Title: Over My Head
Pairing/characters used: Renji + Rukia
Notes: Song fic. "Over My Head" by The Fray.
Warning(s): Some spoilers throughout the SS arc.
Disclaimer: Me? Own Bleach? Yeah, I'll keep on wishing.

I never knew
I never knew that everything was falling through
That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth

Renji was feeling slightly drunk as he downed what must have been his tenth glass of beer. Or was it twelfth? Who knows? He sure as hell wasn't counting as he and Kira snickered over Yumichika's antics at convincing a very wasted Ikkaku to make a pass at that 'hot' chick who was 'checking' him out earlier when he wasn't looking.

"You sure 'bout that? I didn't notice nothin' earlier," he slurred.

Yumi flipped his hair with an air of confidence. "Trust me. Besides, what have you got to lose?"

Renji and Kira could barely controlling their laughing fit. Hisagi rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself. Only these idiots would think it hilarious to make a drunken pass at Soi Fong-Taichou and make it out alive.

As soon as Ikkaku left the table, Renji thought back about what happened earlier that day. He was finally promoted to 6th division vice captain after years of blood and sweat in the 11th. As soon as the others caught wind of this, they practically manhandled him to get him to treat them to booze that night after a somewhat brief 'congratulations' from them. He snorted. Idiots.

"Ne, Renji, did you tell Rukia yet?" Kira asked all of a sudden.

"Iie. I figured I'd surprise her when she gets back."

He didn't think he'd be in for a surprise himself.

But that's how it's got to be
It's coming down to nothing more than apathy
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears

What Renji thought was another normal day in the office turned out to be what he wished was someone's bad idea of a joke. It started out well enough with his ever stoic captain criticizing him on his 'lousy' paperwork when the written order came, shooting his day to hell.

"Renji."

Renji found that he was having a hard time looking at his captain. He had absolutely no idea what this man must be going through right now.

"Ikuzo."

"H-hai, taichou."

Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She's on your mind

"Something wrong, Renji?" Byakuya inquired.

Startled, he looked up to meet the eyes of his captain.

"No, sir…You didn't need to step in for such a weakling, Captain," he replied somewhat dejectedly. "I could have finished him myself."

"Do not say that," admonished the other. "Even my skills will rust if I simply stand and watch all the time."

"Ichigo!"

They both turned to see Rukia running in their direction. Feeling his frustration mount higher, he ran to intercept her, slamming her none too gently against a post with his hand wrapped around her throat.

"Let go, Renji! Ichigo's-"

"'The hell are you talking about??" he interrupted coldly. "Look closer! That brat is dead!"

At his words, Rukia turned to the fallen human.

"Don't you get it? Just touching him right now will add twenty years to your sentence! What reason is there to worsen your crimes for a dead guy?!" He really wanted to know.

She cast her eyes downward and softly murmured, "I involved Ichigo…" She was silent for a moment, then looked straight into Renji's eyes and cried "It's MY fault he died! What's wrong with me running over to him?!"

He just looked at her.

He didn't bother listening to the conversation between brother and sister that followed. He really didn't hear what she said to that Ichigo after kicking his arm. He'll never forget the sorrow on her features and the tears in her eyes as she told the boy she'd never forgive him if he came after her.

He distinctly heard Kuchiki-taichou calling for him to open the gate back to Soul Society. Wordlessly, he proceeded to walk ahead of them, stopping only a few feet away.

"Unlock."

Doors opened for them, beckoning them to come home.

Let's rearrange
I wish you were a stranger I could disengage
Just say that we agree and then never change
Soften a bit until we all just get along

But that's disregard
Find another friend and you discard
As you lose the argument in a cable car
Hanging above as the canyon comes between

"Is she still depressed?" Renji asked the butterfly-loving moron of a subordinate he just kicked in the head. He found him holding on to what looked like a yellow toy butterfly, muttering something about 'Jennifer' and a 'cup E' and he just couldn't help himself. Honestly, what kind of crack are people on these days?

"I'm not depressed," a feminine voice answered coldly.

"Then why won't you touch your food?" He had been 'slightly' worried when he found out she wasn't eating anything. Just a teensy bit worried, really, that he came all the way to the 6th division holding cells on his day off.

"I'm just not hungry, fukutaichou-dono," came the cheeky reply.

"What, dammit?! You got a problem with me being vice-captain?!"

"No, not really."

And just when he thought she'd drop it…

"Do your best, fukutaichou-dono! You're strong, fukutaichou-dono! You've got weird eyebrows, fukutaichou-dono..."

That did it.

"I'm going to kill you! Come out of there, dammit!" Renji may have been worried that she wasn't eating, but if that cheeky little idiot still had the nerve to bicker with him then she should just be fine.

"Ne, Renji…" The mood turned somber all of a sudden and Renji didn't like it one bit. He'd give just about anything to keep bickering with her right now.

"Am I really going to die?"

That desolate tone in her voice was something he'd never heard before and decided he didn't like it at all. Thus, he decided to make light of the situation with a touch of humor. After all, wasn't laughter the best medicine?

"Of course you are. You're probably getting the death penalty right now!"

"I see…You're probably right."

Renji blinked.

"Come on, don't be stupid. It was just a joke! A JOKE!"

Irritated, she whipped her head around to look at him. "Which is it, fool?!"

"Who's the fool?" he countered. "You're the one acting weird making me worried. Anyway, Kuchiki-taichou's probably asking for a commutation right this minute."

"I wonder…"

Detecting the doubtful tone in her voice, he tried his best to reassure her. "You idiot, he's your brother! There's no way he'd just stand there and watch you die."

"No. He'll kill me," she said softly. "I know well what kind of person he is. In the forty years I was adopted by the Kuchiki family, that person has never really looked at me."

Renji fell silent. He didn't know what to say to that one. His captain could be really cold and unforgiving, but he really wasn't going to let Rukia, was he? She was family!

He wasn't about to give up just yet. He wasn't able to make her laugh but he wasn't leaving until he got her to lighten up, dammit.

"Oi, Rukia."

"What?"

It annoyed Renji when the person he's talking to doesn't look him straight in the eye when he's got something important to say.

"Oi. Look at me, dammit!"

Sighing, Rukia turned to face him, exasperation written all over her features.

"Everything's gonna be alright. You're getting out of here and when you do, I'm gonna smack you upside the head for making me worry and we'll bicker over it until we forget this whole thing ever happened, got it?"

A small smile graced her lips. Good. She really didn't think he was going to do it.

"And for the love of God, EAT something. Your ass is skinny enough as it is. At this rate there won't be anything left to drag out of here when this is over."

Rukia glared at him. "Get lost already, fukutaicho-dono."

He just laughed as he turned to leave.

And suddenly I become a part of your past
I'm becoming the part that don't last
I'm losing you and its effortless

'A little further.' Renji ran for the white tower that held Rukia captive.

'Just a little further,' he thought as images of Rukia flashed through his mind. 'Just a little further and I can save you.'

'I'll never let them execute you!'

He stopped short, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. The air was suddenly thick and the pressure was building around him. This reiatsu was strong and all too familiar.

Dread welling up inside him, he slowly looked up to the top of the nearest tower.

"Kuchiki-taichou…"

"Where are you going, Renji?" the noble asked calmly, his features betraying his wariness.

He clenched his fist, unaware of it shaking. "I'm going to save Rukia."

"I do not permit it."

"I'm going!" a bit louder this time.

"I will not say it twice." Then Byakuya vanished in a blink of an eye.

Thus, their battle began and to Renji it lasted seemingly into eternity. Though at the back of his mind, he knew the nobleman made short work of him.

Renji remembered making one last desperate lunge at an unguarded Byakuya…a fair half of his opponent's blade dropping to the ground beside him while his own shattered into pieces.

'Dammit,' His last thought before darkness claimed him.

Without a sound we lose sight of the ground
In the throw around
Never thought that you wanted to bring it down
I won't let it go down till we torch it ourselves

To the casual observer, it would seem like Renji was watching over Byakuya as he recovered from his recent injuries. However, that wasn't the case. Renji knew Byakuya would recover well enough by himself and his presence wouldn't be needed. It's just that something had been nagging him since he lost their battle.

There was something he really needed to say, "Taichou, I…"

"Renji!" An orange-haired abomination of a shinigami suddenly appeared at the window. Renji was on his feet in an instant and literally butt his head against the intruder's.

"Will you shut up?! What the hell do you want? I was just about to say something important, dammit!"

"O-Oh, sorry," Ichigo apologized. "So anyway," he started, "you know where Rukia went?"

"Why? Something happened to her?"

"Not really. If you don't know, it's fine."

Orihime chose to appear at the moment. "How about it, Kurosaki-kun? Is Kuchiki-san here?"

Ichigo blinked at her. "How did you climb…oh well." He turned to the two occupants in the room. "Sorry, Renji, Byakuya, we're going now."

"Sorry to bother you, Renji-kun, Byakuya-san!"

Renji watched them took off. Upon sensing his captain's confusion, he asked, "What's wrong, Taichou?"

"It's just…he didn't mean to call me by my name, did he?"

Renji would have laughed if he still didn't have something important he had to say.

"Anyway, Taichou," he started again. "I apologize for my behavior back there…pickin' a fight with you and all...there's no excuse for what I did."

The floor suddenly looked interesting to him. The next part was going to be the hardest and he just wanted to get over it quick. He made a low bow with as much as humility as he could muster.

"I'm aware of the consequences of my actions…so I'll be handing in my resignation in the mornin'."

His words were met without a reply as the seconds wore on. Renji almost couldn't stand the silent tension and it was taking every ounce of willpower not to scream at Byakuya to 'say something, godammit!' when the stoic man relieved him of his self-inflicted torment.

"That won't be necessary."

Renji looked up, hardly daring to believe it. At the very least he was expecting a suspension, but it looks like he was getting away scot-free. Even after being beaten to a bloody pulp twice, it looks like his luck hasn't deserted him after all.

"However," the nobleman looked at him carefully. "I want to know the reason for your actions. I want to know how you could afford to throw away years of hard work and a promotion over a trivial matter such as your friendship with my sister."

Renji froze. What the hell!?

"Ano…" he started nervously. Honestly, Byakuya was the last person he expected to talk to about how much Rukia meant to him. "Simply put, Taichou, it's just what friends do for each other."

Byakuya just stared at him. That was usually a sign for him to elaborate further, though at this point Renji suspected Byakuya didn't know what a "friend" was.

"Uh…okay," He chose his words carefully, "We've been friends since we met in Rukongai back when we were kids. It wasn't an easy life. As young as we were, we did whatever was necessary to survive."

He paused for a moment, unsure how to continue. How was he going to say this exactly?

"Even when things got really bad, knowing we had each other made life just a bit easier," he continued. "It's knowing that even when you're in serious shit, someone's always got your back. And when the time comes, you just know you couldn't chalk it up to a promotion for not being there when you're needed…does that make sense, Taichou?"

Byakuya nodded, looking like he was deep in thought. Renji, on the other hand, had already said what he came here to say and said a lot more than he wanted to. He wanted to leave. Now.

"Taichou, I have to get going now, so uh…get well soon, alright? Bye!" He exited the room quickly before the other had the chance to say anything. As far as he was concerned, he already disclosed enough personal things about him for one day.

"Oi, Renji!"

Turning around, he found the subject of their discussion heading in his direction.

"Oi, where you been? Strawberry-for-brains was looking for ya."

She smirked. "Yeah, I talked to him before they left. How's Nii-sama?"

"He's fine. Just needs some rest. You should go see him."

Rukia nodded. Just when she was reaching for the doorknob, Renji smacked her lightly upside the head.

"What the hell was that for?" she glared at him.

"Nothing," he smirked. "I'll see ya later." He headed for the nearest stairs.

"Ne, Renji," she called out.

He stopped to turn and look at her.

"Thanks…for everything."

He smirked. "No need to thank me. Baka."

"Why you-"

"Get going, will ya?" he interrupted dismissively. "Your brother's waiting."

She glared at him one last him before opening the door and stepping inside the room.

Renji chuckled to himself before going down the stairs. Even at this hour, the 4th Division recovery center was still buzzing with life. Renji figured most of the chaos is courtesy of the 11th Division thugs bullying the 4th Division medics.

A small sigh escaped him as he thought about the state things were in. Seireitei was in shambles, Aizen and his lackeys got away, and there was one hell of reconstruction to do.

He'd have his chance to get even with those bastards, he figured as he left the building. But that's for another day, he thought as he headed for home, watching the skies above him slowly darken.