I can't believe I forgot to post this here yesterday...I put it up on dA but not here? ...wow, I must've been so relaxed I forgot when I finished typing this up for Rukia's birthday...

Renji trotted up to the Kuchiki household with a grin plastered on his features and his reddish-brown eyes flickering in the sunlight that slightly reflected off of them. The straw-like shoes padded against the tiled surface with the klunk, klunk of the bambo that filled with water and tapped the ground.

Unable to hold his excitement in he began to put a little skip into his step. Once he reached the door, the redhead stopped and lifted his left hand, knocking softly for a while then lowered the fist once it opened to reveal his dark haired friend.

Looking up with round violet eyes Rukia smiled, "Hey, Renji,"

"Mornin'," he complied, letting his left hand raise and do a mock salute, recieving a giggle from the girl, hands raised and covering her mouth. "let's go somewhere, just you and me."

Rukia blinked and both shinigami jumped once Byakuya's reitsu washed over them with said Kuchiki walking up into the light with a cold glance. "Why should she? The maids are already making her a meal."

"Byakuya-nii," she spoke while turning to face him, "I'll eat it later, I haven't gone anywhere with Renji since my hundreth birthday and that was years ago."

Renji smiled casually and shrank back a little once the man turned his gaze from his sister to his fukutaicho. Recently he'd heard Renji talk to himself, muttering that something sounded good for Rukia's birthday then others were not.

"I just want to take her somewhere, I won't do anything, Byakuya-taicho."

XXXX

Eventually Rukia got her brother to agree and the two were heading down to the ocean with the redhead looking up with a wide grin, spreading his arms and letting out a long, please, sigh.

"Glad I could spend some time with ya," he spoke with half-lidded eyes once he dropped his arms and looked over at her with a warm smile.

Rukia blinked and looked over at him with a questionable look in her purple hues, her pale hands lifting and running up her arms with her gaze soon turning forth with her lips parted a bit. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Renji quirked a tattooed brow and let his right arm wrap around her slender neck, patting the top of her head and leaned down to her level with a soft chuckle as Rukia glared at him.

"So, is the shrimp enjoying her birthday?" he joked with a warm laugh.

Rukia growled and looked away with a pout while crossing her arms, the pant-flaps flowing in the wind. "What was that?"

"I was kiddin', princess,"

Rukia looked over at him, "What did you call me?!"

"Nevermind," Renji replied, leaning in a placing a kiss upon her lips, surprised the petite girl wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling away the redhead grinned, "I love you."

Rukia squeaked from shock once Renji, literally, swept her off her feet and his shoulders shook as he laughed, watching the female shinigami hold onto him and look up with a furious blush.

Leaning to introduce lips to lips again, Rukia's violet eyes fluttered shut and smiled as warm patches of flesh grazed against her own, pressing for a second then brushing over her cheek.

"I love ya, Rukia,"

Renji's cherry-colored eyes fell halfway shut, warm and yet afraid. He'd waited for this day for the longest time. To admit his feelings to Rukia before he lost her for good and before he himself faded away.

She nuzzled her face into his neck with a giggle, "I love you too, Renji."

The taller spirit looked up and smiled as he watched the waves lap at the shore that openly welcomed it, meeting its goal without fail each time. He tilted his head to rest against the patch of silken strands, tightening his hold slightly as the sun's rays reflected beautifully off the water.

But that sight couldn't really be compared to who was in his arms right now.

Nothing could beat it, nothing.