Merry Christmas everybody! And Happy Channukah as well!

My deepest thanks to all the wonderful people who reviewed! You're really too good to me!

It looks like Renji/Tatsuki is gaining a bit of popularity, which is definitely a good thing. I started a C2 community about them – it's called "Moonbeams of Fire." Until now, there's only two stories – well, three, but since one is mine it doesn't count – but I do hope that both the community and the fandom (especially the former, though) might grow!

I'm not really sure about this chapter – it's nothing special, but I do promise that things will improve from the next one. No more pointless fighting! But still fighting, because making them stop is impossible.

Special thanks to Ice Illuser, whose review made me laugh a lot – don't ask why, though – and to MommyRogers because when I read hers I was torn between apologizing or thanking her. Consider this a bit of both!

Special thanks also to those unfortunate souls who encouraged me to write the two additional chapters and still don't know what they're putting themselves into.

III: DAILY ROUTINE

Five months and one week ago

First Period: Science

In the lab, Renji took advantage of a moment of distraction to steal one of the of items needed for their experiment – a small weight, easily hidden in a pocket.

He smirked as he watched her crawl on the floor looking for it, muttering curse after curse. At the same time, he pretended not to notice the exasperated glances Yumichika and Hitsugaya-taichou were throwing at his back.

Renji's smirk promptly faded, however, when Tatsuki finally got fed up with searching fruitlessly. She stood up, dusted her uniform and walked to the table he and Ikkaku were sharing. Then, she grabbed one of their weights and walked back to her table.

Second Period: History

Renji had learned the fine art of sleeping with his eyes open at the Shinigami Academy, sitting through History Lessons.

About fifty years later, he discovered that certain skills never really fade – and he was immensely glad for it.

At least, until a folded piece of paper bounced on his bandana and landed on desk.

Curiously, he unfolded it – and frowned at the outrageous message, which was "Wake Up Abapin."

Only one person had the nerve to call him so – and there she was, face half-turned in his direction and smirk firmly in place.

Renji grabbed a pen and started lowering it toward the paper, but stopped halfway. An evil grin curved his lips.

The red-head scribbled something, then threw it back to the sender.

His grin widened as she read his message and blushed with anger: "Too busy dreaming about you, honey." The last word had been circled for good measure.

Tatsuki turned toward him and made a face. Renji answered in the same way.

Hitsugaya kicked his chair and he turned around just in time to see him roll his eyes.

Renji shrugged and went back to sleep.

Third and Fourth Period: Japanese

Tatsuki huffed as she pushed a small paperball off of her book. A few seconds later, another one landed on the page.

She turned and glared at the red-headed boy sitting a few feet away from her – and much too close for her comfort. Nothing less than halfway round the world would be enough for her comfort.

Renji smirked, even if he could feel Hitsugaya's eyes burning twin holes on his back.

It wasn't all his fault, really.

It was just that he got this voice in his head that said "pick on Tatsuki, pick on Tatsuki" – and who was he to refuse?

Another paperball hit the bull's eye – formally known as Tatsuki's book.

Lunch Break

A simple door could change everything – provided that it was, of course, the door that led to the empty classroom where the Shinigamis camped for lunch. It was almost scary to see Renji turn all business as soon as he crossed that threshold.

Unfortunately, the same transformation always failed to take place in the other members of their group.

So, as Matsumoto teased a fuming Ikkaku, Yumichika huffed loudly and checked his hair in the windowpane and Rukia and Ichigo bickered again, Renji found himself staring down in the schoolyard, where a short, black-haired girl chatted and joked with her friends – occasionally punching a certain member of the group.

Of course, he was only plotting new ways to annoy her.

Fifth and Sixth Period: Physical Education

"It's not fair!" Yumichika sighed, clearly annoyed as he glanced at the girls playing volleyball.

"What?" Renji asked over his shoulder.

"The girls' uniforms are more beautiful than our own! Ours are so – beyond words!" he huffed. "Not even someone as beautiful as me can improve it."

"It's different for girls, I guess…" Renji raised his voice a little. "And nothing can be worse than Arisawa in shorts."

Much to his dismay, however, Tatsuki still managed to pass the ball to one of her teammate, before turning to him and shouting. "Nothing except your hairy legs, Abapin."

A couple of girls giggled from the sideline.

Renji was about to say something very rude, but Yumichika stopped him. "Make yourself useful and take these." he said giving him a couple of basketballs. "I'm not carrying them all the way to the other gym on my own."

As the other Shinigami-temporally-turned-student took the other basketballs and almost dragged his red-haired colleague toward the door, Tatsuki moved to serve.

Renji smirked and turned back. Miss it, honey! he cried right before she served.

As he had foreseen, the ball landed outside the court. What he hadn't foreseen was that it would hit him right on his stomach. It couldn't have been more accurate, even if it had been specifically aimed there in first place.

Plus, the blow made him drop the basketballs – which happily bounced away. He had to get them back on his own, since Yumichika was too busy laughing his head off.

"That's not funny!" he growled at his still giggling friend.

"Yes, it is! Also because you deserved that." Yumichika ignored the red-head's glare. "You did. You can't deny that." he glanced at him sideways. "Why do you do that, anyway?"

Renji shrugged. "Because."

Silence.

"That's not an answer. Neither a reason."

"It's none of your business."

Renji knew that, between the lines, Yumichika was really asking: why don't you let her be and stop this feud once and for all?

True, Renji could have done that.

But he wouldn't.

That would be too easy – and, after all, he hadn't been placed in the 11th Division for nothing.

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