This in a RenRuki tribute :3 Spiced up with dragons instead of Zanpakutō's souls. Will Renji ever capture the heart of his Ohime-sama? Hope you enjoy!

She felt the warmth of the sun gently caressing her face. Slowly, she opened her dark brown eyes and the first thing which caught her eye was the egg; a dragon egg. Its shell covered in scales as purely white as newly fallen snow with a turquoise sheen. It was a royal dragon egg after all, nothing like the common ones. The egg had been passed down through her family for three generations and if the tales were true, it was said that the egg only would come to life if it felt the presence of a real Dragonwielder. Royal dragons were picky like that, they wouldn't submit their great power to just anyone.
Right now it only felt like a rock to her. Dead and cold. The egg was passed down to her at her eighteenth name day, which had been the day before. Everyone told her that it was a great honor and that she should be grateful to receive the royal dragon egg, but she didn't really see it as an honor. She felt like she had received a rock for her birthday. A pretty rock, indeed … But a damn huge rock! It barely fitted into her two palms when she carried it.
She got up and sat down in front of the rock which was placed on a large pillow on the floor in the corner of her bedchamber. She eyed it for a moment before she let out a long drawn sigh and gently patted its scaly surface.

- Let´s become good friends, okay buddy?

She sat like that for a moment with a hand on top of the egg as if she was waiting for a reply, a sign, anything that could prove to her that this damn rock actually was alive!

But no… Nothing.

She heard a sudden ruckus on the other side of the door followed by three loud knocks.

- Yes? She yelled

- Requesting permission to enter your chambers, Ohime-sama!

She hurriedly stood up, reached for a blanket on her bed and swept it around her. She was naked after all.

- You have my permission to enter.

The door slid open and a tall man entered her room. He was strong yet slender built, with a broad chest and a narrow hip. Twenty years of age. His shoulder length crimson hair, tied into a ponytail and for eyebrows he had tattoos, tribals which covered his entire forehead, Renji.
He looked at her for a moment almost forgetting himself, his casual way of looking at her changed into a stare as he noticed that she wasn't dressed. Only standing there next to her bed with a, in his opinion way … WAY too short blanket to cover her more private parts.
Flustered and blushing he looked to the floor.

- O..Ohime-sama. He knelt to show his respect to the higher born woman in front of him.

- Y..Your brother is requesting your presence on the courtyard immediately. He has ordered you to bring the egg with you as well. He wants the bonding ceremony over today.

- That's odd. She thought to herself. It isn't supposed to be held before the end of the month?

She frowned at Renji, but suddenly, she noticed that his eyes were fixated at her. Normally, people would give a royal dragon egg slightly more attention, but not him. His eyes were upon her.
She couldn't help but to giggle, amused by the way he without fail reacted when she was not properly dressed.

- Oww! C'mon Renji! Don't get all formal on me now. She said teasingly as she gave him the most stunning smile she could ever muster.

- We have known each other since we were mere kids after all.

He looked to the floor once more as his cheeks reddened.

- D…Don't tease me, Ohime-sama. He mumbled more to himself than to her. Very much aware of his lower status.

- Okay okay! I'll let you off the hook this time, but only because it´s you. She said as she turned her back to him, very well knowing that he could see more than what good was under the short blanket.

- Now, let my handmaiden do her job and leave my chambers at once!

He cleared his throat.

- As you wish, Ohime-sama. I will be waiting for you outside.

As he closed the door behind him he thought to himself

- Man that girl … One day I surely won't let her get away with such behavior!

He shook his head briskly

- What on earth am I thinking?! Renji, you fool! You know she´s way out of your league!

His train of thoughts suddenly stopped as he saw her handmaiden carrying her ceremonial kimono into her room. The colors on it were made to match the innocent colors the egg carried.

- She isn´t suited for those colors! She´s far from innocent! He mumbled to himself as he walked outside the building.

Few moments had passed before she came out of her chambers. As she walked out of the outer door she remembered Renji's words;

- I'll be waiting for you outside.

She didn't know why, but for some reason he was still able to make her excited with so few words. Even though they'd known each other ever since they were kids.

- Pull yourself together, Rukia! You're a noble, a woman grown! You're not some silly love-struck fourteen year old airhead! She rebuked herself.

She wasn't much for admitting it, but she'd noticed that she had become very fond of Renji the last few months, as he'd joined the royal guard thus got to see her more often. But she wouldn't let him know that …. She knew him too well. It would just make his ego go right through the skies. She hated when he became like that. So full of himself.
She found him sitting under a cherry blossom tree which was in full bloom. He hadn't noticed her yet.

- What a pretty sight. She thought as she noticed that he was talking to someone. And he even had a silly smile on his face.

- Who can that be? A woman? For what other reason would he smile like that? She frowned and started to move in closer. As she got closer she noticed that he wasn't talking to a human but a dragon.

- RENJI! She yelled fiercely as she jumped him, clinging her arms around his neck.

Struggling with the enraged ball of black fur clinging to his neck he managed to yell;

- What has gotten into you, you mad she-devil!

- WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT IT HAD HATCHED! BAKA!

He had finally got a firm grip around her hips and held her within an arm's length away from him. Compared to him she was no more than a doll. When they were standing face to face, her height only reached up to his chest.

- So small and yet so full of anger! What did they call them in the human world … Oh yes … A Chihuahua! All you need to complete the act is a bit more tremble…. Now tremble before me Chihuahua!

He shouldn't have said that, but he couldn't help it. He knew how jokes about her height always got to her.

And as he thought she got mad… really mad. She started screaming, kicking and yelling all kinds of insults at him. But he only laughed at her. Actually he found it so hilarious, he couldn't stop laughing and had to let go of her.
After she was released she just couldn't stay mad at him. Not when he was sitting there and laughing himself to bits. So she ended up laughing with him.
Then she remembered … The dragon.
She looked at it and noticed that it was baring its fangs at her, hissing with faint steams of smoking seeping out through its nostrils.

- Um … Renji? I think your dragon is jealous of me...

- Who wouldn't be? He smirked at her.

She had to avert his eyes and instead she looked at his dragon instead.

- When did it hatch?

- Yesterday. That little beast was the first thing I saw in the morning. You can't even imagine how overjoyed I was.

- Oh, I think I can … I bet you were running up and down the walls all morning like a big fool. Why didn't you tell me anything?

- Well, with your name day and all.. I wouldn't want you to stop enjoying yourself like you did.

She averted his eyes once more and looked at the dragon. It was quite huge already. The size of a small dog, almost. Its scale was light brown but the scales on its head were pure white. Its yellow eyes almost looked like they were glowing. On its spine there were dull spikes like the ones on a skeleton spine, just longer. From neck to tail and across its collarbones it grew small patches of red fur. It was kind of unusual for a dragon to grow fur. But then it just matched its owner … Odd goes well with odd after all.
She smiled at the thought.
Renji reached out for the dragon and petted its head. The dragon let out a series of faint sheiks which she would interpret as joyful sounds.

- His name is Zabimaru, just so you know.

- It suits him. She said as she reached out for the dragon to pet him as well.

But Zabimaru didn't like that idea. Once more it bared its teeth and hissed at her while it spread its wings to look even larger and even more dangerous.

She laughed nervously

- Well I guess he isn't my biggest fan…

Renji smiled

- Oh, just give him some time. I bet you'll melt his heart eventually. He said as he looked at her.

They heard a horn blowing. Abruptly he stood up and looked like someone who was about to panic.

- Shit, we haven't got time for this! Zabimaru, home! Ohime-sama, give me your hand, we have to hurry! The ceremony is about to begin! Your brother will have my head!

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review or keep reading if you like it 3!