Author's note: First thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this fic thus far. I really appreciate it. Anyway to the point of this note...Thanks to Youtube I have been able to see most of the Arrancar arc up to ep.127 and have decided to make a slight change in the storyline a bit. While it is still an AU Renji x OC fanfic, I am going to incorporate some, Not a lot but some action elements. I suck at writing battle scenes but this story can't be all fluff...although this chapter is. I don't want to say too much more for fear of giving away the story


Chapter 4: Can't Run Anymore

Renji sighed softly as he left the drug store with Shiori's medicine heading back to her apartment, his mind still processing the events of the past twenty-four plus hours. Discovering the girl he loved from afar loved another, meeting and then getting to know Shiori, and now was temporarily staying with her. 'I'm only staying till her ankle heals' he thought to himself. 'I'm not moving in with the girl, I mean I barely know her so why am I stressing?'

"Maybe because you are starting to like her?"a small voice spoke up in the back of his mind.

oOo

Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself starring out the sliding glass door at the starry night sky laying on one of the large lunging cushions in the main room of her apartment. Lavender eyes stared aimlessly at the twinkling stars as she reflected on her life both back in Seireitei and in the living world. She was so deep within her thoughts that she did not hear Renji return. She glanced down at her ankles paying attention to her bandaged right leg and sighed softly.

"Kurosaki-Sempai did say your ankle will be better in a week." Renji spoke up softly as he sat some bags on the low table. He for the first time since entering the apartment turned his full attention to Shiori and inwardly gasped at the vision before him.

Still dressed in the pale blue dress from earlier, She sat by the sliding glass door. The pale light from the moon cast soft glow to her now loose raven hair which hung just below her shoulders. "I um brought back some dinner," he murmured at a loss for words.

Shiori cast one of her reflective smiles to the crimson haired shinigami and moved gingerly to the table. "Renji-kun, why are you suddenly so concerned with my well being? We just formally met yesterday."

"You were wrong when you said no one noticed you when you served on the eleventh. I could see that you were having a hard time and the stronger guys were giving you shit especially when it came to battles. I saw how angry you would get whenever someone pulled a prank on you. I even saw the man you mortally wounded when you thought no one was watching."

Shiori blinked surprised at Renji's revelation and focused her gaze on him directly. "But...you were always training with Madarame Sama to get stronger and then you got promoted to Vice captain of the sixth division..."

"I still took the time to look in on you and make sure you were okay." Without any thought towards his actions, he reached across the table and gently grasped her hand causing her to blush deeply. "I was worried when I heard about you being injured. You may not have known, but I did come visit you while you were recovering."

"That was you? Unohana told me I had a visitor come check on me but she never said who it was. She would just smile."

Shiori lowered her head slightly letting her dark bangs act as a curtain hiding her blushing face while she quietly ate.

"Oi, are you strong enough to step out of your gigai?" Renji asked as he finished his dinner.

"Um I believe so, why do you ask?"

Renji smirked then set to clearing the table cleaning up. Once he finished he stepped into the spare bedroom where he rested his gigai then returned to the main room.

Shiori reached into the neckline of her dress retreating a charm in the shape of a star on a thin silver chain. She smiled softly to herself as she pressed the charm to her heart and her soul leapt out of the artificial body. "I almost forgot how good it felt to be outside of that darn gigai" she sighed softly. Shiori's shinigami robes were the same as all the other shinigami, except around her waist hung a second smaller sash made out of fine purple silk and the top was open slightly to reveal the top of a white tube top beneath her robes. She supressed a gasp of surprise when Renji, for a second time, scooped her up and put her on his back.

"What are you doing!" she cried out softly in surprise instantly latching on to the crimson haired shinigami.

"Well even out of your gigai your ankle is still injured so I figured I'd carry you and no protests this time dammit." Renji said as he slid open the glass door and leapt off the terrace into the cool night air heading back to Tsubakidai Park. She marveled at the beautiful scenery below as they, well Renji, ran from rooftop to rooftop until they arrived at the park. Landing carefully in a clearing, Renji rested Shiori on the grass then joined her.

The two sat in a comfortable silence watching the stars in the sky as they twinkled brightly. "You developed an anxiety about battles after the Hollow nearly killed you back then, didn't you," Renji finally spoke up breaking the silence. "That's why you ran away as well, right?"

Afraid to look directly at Renji, Shiori continued to look at the sky and nod. "Yes. And it is also because of that anxiety I have this busted ankle now."

"You mean when Ichigo and I started arguing earlier today?"

Again Shiori nodded her head slowly. "I get scared. I never used to be like this. I was a rock when it came to a battle...but now..." Shiori's eyes began to shimmer as they filled with tears. The brown skinned shinigami hugged her knees to her chest to try and hide the fact that she was about to start crying. "I don't like being like this...living like a coward..."

Again without thinking of his actions, Renji wrapped an arm around the crying shinigami hugging her close. Much to his surprise, Shiori moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "When you ankle is better, I'll help you defeat your fears," he spoke up after a long silent pause.

oOooOooOo

A week later:

"Well Mizuhana-San, I'd say your ankle is completely healed," Isshin beamed as finished his examination.

Shiori smile brightly as she hopped off the examination table and shook Isshin's hand. "Thank you Kurosaki-Sempai."

Given a clean bill of health, Shiori smiled at Renji eager to get return to her former self. "So Renji-kun, are you still going to help me overcome my fear?" she casually asked as she walked next to the red head.

Renji raised an eyebrow and looked at the brown skinned girl next to him. "Are you sure you're ready to do this so soon?"

Shiori nodded her head and looked at him with a determined expression on her face. "Renji...I don't want to be afraid anymore! I Am Ready."

He looked directly at Shiori's face as found a serious expression.then sighed softly. "Alright, if you are absolutely sure you want to do this, then let's go."

TBC


Like it Love it then please Review it