Chapter 3: I Ship RenIshi - Renji Abarai / Uryu Ishida


Chapter One Summary: Ulquiorra's crush, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, finally worked up the courage to ask him out. Grimmjow is the quarterback for the school's football team, but doesn't really do anything else. Renji Abarai is also on the football team, but he's very athletically involved, so he's also on the soccer and kendo teams. Ulquiorra, Szayel, and Uryu are all on the track team together, even though Szayel and Ulquiorra couldn't run to save their lives. Renji and Uryu are dating, but only God knows why. I mean, they're always fighting (Renji being far too overprotecting and Uryu being far too... not caring), so they definitely won't last that long, or at least that's how Szayel sees things. But that's mainly because Szayel wants Uryu all to himself, even though Uryu is not romantically interested in him. Who knew college could be so amusing?

Chapter Two Summary: Ulquiorra gives Szayel either a super late or amazingly early birthday present. Speaking of Szayel, he hates horror movies (weird, right?). Of course, the movie Grimmjow takes Ulquiorra to is a horror one. Szayel's scared out of his mind, but Ulquiorra thinks that it serves him right since he's totally invading his personal space anyway. As emotions started to grow on Ulquiorra's face, he feels Grimmjow's eyes on him. Turning to him, Ulquiorra sees Grimmjow leaning in. Too bad the fucking woman on screen screamed at that exact moment, causing them both to pull back. Ulquiorra only had a second to mop because Grimmjow quickly pulled his lips to his own. Szayel's great 'kyaaaa!' seemed to echo throughout the theater, but Ulquiorra didn't even hear. The perfect first date and the perfect first kiss.

Thanks for staying with me till chapter three, in which we travel back in time to the forming of RenIshi.


"Watch out!"

Uryu turned and tried to view the world in slow motion, like his late grandfather had taught him. He easily saw the football speeding to his face, but he didn't let himself be scared. Planting his feet, he shot his arm up and caught the ball right before it touched his nose. Things went back to real speed as he looked at the football team. Having track practice around the football field while football practice was happening was a terrible idea. Had it been anyone else with a ball flying for their face, they probably would've been sent to the hospital for head injuries. Uryu glared at the blushing duo of red and blue.

"I thought you were supposed to throw the balls at each other, not at the track team."

The ball came out of his left hand in a tight spiral. Renji wasn't expecting such a hard and accurate throw and was off-balance. When he tried to catch it, the ball smacked him in the chest and sent him falling into Grimmjow, successfully knocking them both over. Uryu smirked and the coach grinned.

"Hey kid! You look tiny, but you're strong enough to knock my star players on their asses. What position do you play?"

Uryu raised his eyebrow. Even from the sideline, Kenpachi's voice could be heard loud and clear.

"I'm sorry, Zaraki-sensei, but I have about as much interest in joining the football team as you do in joining the chess club."

Yoruichi popped up next to Uryu and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. He frowned and would have blushed, had she not done this every time she saw him.

"Besides, he needs to focus on running if he's going to win that marathon next month! He placed first at the festival last week, so he can't lose now!"

Uryu sighed.

"I don't know why you want me anyway, Zaraki-sensei. Haven't you been after Kurosaki since the day he started college?"

Kenpachi laughed so hard he actually looked more like a psychotic killing machine.

"That boy can't play football to save his life! If anything, I'd rather have another kendo match with him! We never got to finish our last one!"

Does it concern anyone else that a teacher is constantly physically fighting his students? I remember the day Kurosaki came back to our dorm after Kendo... He couldn't lie on his back for two weeks and apparently he was the winner.

Uryu shook Yoruichi's arm off and started up at a comfortable pace, enjoying the light breeze as it blew his hair back out of his face. He sent a smile to Ulquiorra and Szayel who were still 'stretching' on the ground. They smiled back (or at least as much of a smile as Ulquiorra could give) and he continued jogging, not noticing the other set of eyes that were following him.


My name is Uryu Ishida. I'm actually really annoyed at the moment. Oh yeah, I'm the type that is easy to read as long as I want to be read. Right now, I'm projecting all signs of 'you can't even believe how annoyed I am right now'. You want to know why? Fine, but I have to explain something first. For some reason, everyone at this college seems to be homosexual and while homosexuality doesn't bother me, the fact that literally everyone in this college swings that way makes me believe that we're in some shitty yaoi anime or something. Anyway, it seems like at least once a week some random guy that I don't even recognize comes up to me and says something...

"Look, I've really liked you for a long time and want to go out with you."

...Along the lines of what this guy just said to me.

Uryu crossed his arms and looked up into the nervous man's crimson eyes.

"You've 'really liked me for a long time'? I don't even know who you are."

The other man looked a little deflated, but quickly tried to bounce back with a face splitting grin that only seemed to succeed in giving Uryu a headache.

"I'm Renji Abarai. Second year here. I'm on the football, soccer, and kendo teams. I'm failing every class except math, don't even ask me why, but I'm somehow good at math. Yes, my tattoo's go all the way down, but not on my... you know. I've been growing out my hair ever since I was a kid, even though it went through sort of an awkward pineapple phase. My roommate is never at the dorm, but that's okay because I'm always out doing something with my friends anyway. I love watching horror movies, but mainly because they make me laugh. My fatal flaw in any relationship is being too cling-y and protective, but I can clearly see that you don't need any protecting. I was born August 31st and try to ignore negative comments." Uryu gave him a look that told him he didn't see any meaning behind any of those statements. Renji visibly relaxed. "You said you didn't know me, so I figured I'd tell you before you had a chance to leave."

Uryu thought for a moment, then uncrossed his arms.

"Oh, you're the one who almost nailed me with a ball a week ago."

The grin on Renji's face only grew.

"Yep, that's me."

The annoyed expression was gone, replaced by a soft smile.

"Even though you sound kind of like a wild animal, I think I'm interested in learning a little more. I'm Uryu Ishida, but all you need to know is that I seem to be your opposite. And maybe my phone number."

"How about we make a date now so that you can't skip out on me. How about... Bowling."

"Bowling?"

"Yeah... A couple of my friends wanted to go and I figured it would be fun. But if you don't want to, it's okay."

"No, I would love to. Who's all going? Upperclassmen, I presume?"

"Upperclassmen-ish."

"What do you mean by 'ish'?"

"Well, Rangiku is a couple of years older than me and she works at a bar called Seireitei. Her boyfriend, Gin, is a little older than her and is the maths teacher. Yeah, it's weird to hang out with the teacher, but he's a pretty chill guy. Ikkaku and Yumi can-"

"Yumi? As in Yumichika Ayasegawa?"

"Yeah, do you know him?"

"We hang out sometimes, but Szayel and him seem to hate each other."

"Your pink friend?" Uryu nodded. "Hope it doesn't cause any problems, but I'm with him a lot."

"No, it's fine. Szayel will just have to deal with it. Speaking of Szayel, he's probably going to follow us tomorrow. He usually does that. Don't worry, he isn't any good at spying on people. He tends to giggle too much. And he refuses to put a hat over his pink hair." Renji laughed and Uryu looked up at him. "What's so funny?"

"It's just that my friends persisted that, when I told them about how I wanted to ask you out, I take you bowling with them. They're a pretty big group and I know that Rangiku would have made them all come and spy on us. Trust me, if you think pinky is a bad stalker, you've never seen them."

Uryu laughed this time.

"Shame I won't get to see them in action."


"Another one really approached you?"

"Yeah, but he was different. Even though he is kind of an idiot, he's a cute idiot."

Szayel and Ulquiorra both raised an eyebrow at Uryu's noticeably softer tone. Whenever he talked about random guys asking him out, he always sounded really pissed. This time, he sounded a little happy.

"You turned him down like usual, right? I mean, if he just came up to you and confessed before you even knew his name, he can't be good for you."

"I wouldn't say I said 'no'..."

Ulquiorra came close to a small smile as Szayel's face fell into a deep frown which Uryu didn't look up from his sketch book long enough to notice. Szayel was about to continue until Uryu's phone went off from inside his jean pocket.

"Hello? ...Oh, hey, Abarai-san. ...Yes, I'm still free. ...Move it to seven? ...That's fine. I'll see you there. Goodbye."

Uryu put his phone back down and tried to continue sketching, but he could feel the two sets of eyes burning on him.

"You did make a date."

"So what if I did?"

Szayel crossed his legs as he looked at Uryu from a lavender chair across his own bedroom.

"You said 'Abarai-san'. Does that mean that this mystery man is the meathead, Renji Abarai who is one year our senior?"

"So what if he is?"

Ulquiorra finally interrupted. "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques' friend, right?" But Uryu and Szayel just gave him a look. Until Uryu thought of a way to get himself out of the topic of conversation.

"Have you thought about asking him yet, Ulquiorra?"

"I've thought about it, but I doubt he even knows I exist."

Uryu closed his sketch book and placed it and his pencil on the desk he was sitting at. He walked over to where Ulquiorra was laying on Szayel's bed and took a seat next to him.

"Stop with the self loathing. I know for a fact that some of our classmates have their eyes on you. And why not? You're cute, at the very least. Anyone would be more than lucky to have you. The only reason why you don't have guys desperate for you is that you make yourself unapproachable. I told you already, you don't need to change anything about yourself because you're going to find somebody who won't want you any other way. ...But you should at least be a little friendlier.

Ulquiorra's face finally twisted into something that could be considered a frown, but Uryu easily saw this as a face-splitting grin. Uryu sighed and layed back until his head rested on Ulquiorra's stomach. Szayel let out a small laugh, but Uryu could tell that he had forced it out of his mouth.

What are you supposed to do when your bestfriend is in love with you? It seems like all I'm doing is slowly crushing his heart.

"I'll go get some more soda."

Szayel closed the bedroom door as he left. Uryu slowly rose from Ulquiorra's stomach and left the bed to go sit back in his original spot.

"Do you really think that this is the best way to deal with it? Pretend you don't notice and show no interest?"

"That's been the plan for a few years now. At least until I find the perfect person for him. The closest I've come is Kurosaki, if Szayel even gives him the time of day. Until he's ready, I really can't do anything for him."

"And when will he be 'ready'?"

Uryu sighed and opened up his sketch book to look at what he had been working on. Something that was Szayel, but not Szayel. The man standing with his arms stretched wide had strange wings coming from his back. Uryu darkened the shading on the markings around his eye.

"When he meets the right person."

"You do realize that, in his mind, he already has."

Uryu frowned and started adding a background to the picture.

"Then maybe I need to meet the right person."

"And Renji Abarai fits the picture you've been drawing?"

"Considering this is a picture of a mutant Szayel, the answer is no. If you're talking about the picture of my future as a rich fashion designer who makes affordable, yet amazing, designs, the answer is that I don't know. It could be Abarai-san, but the thought of that makes me want to dump him right now."

"Still afraid of commitment, Mr. Desirable?"

"You know, for someone with no sense of humor, you sure make a lot of jokes." Ulquiorra did a real, small smile, but Uryu just sighed. "Yeah, I'm still a little scared, but why wouldn't I be? You are one of the few people who should understand, since you know about her."

"I doubt the same thing will happen twice, Uryu."

"Yeah, well, I don't have the best of luck when it comes to loved ones. I'm surprised neither you nor Szayel have been hit by a bus yet." The door swung open and Uryu couldn't help but giggle at Yylfordt only dressed in a towel, his hair laying, damp, on his shoulders. "Wrong room, Granz-san."

"Shit, sorry."

Szayel smacked the back of his head.

"Shit, sorry, I didn't know that would hurt. Get out of my room and put some damn clothes on!"


"Seems like I beat you again, Abarai."

"Fine, then I challenge you to another round!"

Uryu smirked.

Who knew bowling was this much fun? The only one here I'm actually friends with is Yumichika. Besides that, the only one I actually met before today is Renji Abarai, if you don't count my creepy maths teacher. We've been here for three hours now, and I'm still having a great time. I could say that it's because I'm bowling with a bunch of amazing people, but...

I think it's because I'm here with Abarai.

Uryu grabbed a ball. With a smirk, he walked forward and released. Strike. Renji just grinned and grabbed another ball. It was his turn.