate planning?"
"I don't know. She said something about coming here, then going back home afterwards."
At this point Tatsuki found Orihime and the group.
"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" She exclaimed once she came up towards Orihime.
"I've been here!" Orihime smiled at her friend.
"Whatever. Dance with me, Orhime." Tatsuki took hold of Orihime's hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor where the rest of the girls were dancing. Rukia had switched to dancing with the girls when Yumichika left to go to the restroom to check on his hair.
Renji, Ichigo, and Uryuu were the only ones sitting down refusing to get on the dance floor. Ikkaku was dragged to the dance floor by none other than Keigo's sister. Talk about being obsessive.
"Is Chad coming?" Uryuu asked.
"Yea, he's right over there." Renji pointed to the corner of the café at a table. It was Chad, but there was another person sitting there with him, which looks a lot like a girl. They seem to be in a deep conversation, despite all the noise.
"Oh." Uryuu's face fell. They were the only three by themselves. They weren't really talking, nor doing anything. Just sitting there staring at the dance floor.
Ichigo can see Keigo and Mizuiro dancing with some girls that he didn't know. Probably from another school, he concluded. He knew he should've stayed home. He blamed Tatsuki for threatening him. Then his eyes wander to the middle of the dance floor where the girls were at. He found himself staring at Orihime, following her body's movements, where her hands touch, her smile, and her laughter. He slapped himself back to reality and sigh into the backing of the seat closing his eyes.
"Hey losers!" Gin shouted as he and Rangiku and the rest of the group came up to the booth. "We're heading back to Orihime and Rangiku's place."
"For what?" Ishida asked.
"You'll see." Rangiku chimed in happily.
"I'm going home." Ichigo said.
"Oh, no you're not!" Rukia said firmly, looping her arm with his. Renji noticed and suddenly looked elsewhere. If it wasn't for the dim lights of the club, everyone would sure notice the glare and the scowl towards Ichigo.
"This is stupid." Ichigo sigh.
"Alright! Let's go then!" Rangiku yelled as she looped arms with Orihime, then turned back towards the owner and shouted, "Thanks Urahara!"
She didn't see it, but she knew he gave her a wave of his hand.
--
Everyone took off except for Gin, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Ichigo, Renji, Tatsuki, Rukia, Ishida and obviously, Rangiku and Orihime, who were at their apartment. Everyone was sitting out in the living area watching TV and talking while Rangiku was in her room looking for something.
"Ahhh.. so how's Karakura High these days, eh?" Ikkaku asked.
"Much better now that you're not there!" Renji snorted.
"What? No way! Girls cried when I graduated! Unlike you the teachers threw a party for themselves!" Ikkaku gave out a loud laugh.
"The girls only cried because your head reflected the lights into their eyes!" Renji retorted back, while everyone laughed at the two quarreling roommates.
"Yes! I found it!" Rangiku yelled as she was running from her bedroom to the living area.
"What were you looking for?" Orihime asked.
Rangiku showed everyone a bottle. "Liquor!" And she gave a cheeky smile.
A couple people groan, the loudest was Renji.
"Look! Some of us don't drink!" Ichigo exclaimed. Uryuu and the high schoolers nodding their head in agreement.
"So? And what's your point?" Rangiku said before she quickly took off into the kitchen.
Once she came back out of the kitchen, there were shot glasses in one hand and bottles of sake and liquor in the other. She set them down on the coffee table and began pouring and passing out the shots filled with liquor.
"Cheers everyone!" She shouted and gulped down her shot.
The guys gulped theirs down as well. The remaining girls stared at each other, closed their eyes, pinched their noses and gulped theirs down as well.
"Aahhhhh! That was sooo gross!" Orihime yelled.
"I think I'm going to puke." Tatsuki said.
"My throat burns!" Rukia cried.
"Quit being babies, babies!" Rangiku said. Then she pours a mixture that she had made in the kitchen earlier into the cups and pass them out the girls.
"Mmm. This doesn't taste like that first one. It's better!" Rukia said after her first sip. Orihime and Tatsuki agreed after they tasted theirs.
The guys opted for beers instead of a mix drink. And Rangiku being Rangiku brought out beers from the fridge and handed to each of the guys as well. She settled on the mix drink like the girls.
After about 30 minutes of drinking and talking…err well, arguing actually, Rangiku stood up. "Okay. I have something that I needed to do that I've been waiting this whole day." She looked over at Renji, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Oh, gracious. Help me. Renji thought.
"Ren-ji?" Rangiku smiled at him. "Ready?"
He could only sigh and slouch back into the couch.
"I dare you, Abarai Renji…" Rangiku started.
"Oooooh… she went formal with you!" Yumichika laughed.
"Idiot." Renji rolled his eyes. What could she possibly make him do? It couldn't be any worse than Kira's lap dance to Gin in a thong. He had to chase Gin to make him sit down so the lap dance could continue til the end of the song. Needless to say, he no longer drinks with them, only on occasions.
"…to find this bottle of sake. " Rangiku continued while holding up the bottle she had chosen. It was a different shape than the rest of the bottles that were lined up on the table.
"Easy." Renji scoffed.
"Hold on, I'm not done. You have to find it in the dark."
Renji rolled his eyes at how easy this dare is going to be.
"And in the nude." Rangiku smiled slyly.
Renji's scowl and glare could cut through a wall right about now.
"But everyone's here!" Renji protested.
"I know." Rangiku's smiled got wider and she glanced at Rukia, who looked dumbfounded as ever.
"Just do it Renji!" Gin said, letting a little of his laughter escape.
"No!" Tatsuki cried. "We're still here!"
"Exactly!" Renji agreed, trying to get out of this whichever way he can.
"Quit your yappers! Everyone here is 18 and older… so in truth, this is the perfect environment!" Rangiku rebutted.
"I was drunk when I said it!"
"So was I!"
"Liar!"
"So! You still lost.
For 10 minutes, Renji tried his very best to get out of this dare. One, there's too many people around. It's embarrassing. And two, Rukia is also there. What would she think? And three, he wasn't in the right frame of mind when those agreements were discussed.
It didn't matter which way Renji tried, Rangiku wouldn't have it. He has to do it. There's no getting out of it. Renji drew in a deep breath and gave a heavy growl towards Rangiku.
"You're not ever coming over to the apartment anymore!" Renji threatened as he set his beer down.
"Okay! Finally." Rangiku smiled at him. "Go in the bathroom, strip, and count to ten and I'll hide the bottle out here. We'll turn the lights off by the time you come out."
Renji rolled his eyes and grumpily went towards the bathroom and closed the door.
Laughter from the guys roared thru the apartment.
"Shut up, idiots!!" Renji screamed from the bathroom, which only cause the laughter to go up another notch.
After few minutes, Renji screams out, "Ready?!"
"Yea!!" This time it was the guys that answered him.
"Is the lights out?!"
"Yes!!"
Slowly the door to the bathroom opened and Renji peeked around. It was dark, but he could hear the giggles from the living area.
"If any of you turn the lights on, I will bust your skulls in!" Renji threaten to the group.
"Just find the bottle!" Ichigo yelled back.
Renji walked slowly being careful of the things that might get in the way. One hand is feeling around him to touch his surroundings and the other is covering himself there just in case it's not dark enough, or some
idiot decided it'd be funny to turn the lights on in the middle of his search. He's going to make Rangiku pay for this, one way or another!
Soon, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and the objects in front of him became clearer. He noticed that they had thrown random things on the floor so he would trip or fall down.
"You know, I can see those things on the floor, right?" Renji said, rolling his eyes.
"And you know that we can you clearly too, right?" Ikkaku laughed.
"Ah shit." Renji sigh and quickly scan the room for the sake bottle.
Rukia and the girls just couldn't take their eyes off of him. She had originally planned to avert her attention elsewhere, but that didn't turn out as well as she'd hope. Once her eyes started adjusting to the darkness, she could see the whole contour of him, and not just his silhouette. His tattoos ran all around him and in places she's afraid to peek at. If he was gorgeous with clothes on, he's beautifully almost perfect without clothes. There was no way she could tear her eyes from him, this is a once in a lifetime sight. But she shouldn't. Though she wants to, but it's wrong, yet she couldn't help it.
Ichigo, even though ridiculing Renji was as fun as it could get, his attention keeps diverting back to Orihime. The way she's staring at Renji stirred a bit of jealousy in the pit of his stomach. Renji's got nothing on him, anyway. He looks ten times better than Renji any day! Hold on a minute there. Why does he care where Orihime looks? She could look at guys all day if she wants to! That last thought made him a bit angry with himself for thinking that. He'd have to kick some asses if that ever does happen.
Wait. Kick their asses? What for? Orihime is just his friend. His really good friend. She can look all she wants. For as long as she wants. Which is no more than two seconds or less, Ichigo concluded in his mind. All this thinking and Renji fumbling around is giving him a headache, plus the beer isn't helping to alleviate it either.
"Aha! Found it!" Renji screamed and toss the bottle at Rangiku then ran straight to the bathroom to retrieve his clothing.
Gah. That was so embarrassing! He thought as he switched on the lights.
Everyone saw him in his birthday suit. Geez. Even Rukia. How could he face her now? He was going to get Rangiku for this. Definitely. Though he couldn't help but remember how Rukia had stared at him. He loved the look in her face. The look of complete amazement, or that's what he would call it. He felt a bit proud that he's able to make her have such a look. He smiled to himself as he dressed back into his clothes. He also noticed that they had turned the lights back on and were talking amongst themselves. The topic of choice – him.
Outside the bathroom door, he could hear laughter.
"Haha! Did you see how small he was!" Ikkaku was laughing.
"You were checking out his package?!" Yumichika teased.
"No!" Ikkaku quickly replied.
"Ay! Shut up, retards! That was so …" Rukia paused when she realized what she was going to say, she quickly searched for another word to describe him.
"So… what, Rukia?" Rangiku asked with a slight smirk.
"So …disturbing!" Rukia finally said and quickly turned around, in hopes that they don't see thru the lie.
"Disturbing? I thought it was a genius idea!" Rangiku said, a bit disappoint that Rukia had the adverse reaction. She had planned it so that Rukia would see what she's been missing out on.
"Renji is like a brother to me!" Rukia said, faking a disgusted face.
A brother? Renji repeated in his head. He was getting ready to open the door when Rukia said those words. His hand dropped from doorknob and his hopes fell. A brother? He repeated once more. No wonder she doesn't look twice at him. She's never shown him any flirtatious glances that she'd show some
other guys. They've never been anything like that, but he had hoped that she'd harbors some kind of affection for him.
I guess that affection is simply a brotherly one. He concluded with defeat. You can't make someone love you, even though you want them to so much. He gave a sigh and put on an annoyed face as he opened the bathroom door.
As Renji crossed the living area back to his seat, he glared daggers at Rangiku, who hid behind Gin.
"Have I told you, I dislike you very much right now?"
Rangiku stuck her tongue out at him.
"You suck."
"Ooooh!!" Rangiku jumped up in lieu of her newly formed excitement. "That reminds me! I know a game we can play!" And she rushed to her bedroom once again.
Renji and everyone simply stared after her.
"How did that remind her of anything?"
"Who knows." Ichigo rolled his eyes.
-TBC-
Please review. kthxbai.