Okay, I just posted a chapter, but sister is making me continue:3 So here I go again!
-:-
Rukia
By the time I was finished explaining, I couldn't even look at them. I had pulled away from Ichigo, only to have him grab my hand tightly, and had begun facing them. But as the shock sunk in and was evident on their faces, I couldn't stand looking them in the eye.
Hisagi didn't respond much, he just looked stunned. Michiru on the other hand began quietly crying and asked a few questions. When she realized I was done explaining she spoke up again.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Ichigo." As she said this she grabbed her husband's hand, seeming to want him to know she was sorry for his loss as well.
Instead of answering, Ichigo just nodded. He had calmed down a little; he wasn't crying anymore and I was glad for that. When I glanced up at him I noted that he looked exhausted; he hadn't looked so tired in a while and it worried me.
"Where's Mina and the kids? Can we talk to them?" Michiru continued, her frown still intact.
"Mina's in the hospital; she had cut herself pretty badly last week and after they evaluated her the doctors decided to keep her until next Wednesday," I replied. "We've been visiting her every day; you're welcome to join us tomorrow."
"Thanks, I appreciate that," she answered, forcing a small smile. "And what about the kids?"
"They're upstairs with their grandparents," I began, hesitating before continuing. "But…if you don't mind could you wait to see them? They seem to be in pretty good moods tonight and I just don't want them to have to think about it." She was quiet for a moment, causing me to continue. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
"No, you didn't. I was just trying to remember if I had met any of their grandparents before."
"We have," Hisagi suddenly spoke up. "Renji's parents, remember? Ren and…uh…"
"Shenji," I answered, causing him to nod.
"Oh, that's right," his wife stated quietly. There was a moment of silence before she continued. "We'll see the kids tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, they'll be coming with us to visit their mother," I answered, nodding absently.
"Okay," she responded, taking a step closer to the door. "We're going to go unpack. It was nice seeing you both again." Her tone was so dull, it didn't sound like her at all.
"You too," I returned, frowning back at her.
"We'll see you tomorrow, just call or knock when you're ready to go."
"Alright, visiting hours are one to four. We usually stay the whole time."
"That's fine. Thanks again for…inviting us. We'll talk to you two later." With that Michiru led her husband out of my apartment.
I continued holding onto Ichigo's hand, glancing up at him. He looked embarrassed suddenly and I felt bad; I didn't want him to be ashamed about mourning, not just because I saw him cry. Instead of trying to say anything to make him feel better, I stepped closer to him and hugged him again, resting my head against his chest. He quickly returned the gesture, leaning his head against mine.
"I don't understand why he did this?" Ichigo said, confusing me.
"What? What are you-," I began before he cut me off.
"I don't understand why Renji killed himself. I've never seen him give up on anything, let alone life entirely. It doesn't make any sense, I hate not knowing why."
I felt a frown tug at my brow. While keeping my grip on Ichigo's waist, I looked up at him, my chin resting along his collarbone as I absently stood on my toes. "Do you think there was an actual reason? That he did it because he thought it was logical, not because he was trying to get away from everything that depressed him?"
"Yeah, I do," he answered, not elaborating. I didn't push it.
"Maybe one day you will know," I said.
"How?"
I shrugged. "Maybe he talked to one of the kids about it, maybe Kenji. Maybe he told Kenji something that he won't understand until he's older."
He thought this over and soon nodded. "Yeah, maybe." After he thought it over for a moment, he smiled slightly. "Thanks Rukia."
"For what?" I asked, returning the gesture.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better."
I couldn't help the grin that crossed my features. "I'm glad," I answered, causing his smile to widen as well. After pulling closer to him momentarily, I finally pulled away, taking a few steps back. "Sit down, I'll get you some more coffee." He nodded and did as I said.
Stepping back into the kitchen I grabbed the carafe and refilled the mugs we had used earlier. Quickly replacing the glass pitcher I hurriedly grabbed the cups and returned to the living room. Taking a seat next to Ichigo, I handed him a mug and took a drink.
"Thanks," he said, doing the same. I only nodded in reply. After a moment of silence he asked me, "Do you mind if I ask you something personal?"
Surprised and a little nervous, I shrugged. "No, I don't mind. Go ahead."
He nodded but stayed quiet, seeming to hesitate as he thought over how to ask. Eventually he asked, "Do you still have trouble with your eating disorder." I was caught off guard by his question; Ichigo never talked about it, although I caught him observing me eat from time to time. Although it was a serious topic and I knew he didn't take it lightly, I thought he might be asking to get far away from the topic of Renji and I didn't mind.
"Well,…sometimes, yeah." He seemed to wait for me to continue, so I did. "Sometimes, without even realizing it, I'll find myself thinking in the same mindset I did when I was with Raiden. If I get hungry I'll tell myself stuff like 'you've already had your meal today' or 'if he finds out you're not sticking to the diet…' That sort of stuff. Sometimes I'm able to snap out of it, sometimes I'm not." I shrugged.
"Have you ever fallen back into that…routine for a long period of time?"
"Hm…more so when I was first getting out of that relationship. As sad as it sounds, Hisana used to have to come over every day to make sure I was eating enough. She never said that out loud, but I knew what she was doing."
"Did that bother you?"
I thought it over before finally shaking my head. "No, not really. I knew she was just taking care of me…and I knew after what Raiden put me through, I needed that. So I overlooked that she was making up reasons to drop by every day and just started enjoying the company I wasn't used to."
He nodded. "That's a pretty mature way of thinking."
I laughed quietly. "What do you mean?"
He smiled before answering. "If I were you, I would have gotten annoyed that she wasn't being honest. I wouldn't have been able to see that I needed the help."
"Well, there is a difference between us. You're a man, and men have ego issues."
He laughed. "That's a really good point."
His smile widened and the strangest feeling came over me. I suddenly thought, He could be mine, if I just asked him. Everything about the thought was strange, even the way I had worded it; it made me laugh. I had noticed how close we had gotten in the two weeks we had known each other and I just assumed I needed someone to be close with to cope with what had happened. I always thought he felt the same way, but for some reason I suddenly thought that he had feelings for me. And although I had been teased by Saki from the beginning, I had never thought I would actually care about him, that I would want to "claim" him. But then again, I never thought I would be prepared for another relationship again after what happened with Raiden.
"What's so funny?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow slightly as he pulled me away from my thoughts.
Shaking my head, I replied. "Nothing, sorry. I hadn't realized what I had said, I guess."
Laughing, he said, "You're so weird," jokingly while carefully nudging my shoulder.
Although I had a quick remark, I suddenly felt nervous, like I was actually going to ask him out. I knew I wasn't, I had no intention of ever asking him out; if we were going to date, he was going to ask me. But for some reason I was anxious and didn't really feel like talking anymore. Trying to think of a distraction, or at least something easier to talk about, I quickly spoke up. "Hey, do you want to finish looking at that photo album?"
Seeming surprised by my random offer, he shrugged. "Sure," he answered, his smile still intact.
Quickly retrieving it from my bedroom, I sat back down next to Ichigo, noticing when he scooted closer, and opened it to the spot we had stopped at the last time. Although he seemed to notice my sudden mood, Ichigo never said a word and just went along with what I wanted. He acted completely normal, unlike myself, and asked several questions about what he saw in the pictures. With all the discussion it took longer than I thought to go through the photos and after about an hour and a half I began feeling drowsy.
"What the hell is Saki wearing?" he asked as we stumbled upon a picture from the night of Saki's first school dance. She was standing on the front porch of Hisana and Byakuya's house with her date, who was dressed in a cheap looking suit. Although Saki dated a lot in high school, I remembered this guy pretty well. He was a pothead who somehow managed to hide the fact from Saki for a while. Once she found out she dumped him.
"A really ugly dress," I stated absently. "For her first high school dance."
He laughed before responding. "He looks like a solid date."
I laughed as well, nodding. "Oh yeah, he was a keeper."
After glancing down at the picture another time, Ichigo turned the page revealing the first picture of me in the entire album, excluding the first one of me and Hisana. I was sitting on my bed, a book in hand, staring intently down at the pages before me. I was probably sixteen in the photo, clad in jean shorts and a T-shirt with my hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.
Seeming surprised, Ichigo looked at the photo intently before glancing over at me. "Is that you?"
"Yeah," I answered, smiling slightly. "That's the only way Hisana could get my picture, taking it when I wasn't paying attention."
He nodded and continued looking over the picture. When I tried to turn the page he carefully pushed my hand away. "Is that your bedroom?"
"Yup."
After another moment he flipped the page over, showing a picture of Saki and Hisana laughing hysterically while trying to balance on a trampoline. They were holding onto each other's arms while trying to bounce at the same time. Both were dressed in khaki shorts and tank tops, their shoes resting in the grass next to the trampoline.
Ichigo laughed. "That's so funny. Why do you they look so nervous?"
"It was our neighbor's, they weren't used to it. Our neighbors had seven kids and had the trampoline installed as a surprise while the kids were at their grandparents' house. When Saki realized what they were putting up, she and Hisana went next door and asked if they could try it out," I explained smiling warmly at the memory.
"You didn't want to try?" he asked, smiling down at me.
"I was taking their picture," I joked, causing him to laugh and roll his eyes. "I got on, I was the only one who could stand up on it."
He nodded and continued flipping through the album. Regardless of how I was feeling, I allowed myself to rest my head on his shoulder as we continued to skim through the book. After a while he began asking fewer questions and we had slowed our pace immensely. By the time the second hour came around I could barely keep my eyes open; before I knew it I had drifted off to sleep.
-:-
Suddenly the door slammed closed, causing me to jump slightly. At first I ignored the noise, too tired to care. But after a few minutes I heard footsteps and forced myself to wake up. Squinting slightly, I slowly opened my eyes only to find Shenji staring out the sliding glass doors at the patio. Curious as to what he was doing in my apartment, I sat up but was surprised when I realized I had been sleeping practically on top of Ichigo.
Regardless, I turned back to Shenji. "What are you doing, Shenji?" I asked, causing him to jump slightly.
"Damn, Ruk, you scared me," he said, laughing quietly while turning around. "I came down here because Ren wanted to know if she could barrow some eggs."
"Of course, help yourself," I responded, rubbing my eyes tiredly. Glancing at the glass doors again I realized it was already dark out. When I looked at the clock I saw that it was going on eleven and couldn't believe Ichigo and I had been sleeping so long.
"What are you doing?" he asked, smiling down at me as he returned to the living room, a carton of eggs in hand.
"Ichigo and I were looking through my photo album again, and talking. I don't remember falling asleep," I answered, returning the gesture slightly.
"Right," he joked.
"Shut up," I said, my smile widening.
"I wonder when that boy is going to ask you out," he said, sounding serious.
"I thought you wanted me to date Ben," I joked, causing him to laugh.
"That was until I found out that Saki's like his freakin' soul mate."
Laughing, I just shook my head.
"Really though," he began again. "If he did ask, what would you say?"
I hated that he was asking me this, especially since I had that strange thought before. It was worse that Ichigo was right next to me; he could have woken up, he could be pretending to be asleep. Regardless, I couldn't bring myself to lie to Shenji. "I would say yes."
His smile widened and he nodded. "That's what I thought. Anyway, I better get back upstairs."
"Why does Ren need eggs at eleven o' clock?" I questioned as he stepped closer to the couch absently.
"We couldn't sleep so she decided to bake something for Mina," he answered, shrugging slightly. "If you're still awake in an hour, I'll bring you some."
"Thanks," I answered, smiling warmly.
"No problem," he said absently while taking another step toward the couch. Leaning over he kissed my head, the gesture completely fatherly. "Goodnight, Sweety, I'll see you later."
Touched, I couldn't help but hug him tightly, surprising him. "Aw, Shenji, I love you," I said, causing him to laugh.
"What?"
"You're so fatherly, it's too adorable," I added as he pulled away to look down at me.
He shrugged. "I can't help it, I've always wanted a daughter. I've gotten into a habit of treating all my sons' girlfriends like daughters."
"That's so sweet," I said. "I bet you were excited when Mina had Rina, huh?"
"Oh yeah," he answered, grinning.
"Okay, sorry, I'll let you go," I quickly said, feeling bad for keeping him from leaving.
"Don't worry about it. I'll come check to see if you're awake or not in a little bit."
"Okay," I began. "I do love you, Shenji."
"I love you, too, Ruk," he answered, laying a hand on my head carefully. "See you later."
"Bye." With that he exited, leaving me with a sleeping Ichigo. Looking down at him I sighed; I couldn't bring myself to wake him so instead I stood and pulled the blanket from the back of the couch over him. He had the same problem as Ben: he was too tall. Smiling, I went down the hall, returning with the comforter from my bed. Pulling the small blanket off, I carefully covered him with the comforter.
Not wanting to do anything that might wake him, I made myself some fresh coffee and flipped through the photo album at the kitchen table. About an hour later Shenji returned, bringing fresh muffins that were apparently Mina's favorite. He didn't stay long and didn't comment about Ichigo still being there. After he had left I ate one of the muffins, debated on whether I should eat the other one or leave it for Ichigo. Although I hated being stingy, I helped myself to half of the second one before placing Ichigo's half in a Ziploc bag and leaving it on the table.
I was tired but still couldn't bring myself to wake him. Although I knew it was probably not a good idea, I locked the door and shut off the lights before slipping under the comforter next to Ichigo. He immediately shifted in his sleep, bringing back my nerves. Instead of waking up and asking me what I was doing, like I expected him to, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer, resting his head against my shoulder before being still.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and rested my head against the couch cushion. Although I thought it would take me a while to adjust to how we were lying, I instantly began nodding off and before I knew it I was out.
-:-
Ichigo
Suddenly there was a loud knocking noise, causing me to jump awake. After blinking, my eyes adjusting to the bright light that flooded the room, I noticed someone clinging onto me and blindly began pulling away. Where am I? I thought tiredly.
Looking down I saw Rukia continuing to sleep, her head pressed against my chest, as the person outside the door kept beating on it. "Hold on," I yelled in irritation, causing her to stir. Sitting up, I didn't try being careful so I wouldn't wake her. She sat up also as I stood, seeming confused but I ignored her to answer the door.
When I reached the door, unlocking and opening it, I saw Hisagi and Michiru standing in the hallway, both giving me confused looks. Instead of saying anything I just stepped aside and let them in. When they saw Rukia sleepily rubbing her eyes on the couch, they addressed her, seeming more confused.
"Rukia, I thought you said visiting hours start at one?" Hisagi asked, seeming irritated.
"Yeah…so?" she asked, looking up at them.
"It's twelve-fifty-five," he replied, causing her eyes to widen.
"Really?" she asked, glancing at the clock. "I'm sorry, I don't usually sleep in this late. Can I just get dressed really quick? Then we can go."
"That's fine," Michiru said, smiling at her. She looked more like herself today.
When Rukia retreated down the hall both of them turned to me. "What are you still doing here?" Hisagi asked curiously.
"We were talking last night and apparently fell asleep," I said, barely remembering our last conversation from the night before.
Although her husband didn't seem to believe me, eyeing the comforter on the couch, Michiru spoke up. "I'm so glad you and Rukia are dating, Ichigo."
I laughed and shook my head. "We're not, Michiru."
Her smile fell from her face. "What?"
"We're not dating."
She blinked, seeming to be thinking it over. "Oh," she said, leaving it at that.
I laughed quietly, pushing the awkward silence away before asking, "Where's Fagan?" referring to their son.
"We haven't picked him up from my mom's house yet," Hisagi said, earning a nod.
Before we could continue Rukia returned to the living room, dressed in a plain T-shirt and jeans. She quickly approached us before slipping on her shoes and grabbing her keys. "Alright, I'm ready." Stepping around Hisagi, she pulled the door open and ushered us out of the apartment before locking it and leading us toward her car.
The ride to the hospital was silent for the most part. Rukia asked Hisagi and Michiru about their trip, but they answered blandly. I imagined after finding out about Renji they weren't able to focus on their trip much.
We got to the hospital quickly and when we all entered the room I was surprised to see Mina's parents in the room. Shenji and Ren were already there, standing on the opposite side of Mina's bed, holding Rina and Kenji. Hiromi was holding her daughter's hand, her free hand pressed against her mouth as she cried quietly. Katashi stood beside her, resting a hand on Mina's shoulder; he obviously felt bad for what he had done at Renji's funeral, his guilt written all over his face.
Mina was talking to them, smiling slightly, seeming to try to tell them she was okay. Her mother just kept crying and eventually dropped Mina's hand to cover her face with her hands and sob. Katashi leaned over and hugged his daughter tightly, surprising her. She eventually returned the gesture.
The four of us slid into the room, trying not to interrupt. I took my place next to Kisa, who was standing close to Kon in the back of the room, giving her parents some time with Mina. Looking down at her, I quietly asked, "How long have they been here?"
"They were here before all of us," Kisa replied, looking up at me blankly.
"Is Mina alright? Did she seem upset when she saw them?"
"No, she seemed okay," she answered, not relieving my concern. She seemed to notice, carefully elbowing my side while saying, "Don't worry, she's fine."
Smiling, I lightly elbowed her back, causing her to smile as well. "Thanks."
She just nodded before looking back at Mina and her parents. I did the same, listening when Hiromi spoke up.
"Mina, your father and I wanted to ask you…to move in with us. Just until you can find a job and pick yourself up." Her mother looked down at her firmly, like she wanted to just tell her she was doing it instead of giving her the option.
Smiling widely, Mina glanced up at me. "Actually, Mom," she began, peering up at her parents again. "I'm planning on moving in with Ichigo." Both the Aburamais looked at me, giving me a strange look. "I really appreciate it, but I think it would be best if we stayed with him for a while."
Everyone was looking at me now and I was just happy Mina had already talked to the kids, Shenji and Ren about it. I was also glad I had talked to Rukia about it already.
Hiromi, who seemed to glare at me, asked, "Why in the world would you want Mina and the kids to live with you?"
"I…just wanted to help," I answered, knowing what she was accusing me of.
She continued to just look at me while everyone else was silent. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up again. "Is your girlfriend okay with this?"
"I don't have a girlfriend." I sighed, knowing she was upset. "Look, I-"
"This is completely inappropriate! Her husband just died and you invite her to live with you? What is wrong with you?"
"Mother," Mina exclaimed. "Ichigo is my friend, he's just trying to help me out. I'm sorry, I know you want me and the kids to stay with you, but I don't think that would be a good idea. Like I said, I appreciate the offer." Her mother sighed and she continued, grabbing her hand. "Please don't be mad."
She nodded, squeezing her daughter's hand. "I'm not mad." Again she turned to attention to me. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
"It's alright," I answered. I felt a small hand pat my back and was surprised to find it was Kisa's.
Hiromi glanced at the watch on her wrist and glanced up at her husband. "I'm sorry, Sweety, we've got to go. Can we come back tomorrow and see you?"
"Of course," Mina answered, smiling when her mother bent over and kissed her cheek.
"We'll try to be here by two-thirty," she said as Katashi bent and kissed his daughter as well.
"Okay, we'll see you then. Thank you again for coming."
"Of course, Mina. I'm sorry we didn't come sooner."
"It's alright," she replied, brushing her mother's apology off. "I love you."
"We love you, too, Sweety. Goodbye," Hiromi replied before saying goodbye to her grandchildren and Mina's in-laws. Then she led her husband out of the room.
Mina turned her attention to me, smiling. "I'm sorry about that, Ichigo."
"It's fine," I answered, returning the gesture.
Shenji laughed before speaking for the first time since we had arrived. "God, Ichigo, I think that woman hates you."
"No she doesn't," Mina quickly said, smiling at her father-in-law. "She's just upset I turned down their offer."
"Why did you turn them down?" Ren asked. "Are you really more comfortable living with him than your own parents?"
"Well, I haven't had a relationship with them in…how old was I when I started dating Renji? Fifteen?" She continued once both Ren and Shenji nodded. "So it's been fifteen years. And not to mention that they've never made an effort to get to know the kids, I'm sure they'd prefer living with Ichigo. I think it'll be good for us."
Shenji glanced over at me before he asked, "Ready to be a dad, Ichigo?"
Rolling my eyes, I maintained a smile. "Ha ha," I answered.
"Hey, when she has that baby, she's going to need you to help her."
"I know, but I'm not going to be it's father."
"Actually," Mina spoke up, getting our attention again. "I wanted to talk to you about that."
Not knowing what she was talking about, I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. "…What are you talking about?"
"No," she exclaimed, laughing. "I meant about the baby." Taking a deep breath, she continued, seeming to address me and her in-laws. "I don't think I want to keep this baby."
We were silent and when Shenji spoke up, he sounded shocked. "What do you mean, Mina?"
"I mean…that I think I want to give it up for adoption."
I didn't know what to say, didn't think it was my place to say anything. Glancing at Ren and Shenji, I could see they were hurt and I couldn't help the frown that crossed my features.
Again they didn't say anything so she explained. "I can't do this without help and I don't want to push the responsibilities onto Ichigo because he was kind enough to let me stay with him. Besides,…it would be too hard raising it without Renji. I really don't think I'd be able to do it."
After another moment of silence, Shenji said, "Alright, if that's what you want Mina."
She frowned up at him. "Are you mad at me?"
"No, of course not. It's understandable why you wouldn't want to keep it," Ren replied, smiling back at her daughter-in-law. "We just want you to be happy."
Mina smiled again. "Thank you."
Ren just nodded, her own smile widening.
"Anyway," I suddenly spoke up, getting Mina's attention again. "If you haven't noticed, you have more new visitors."
She cocked an eyebrow before seeming to notice her neighbors standing by the door for the first time. "Oh my gosh, Hisagi, Michiru, it's so good to see you." She smiled and gestured for them to come closer. They approached her, taking the spaces her parents had occupied minutes before.
"How are you, Mina?" Michiru asked, frowning down at her before hugging her. "And what are you talking about a baby?"
"I'm okay…better than I was immediately after it happened. And last week I found out I'm pregnant. That's why I…," she left off, gesturing to her scarred wrists. "Stupid, I know, but…" Again she let her sentence die off, shrugging instead of completing it.
"What are you going to do?" Michiru asked, the same oddly-placed frown on her face.
"I'm going to try to get a job after I have the baby and find a place; I'm sure by then Ichigo will be sick of us," she joked, smiling up at me, causing me to shake my head.
"Well, if there's anything we can do, please just let us know," Michiru continued.
"Thank you, I really appreciate that."
"Do you think…you could direct us to his grave? We'd really like to go pay our respects."
"Of course. I was actually thinking of going to visit him once I got out of the hospital, I'll go with you," she replied. "How about Thursday, after Hisagi gets home from work?"
"That sounds fine," Shuuhei spoke up, nodding slightly.
"Great," Mina said, smiling slightly. "I'm supposed to be able to go home Wednesday, but if for some reason that changes I'll call and let you know."
"Okay," Michiru answered, smiling slightly.
The rest of the visit was pleasant; Mina really seemed to be doing better. She seemed confident in her choice of adoption and to my surprise the choice made her happy. Although I knew she had a lot of mourning to do, she was able to act remotely normal and I was glad for that. I could only hope the rest of his family was able to cope with Renji's death as quickly as Mina seemed to.
-:-
That week flew by and before I knew it the weekend had rolled around. Mina had been released from the hospital on Wednesday without a problem. By Saturday the majority of her things were packed, thanks to Ren and Shenji, and she wanted to begin moving in. She had talked to her landlord about her situation and he allowed her to break the lease without any fines, understanding her struggles.
Saturday Shenji, Kon and I spent the day loading the several boxes from Mina's apartment to mine. Mina, Ren, Rukia and Kisa tagged along, trying to help with whatever we would allow them to; Saki stayed at Rukia's with the kids.
By five o' clock we had finished transferring boxes and went back to Mina's place to start packing the rest of the little things. Shenji worked in the living room, Ren and Rukia in the kitchen. Kon and Kisa helped the kids pack the few things left in their room and I decided I'd see if Mina needed help with her room.
When I walked in I saw her just standing there, looking around. She hadn't noticed me enter and when she turned to look into Renji's closet, which no one had touched since his death, she jumped, pressing a hand to her chest. "You scared me, Ichigo," she said, dropping her hand again.
"I'm sorry," I answered. "Are you going to be alright in here?"
She nodded, looking around again. "Yeah, I'll be okay…it's just…weird. We've shared this room since before Kenji was born…"
"I know," I said, frowning slightly.
She turned to the bed, taking a step closer to it. "What am I supposed to do with this? And all his clothes…"
"What do you want to do with them?"
She shrugged before turning and looking at me. "Would it be wrong of me to keep some of his stuff?"
"Of course not," I said, earning a weak smile. Still she seemed like she didn't know what to do, so I continued. "How about you find the things you want to keep and then let Ren and Shenji do the same, maybe the kids if you want. Then we'll worry about packing the rest up, alright?"
"Okay," she answered, seeming pleased with my idea. She first went to the closet and began looking through his clothes. She took several of his T-shirts, ones I had seen her use as pajama tops before. Then she approached the small dresser they shared and began looking through his drawers which mostly consisted of clothes such as socks and boxers. Finding nothing interesting in there she gazed at the few items on top of dresser, grabbing a familiar watch.
Turning from the dresser, she carefully glanced around the room before looking at the bottom of his closet again, spotting his old satchel. It was the one he used to take to work and I knew for a fact she wouldn't be getting rid of it; it still held several old papers he had graded, assignments he had created. There were several papers marked with Renji's surprisingly neat handwriting and I knew she'd want to keep it. Approaching the closet again, she picked the bag up and pulled it over her head, allowing the faded strap to rest on her bony shoulder. Then she turned to me.
"Do you want anything?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No thanks," I answered. Glancing around the room I turned my attention toward their short bookshelf, cocking an eyebrow. "What about his books?"
"I'm keeping them; a lot of them are in German and I want the kids to have them when they're older."
I nodded, taking a step back absently. "I'll go get you a box."
"Thanks," she said, smiling slightly, her fingers absently messing with one of the T-shirts.
Brushing off her comment, I quickly turned around and headed down the hallway, immediately crashing into Kisa, causing her to fall to the floor. "Oh shit, sorry Kisa," I said, carefully grabbing her arms and helping her up.
"It's okay," she said, her tone as flat as ever. "I just talked to Shenji and Rukia and they both said they're pretty much done. Kon and I finished with the kids and I was supposed to ask how things were going in there."
I laughed before answering. "We haven't made quite as much progress. But I thought it would be a good idea for Shenji and Ren to go through Renji's stuff before we got rid of anything; Mina just finished getting what she wanted."
She nodded. "I understand. Maybe after they look through it we should just leave it; Kon and I can take care of the rest of his belongings so the family doesn't have to deal with that. We could take it to a second-hand shop or something."
Surprised, I couldn't help the smile from my face. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Of course not, it's the least we could do."
"Thanks, Kisa, I really appreciate it."
"Don't worry about it," she responded, smiling slightly.
"Kisa," Kon exclaimed, suddenly approaching us with a wide smile on his face. "What are you doing? You were supposed to ask him a question, remember?"
Her own smile widened as she turned to him. "Shut up, I did. We were discussing the situation."
He laughed, nodding. "Alright, sorry. So what's going on?"
She explained what I had told her and the plan she had impulsively created, earning a nod from her boyfriend; he seemed just as willing to claim responsibility for the remaining items. After he was filled in we let everyone else know what was going on and they all responded by thanking both Kon and Kisa, who brushed it all off like it was nothing.
Afterwards Ren and Shenji picked over the room, taking small items before returning to the living room and telling us they were ready. After we were all standing in the hallway of the building and Mina had locked the door, she reluctantly handed Kon the key, then we headed to Rukia's apartment.
As we entered her living room we saw Saki sitting on the floor, coloring with Rina; they both looked up when we entered, smiling. "I've got dinner in the oven," Saki said simply as Kon, Shenji and I sat on the couch.
"Thanks, Saki," Shenji said, smiling down at her.
"Where's Kenji?" Ren asked, looking around.
"He's napping in Ruk's room. I planned on waking him when dinner was done," she replied, earning a nod. "How did packing go?"
"It went well," Mina said. "All that's left is some stuff in my room, just stuff we're getting rid of."
"That's good," Saki exclaimed. "But wait, where are you guys staying tonight, Shenji?"
Shenji, who apparently hadn't thought of that, looked at his wife, who only shrugged. "I don't know," he said, smiling.
"You're welcome to stay here," Rukia said, glancing between them. "Stay for as long as you like."
"Thanks, Ruk," he answered.
"You're welcome."
"So," Saki spoke up again. "Is everything ready at Ichigo's?"
Mina laughed, absently pushing some hair over her shoulder. "We have to get the kids' bed ready when we get there and everything's still in boxes, but other than that."
Saki laughed at her joke, nodding. "That should be fun."
"Oh yeah," she replied. "So much fun."
We continued talking until dinner was finished. As we all crammed around the table we continued to talk, everyone keeping up their good moods. Saki asked a lot of questions about how the day went. Once that conversation had died down Shenji began asking Kon and Kisa questions, trying to get to know them. Although they both came off as shy when I first met them, they contributed to the conversation a lot and seemed a lot more comfortable with everyone.
After finishing with dinner everyone started dispersing; Kon and Kisa were the first to leave, everyone thanking them again for what they had volunteered to do. A few minutes later Mina was looking at me expectantly, obviously wanting to go home and get some rest. I quickly dismissed ourselves, everyone saying goodbye before we could leave.
Once we were in the truck and had the kids buckled in, Mina turned to me, smiling. "Thank you again, Ichigo, for doing this."
Returning the gesture, I shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Now let's get home."
Her smile widened and she nodded.
-:-
When we got home we quickly set up the kids' bed; they waited, sitting on the floor watching us. They looked exhausted but never complained. While I finished up with the frame, Mina unpacked their sheets and comforter. After I placed the small mattress onto the frame, the kids helped their mother before eagerly climbing into the freshly made bed. Mina hugged and kissed them before standing; they looked at me expectantly, causing me to smile. Hugging and kissing them myself, we said goodnight and I quickly flipped the lights off, cracking the door.
Knowing both Mina and I were ready for bed as well, I went through the apartment, flipping all the lights off while Mina changed in the bathroom. After we went to our room she crawled into bed. We had discussed where we would sleep for what felt like forever; she refused to take my bed and I refused to let her sleep on the couch. Although I wasn't sure if it was considered 'wrong', we had decided to share the bed, knowing it was big enough for both of us.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I slowly untied my shoes before slipping them off and tossing them near my closet. Although I wasn't sure if she would be comfortable with how I usually slept, I decided I was too tired to care and quickly undressed, lying down once everything was off except for my boxers.
Even though we both seemed ready to sleep, neither of us turned off the lights. After a few moments of silence Mina turned to me, getting my attention. That's when I noticed she was already dressed in one of Renji's T-shirts, which was way too big for her, practically covering the shorts she was wearing with it. "Thank you again, Ichigo. For everything. We really appreciate it."
Smiling, I reached over and grabbed her hand. "Don't worry about it," I repeated as she squeezed my hand.
"I love you, Ichigo."
My smile widening, I answered. "I love you, too, Mina." She scooted closer and hugged me tightly; I returned the gesture, quickly pulling away from her. "You look exhausted; try to get some rest, alright?"
She smiled widely before replying. "You too."
I nodded before reaching over and flipping the lights off. We laid still for a few moments before she said, "Goodnight Ichigo."
"Goodnight," I answered. After another moment she turned onto her stomach, burying her face in her pillow. Smiling, I turned onto my side and closed my eyes. In mere minutes I heard her snoring quietly; soon after that, I was out.
-:-
A sudden thump caused me to jump, waking and looking around the room. When I looked over I noticed Mina's absence and that's when I heard the shower running. Standing, I quickly exited my room before approaching the bathroom door and knocking.
"Hey, are you alright in there?"
"Yeah, sorry," she responded, speaking loudly to be heard over the water. "I just dropped the shampoo."
"Alright," I answered, heading down the hallway into the living room. Glancing at the clock I realized it was already eleven-thirty, surprising me; I hadn't slept in that long in a while. Heading toward the kitchen, I didn't watch where I was going and ran right into Kenji, knocking him down. "Oh, sorry, Kenj," I exclaimed, helping him up.
"It's okay," he said, smiling up at me. "Did you forget about us already?"
I laughed, shaking my head. "Of course not, I'm just not used to living with midgets."
"Shut up," he responded, laughing as well. "Anyway, Mommy made breakfast; she wanted me to tell you when you woke up."
I nodded, glancing toward the kitchen absently. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me, I didn't make it." His smile grew as he joked; his sarcasm was so much like Renji's, I couldn't help but grin at his smart remark.
"Alright, smartass, just get out of my way already," I returned, causing him to laugh again before heading back into the living room. When I glanced toward the living room, I saw Rina sitting on the couch, idly watching TV. She looked completely neutral, not seeming to be really paying attention to what was playing on the screen. Smiling, I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a late breakfast.
After eating I sat on the couch with the kids; they watched TV, not needing to be entertained. A few minutes after sitting down, Mina came from down the hall, taking a seat on the edge of the couch next to me. I dismissed myself and took a quick shower myself; by the time I finished and returned to the living room I realized we had guests.
Kon, Kisa and Rukia were sitting on the couch, talking with Mina while Rina sat in Kon's lap and Kenji in Kisa's. When I stepped into view they smiled up at me, earning a lazy wave. "Hey, what's up?" I asked absently.
"We just finished taking care of the rest of Mina's belongings," Kisa spoke up, her face as neutral as ever. "We thought we'd come and let her know it was taken care of." As she spoke she ran her hand through Kenji's hair, although she didn't seem to notice she was doing it.
I nodded, smiling down at them. "Thanks again for doing that."
"Don't worry about it," Kon said, grinning like usual.
Mina turned to look up at me, smiling also. "Shenji wants us to go over to Rukia's; that's another reason they came, to let us know."
I laughed. "Alright," I answered with a shrug.
"What does he want?" Mina asked, directing her question at the other three.
"Well," Kon spoke up. "I think he said something about a video-"
Kisa elbowed him roughly, causing him to glare down at her. "Kon," she said through her teeth.
"Ow, what?"
"You weren't supposed to mention that, idiot," she retorted, returning the glare.
"Oh,…sorry," he answered, his angry expression being replaced by a weak smile.
Mina laughed quietly but still looked confused. "…what about a video?"
"Nope," Kisa quickly said, holding her hand up. "You'll see."
"Anyway," Kon began again while Kisa watched him carefully, causing his smile to widen. "We've got the van, we figured we could give you guys a lift."
"Why exactly do you have a van?" I asked, causing him to laugh.
Kon shrugged before answering. "A customer sold it to me for practically nothing; he said it would probably be best to scrap it. But when I looked it over I could barely find anything wrong with it. I fixed the few problems there were and decided to keep it." He glanced over at Kisa, his smile widening. "Plus I kind of hoped Kisa would eventually agree to have some kids to fill it up."
"Shut up, Kon," she said, although her small smile was evident.
"So, anyway, are you guys ready to go?" Kon had left his girlfriend alone and had turned back to me and Mina. We both nodded and approached the door to slip on our shoes. Mina instructed the kids to get dressed before they hurried down the hall to their room. After everyone had their shoes on we stood around, waiting on the kids.
After a few minutes they came down the hall dressed. Rina had on a cute yellow dress, her hair now French braided, the tip of the braid reaching all the way down her back. Kenji had on shorts and T-shirt; as he was walking back into the living room he was pulling his hair into a familiar ponytail. They both sat to slip on their shoes and then stood before returning to Kon and Kisa's sides.
Kon looked down at Rina, who had grabbed his hand as soon as she was at his side, and smiled. "Did you braid your hair all by yourself?" he asked, earning a nod. "That looks really nice."
"Thank you," she answered, smiling as well. "Daddy taught me how."
Kon laughed, causing her smile to widen. "That's so cool."
Rina shrugged before glancing at her mother; she seemed ready to go see her grandparents. Mina noticed, smiling, before opening the door and leading us all out. I quickly locked the door before we headed toward the stairs; after the first set of steps were behind us both Kon and Kisa picked up the kid who had been holding their hand before continuing to follow us.
When we reached the main door to the building I held it open for everyone, earning thanks from all three women and a grin from Kon. He stepped around Mina, who was glancing around the small parking lot in search of the van Kon had mentioned. "We parked down here," he spoke up before heading down the sidewalk and eventually leading us to the old beat up vehicle. It was white but extremely rusted; it had to have been at least ten or fifteen years old.
"Damn, Kon," I spoke up, causing him to turn to me. "Are you sure this isn't meant to be scraped?"
He laughed before nodding. "I know, it looks like shit, but it runs like new." Sliding the side door open, he glanced around the messy vehicle, pushing some stuff out of the way. "Okay, I figure the kids and Kisa could sit in the back, Rukia and Mina in the middle and Ichigo, you'll probably only fit in the passenger's seat."
Laughing, I answered. "Thanks, man."
He shrugged, his grin still intact, before sitting Rina down. "Go ahead, Sweety, get in the back."
She nodded and did as he said, climbing into the back seat before sliding over and buckling up. Mina quickly spoke up, remembering something. "Oh, I'll go grab Kenji's booster seat," she exclaimed, heading toward the large truck that had at once been Renji's. Since he lost his job they had to get rid of Mina's tiny car she had had since college but was somehow able to keep up with Renji's vehicle, which quickly became the family's only mean of transportation. Once she had retrieved her son's booster seat, she returned and gave it to Kisa, who climbed into the back and fixed the seat before buckling herself and Kenji up.
Mina and Rukia got in the middle and I walked around the front of the van before getting in the passenger's seat. Buckling up I leaned back, thankful that I didn't have to drive; as much as I had slept in, I didn't feel very well rested.
Kon quickly started the van before pulling out of the complex's parking lot; to my surprise the engine was practically silent. I had expected it to be loud, almost overbearing, like how most old motors ended up.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Kon addressed me. The women were all conversing in the back, none of them seeming to pay us any attention. "So, how was the first night with Mina and the kids?"
I shrugged before thinking it over. "It was fine…a little strange; I haven't lived with anyone in…five years maybe."
"Yeah, but it couldn't have been that weird. I mean, you've had women over before, right?"
I couldn't help but laugh at his statement. "That's so different, Kon. Mina's not a woman, she's my best friend's wife. And her kids were there."
He laughed as well, nodding. "I guess, yeah." He paused, glancing around before carefully turning right and continuing his thought without hesitation. "Do you think you ever could see her as a woman and not, you know, your friend's wife?"
"Mina?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow, causing him to nod.
"Yeah, that's who we've been talking about, right?" he joked, his smile widening. He glanced in the rearview mirror again before continuing. "I mean, come on, she's hot."
Laughing at his bluntness, I thought about it before quickly shaking my head. "No, I don't think that could ever happen. She's like a sister to me…and even if she wasn't, I would never be able to get the thought of Renji kicking my ass out of my head."
He laughed loudly but didn't get the women's attention. "Are you serious?"
"I know, that's stupid, but I know for a fact Shenji would kick my ass."
"You think so?"
"Oh yeah; Mina will always be Renji's wife to them…hell, she'll always be that way to me too."
Kon nodded. "That makes sense." Before our conversation could continue he pulled up in front of Rukia's apartment and killed the engine. We all started piling out of the van, Kon helping the women out of the side door before picking up Kenji and handing him to Kisa. Then he turned back and grabbed Rina, holding her up to his shoulder.
Rukia handed her keys to Mina and let her lead Kon and Kisa to the door, waiting behind to fall into step with me. "Hey," she said, smiling up at me. "How did last night go?"
Returning the gesture, I responded, "Good. We fixed the kids' bed before going to sleep."
"I bet you were exhausted." She frowned slightly, causing me to laugh.
"I'm fine," I answered, brushing her concern off. "So, did Shenji and Ren find the other video then?"
She nodded, smiling as we waited a few steps away from the rest of the group as Mina unlocked the door. "Yeah, Shenji was so excited."
"I bet," I answered, my smile widening.
"Stop slacking, you two," Kon said, looking over at us as they began stepping inside. He was still grinning, now holding onto Rina's hand while she stood next to him.
"Stop bitching, we're coming," I answered, causing him to laugh before turning back to the door. We quickly followed him inside.
-:-
Rukia
When we returned to my place Shenji happily greeted Mina and his grandkids, hugging them as if he hadn't just seen them the night before. After he hugged Mina, she stepped back and smiled at him wryly.
"So, what about a video?" she asked, causing him to glare deeply before looking at me.
"What the hell, Rukia?" he asked, surprising me.
Before I could answer, Kisa did for me. "It wasn't Rukia, it was Kon."
"Hey," Kon retorted, looking at her with a hurt expression on his face. "Thanks for throwing me under the bus."
She smirked, rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry, was I supposed to let Rukia get blamed for your stupidity?"
Shenji laughed, not seeming mad at all. "I'm just joking, Kisa, don't worry about it." Again he turned to Mina, his smile growing. "Ren and I found a tape of Kenji's third birthday and we thought we'd have everyone watch it."
Although I was a little worried that it would be too hard for Mina to handle, she grinned and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great," she exclaimed happily. "What made you think of that?"
"While you were in the hospital we watched Ben's second birthday with the kids, Rukia and Ichigo. Ren reminded me of this tape and Saki wanted to see Renji so we searched for it when we cleaned up your living room."
She nodded, her smile widening. "Okay, let's watch it."
"Alright, alright," he answered, gesturing her to sit on the couch. She did and Kon and Kisa quickly sat as well, the kids climbing onto their laps. The kids seemed extremely attached to the couple and I had worried a lot about Mina being hurt by it, but she grinned over at them, not seeming to mind at all.
Shenji had me help him set up the TV, knowing how to do it, just not wanting to mess anything up. After he popped the tape in, he handed me the remote and squeezed onto the couch next to his daughter-in-law. When Ren came down the hall with Saki, Shenji grabbed her arm and carefully pulled her onto his lap. Saki looked around before quickly taking a seat on the floor; I sat as well, Ichigo taking a seat between us.
The first thing we saw on the screen was the carpet as Shenji spoke quietly in German, seeming frustrated. Ren scolded him, also speaking German, the opening seeming extremely similar to the video of Ben's birthday. He finally lifted the camera, showing his wife as she stood with her hands on her hips, angry that he hadn't bothered responding.
"Beruhigen, Ren. Ich habe gehört, Sie," he answered, a smile in his voice.
"Uh, sorry to spoil your fun," Mina spoke up, causing the camera to turn to her. "But can we please speak in Japanese." She was grinning, obviously teasing her in-laws.
"Ja, sorry Mina," Shenji said, his accent extremely thick again.
"Danke," she said, joking.
He laughed before continuing. "You always try…" Again, the end of his sentence was incomprehensible from his accent, causing everyone to laugh loudly.
"Oh my God, Papa, listen to you," a familiar, deep voice said before Shenji directed the camera to his son. Renji wore jeans and a T-shirt, the tattoos on his biceps peeking out of the sleeves. He didn't look much different than I remembered except a few years younger and happier; he had a wide grin on his face as he spoke. "'You always try, that's why I love you'" Renji successfully mimicked his father's thick accent, although we were able to understand him. "You'd think by now you'd be able to speak Japanese," he continued to tease his father, still mimicking the accent.
"Shut up, Sohn, I can't help it," he retorted, his words still sharp and strange, causing Renji to laugh again. "Besides, if it wasn't for your wife, we could just speak German and be done with it."
He rolled his eyes and said, "What did you expect? I met her in French class." He continued without a pause, but his next statement was soaked in his fake German accent. "Just calm down and learn to speak Japanese already."
"Opa, Papa, stop it," a small voice said. Shenji aimed the camera at his granddaughter as she looked sternly back at him. She was extremely short compared to her height now. Dressed in a pink summer dress, Rina's red hair was lazily resting on her shoulders in its natural spiral curls. Although the age difference was evident, she still had her sharp eyes and her long chin; seeing her so close to her father made the similarities in their faces seem even more apparent. "Papa, can Kenji open his presents now?"
"Sure, Liebling, why don't you go grab them," Renji answered, smiling down at his daughter lovingly.
"What did he call her?" Mina asked, getting everyone's attention as we turned from the screen.
"He called her liebling," Ren began explaining. "I guess it's sort of like…darling?" She seemed to be asking her husband, who nodded.
"Yeah, or little love, something like that," he elaborated.
Mina's smile widened, nodding before we all turned back to the video. Rina had retrieved the few gifts the family had gotten Kenji before sitting them in front of her little brother, much like Renji had done on the other tape. Unlike his uncle, Kenji smiled before opening the smallest box Rina had handed him. She smiled, glancing at her father and grandfather as they both sat on the floor next to Kenji; Shenji was still operating the camera, so he kept some distance from the kids and his son.
When Kenji opened the box, he revealed a small set of wheels had strange metal pieces attached to them; they were training wheels. "Do you like it?" Rina asked, grinning down at her confused brother. "I picked them out."
"…What is it?" he asked quietly, smiling at his big sister.
"Rina," Renji exclaimed, smiling down at her. "That was supposed to be last, Engelchen."
"Traurig, Papa," she said. "I was excited."
"Yeah, yeah," he responded, patting her head lightly. "Well, I guess we should explain, huh?" Standing, he carefully picked up Kenji, causing him to drop his training wheel. Leaning over, Renji grabbed them and placed them in Kenji's hands carefully. "Hold onto these, Herz."
Shenji stood swiftly also, following as his son led them toward the balcony. After sliding the glass doors open, Renji stepped out, giving everyone else room to join them; when they all squeezed onto the balcony I saw Ben for the first time, causing me to glance at Saki. She seemed fine so I turned my attention back to the screen.
The camera turned toward the door that led to a storage unit; the door was open and a small bike was leaning against it. Renji approached it and kneeled down before sitting Kenji down. "Does it make more sense now, Kumpel?"he asked, grinning at his son.
Kenji, now looking at the bike like he didn't know what it was, nodded. He was silent, causing Renji to cock an eyebrow.
"What's the matter, Kenj? Don't you like it?" Instead of waiting for an answer, Renji carefully nudged his son toward the bike. Kenji pushed his father's hand away and stepped closer to him, confusing him further. "What's wrong?"
Kenji took another step toward his father and hugged him, resting his head on Renji's shoulder. Renji quickly returned the gesture as his son muttered something; although his voice was muffled, I could tell he was speaking German.
"That's okay, you don't have to ride it," Renji answered, smiling up at his father while shaking his head slightly.
"You won't know until you try, Enkel," Shenji said, only causing Kenji to shake his head.
"What did he say?" I asked, looking back Shenji and Ren.
"He was too afraid of falling off the bike to even try," Ren replied, smiling down at Kenji, who laughed quietly. "Do you remember any of this?"
He shook his head. "Nein." She only laughed before we all turned back to the screen.
"Alright, Kenj, how about Schwester helps you open your other gifts?" Renji asked, ushering everyone back into the living room with his son still in his grip before sitting back on the floor and placing Kenji in his lap.
"Ja, okay," he answered, looking at his sister, who seemed a little upset. She didn't let her brother notice, though, and quickly handed him another gift, her earlier grin still in place. Kenji opened the last few gifts, all small toys, before Shenji took a seat on the couch and just recorded his family interacting.
There was a lot of footage of the family just talking, not much of it seemed significant but we all watched quietly. After about twenty minutes of them all just talking while Shenji filmed, Renji dismissed himself and approached his brother, who was sitting on the floor with Kenji, absently watching as his nephew played silently. Taking a seat next to Ben, Renji smiled over at him; neither of the two seemed to notice Shenji recording them.
"Hey, Bruder, what's up?" he asked happily.
Ben shrugged. "Nicht viel."
"Are you excited to move out next month?" he asked, laughing when his brother nodded.
"Oh yeah," he answered.
"What, you're not going to miss Mami and Papa?" Renji teased.
"Let's just say…it's definitely time for me to go," Ben replied, earning another laugh as his brother wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Even so, I don't want you to be so far away," Renji answered, pulling Ben closer. "Why'd you have to go to a school so far from home?"
He shrugged. "That's where I wanted to go."
"Well I hope you know I'm going to be so lonely once you leave."
"No you won't," Ben exclaimed, laughing. "You have a family, idiot. And you have friends."
"I have Ichigo," he answered, sounding disappointed although he was obviously joking.
"Wow, I feel loved," Ichigo joked as well, causing everyone to laugh.
"And Michiru and Shuuhei. You'll be fine; I'm the one moving to a new town by myself."
"I know," Renji said, a serious expression on his face for the first time since he had been talking with his brother. Resting his head on Ben's, Renji continued. "Don't leave me, Benny."
Ben laughed, patting his brother's back lightly. "I'll be back, don't worry."
Renji smiled, wrapping his other arm around his brother and pulling him even closer, obviously trying to annoy him. "Just graduate already, got it?"
Ben, smiling widely, rolled his eyes and said, "Oh yeah, I'll get right on that," sarcastically.
"Good," Renji said, pulling away from Ben before grinning down at him. "And by the time you do, you better get a girlfriend and make me an uncle already."
Ben laughed loudly, seeming to be completely comfortable around his older brother; I now understood what Shenji had meant when he said that Ben was always closer with Renji than anyone else. "Don't rush me, Bruder."
"You're right, don't get a girlfriend. Just…stay my kid brother forever, alright?"
"You do realize you're asking me to stop aging right?" Renji nodded at Ben's joke before his little brother continued. "Why'd you change your mind?"
"Because, I don't want to share you with some girl I might not even like. Just stay single and when you graduate and get a job, you can move across the hall into that empty apartment."
Laughing again, Ben said, "Renji, you have serious separating issues."
"Hey, don't act like you're not going to miss me. The most."
"Actually, if you must know, I'm going to miss Rina and Kenji the most," he teased, causing Kenji to glance at them when he heard his name.
"You are?" Kenji asked, absently stepping closer to his father and uncle.
"Of course," Ben said, laying a hand on his nephew's head.
Renji smiled down at his son before picking him up and hugging him tightly. "You're never going to leave me, are you Kumpel?"
Kenji shook his head and hugged his father as well. "Nein, Papa. Nie."
"You say that now," Ben began, grinning at their interaction. "But you'll be trying to get away from him before you know it."
"Don't say that," Renji said quickly. "I'm cooler than our Papa, he'll never want to go."
"Whatever you say, Bruder."
Shenji chuckled behind the camera before silently turning it off, the screen now black. Everyone looked back at him, frustrated. "Why did you stop it there?" Mina asked for all of us.
Shenji shrugged. "I don't remember…sorry."
Ren laughed and carefully grabbed his hand. "Don't worry about it. That was nice."
Saki, who had been crying again, spoke up. "He was so good with the kids, it was really cute."
Mina nodded before looking over at Kenji. "You really don't remember any of that day?"
He shook his head. "Sorry."
"No, don't be sorry, it's alright," she answered, laying a hand on his head. "I was just wondering."
There was a brief moment of silence before Rina looked at her grandfather, speaking up. "Do you have any other videos, Opa?"
Shenji nodded. "Oh yeah, we have tons. Most of them are at home though. I know we have one of a family get-together or something and your parents were in high school; I'll have to look for that one when we go home."
"Mina's in that one too?" I asked, smiling up at them.
"Yup, Renji had dragged her along. It was when Bernhard, his kids, and Papa came to visit, so most of it's in German."
"That's okay; I want to see them as teenagers," Saki replied, earning a laugh from Shenji.
"Did Renji have his tattoos yet?" I asked, hoping he didn't; I wanted to see him without them.
"Yeah, I think he was like seventeen in that video; he had all his tattoos by the time he was sixteen."
"Damn," Ichigo said, seeming surprised.
"So, Ben's like…nine in that video?" Saki asked, causing Shenji's smile to widen.
"Yup."
"Wait," I began, frowning slightly. "When do you guys have to go home?"
"Well, we both took off three weeks of work," Shenji began. "So we'll be heading home tonight."
"What? So soon?" Saki exclaimed, frowning as well.
Grinning, Shenji laughed. "We've been here for weeks, what are you talking about soon?" She didn't respond, only continued to frown. "You Kuchikis are clingy."
"No we're not," I began, returning the gesture. "We just get attached to people easily, that's all."
"Either way, don't get so upset; we only live like forty minutes away. We'll be back to visit before you know it."
"I'll be back in school," Saki protested, her voice holding a whiny tone to it.
"Not for much longer," he replied, laughing at her childish act. "It's already almost June; school should be ending for the year pretty soon. Then you and Ben can come home and we'll all get to see each other. So stop whining."
Smiling, Saki reluctantly nodded. "Fine."
The rest of that night everyone stayed at my place, enjoying our last evening with Shenji and Ren; although I knew they had to go home eventually, I hated to see them go. Everyone was leaving and I was afraid that when they returned we wouldn't be as close or as comfortable with each other. Although all of this worried me the entire night, I pushed the thoughts away and enjoyed the night.
At around six-thirty Shenji and Ren were getting ready to leave. They hugged everyone, making sure not to leave out Kon and Kisa. Although I was worried about how Kisa would react when Shenji approached her, smiling, she only returned the gesture before allowing him to hug her tightly and pick her off the ground. We heard her laugh before she told him to let her go, which he did promptly. Once he stepped away from Kisa, Shenji moved aside so his wife could also hug her and he wrapped an arm around Kon's shoulders.
"Keep an eye on Rukia, for me, will ya?" he asked Kon, causing him to laugh loudly.
"Sure thing," he replied, grinning up at Shenji.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I asked, "Why me? What do you have to be so worried about?"
He laughed, stepping closer to me to wrap his free arm around my own shoulders, pulling Kon with him. "Nothing, nothing. It's merely precaution; I'd ask Ichigo, but he'll be too busy adjusting to his new wife and kids. Besides, now Mina is his responsibility, so I'm dubbing you Kon's."
"Kisa is Kon's responsibility," I protested, but she quickly spoke up.
"No I'm not; I can take care of myself." Her tone was light, she was obviously joking.
"And I can't?" I asked her, causing her to shrug before replying.
"Eh."
Shenji laughed and pulled me closer, getting my attention again. "Just deal with it. Kon's going to be watching out for you like I said and that's that."
"Fine, whatever," I said, brushing him off.
Ren, who had already said her goodbyes to everyone, stepped closer to the door while speaking up. "Come on, Shenj."
"Ich komme, Liebe," he replied, pulling away from me and Kon before stepping closer to his wife. "Alright, well, we'll be back sometime soon."
"Why do you have to leave so early?" Saki asked, glancing at the clock. It's not even seven; didn't you say you live forty minutes away?"
Laughing, Shenji said, "We wanted to see Renji one more time before we go home. The cemetery closes at seven-thirty." She only frowned, nodding. "Seriously, stop moping. We'll see you soon, I promise."
Ren opened the door and looked back, grabbing her husband's hand. "Bye everyone, love you."
Everyone responded simultaneously, waving as they did so. Shenji turned and waved as well before ushering his wife out of the apartment, the last of their bags in his hand. When the door closed we all just looked at each other and within a few minutes Saki was crying again.
-:-
Okay, so this chapter is SUPER long and I'm not sure how that happened, ah ha. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! I want to thank everyone who's been reviewing; fanfiction "guest" who has been reviewing like every chapter, thank you so much! Please, create an account so we can talk! :3
I also wanted to say I apologize if some of you don't enjoy the times they watch old videos. I use the videos in this fic for two reasons: I love writing in the past like that and it's one of the best ways to include Renji in this. If any of you have any other ideas how to include poor, deceased Renji, I would love to hear them!
Okay, sorry for ranting, I'm sure you all just want to hear that the next chapter will be up soon:3 And it will. Thanks again for reading, please review! 'till next time!