pairing: Rukia x Renji (very very very little Ichigo)

my very first Renji x Rukia fic! YESS tell me what you think please. Feedback is always appreciated.

Renji was friends with Rukia for a very long time and definitely had feelings for her. Once Ichigo came into the picture though, he knew that he wouldn't be the one Rukia would care for. He wasn't jealous. He wasn't hateful either. He was just kind of surprised that Rukia hadn't even figured out that Renji loved her more than anything.

"It's sad. They knew each other for a summer and already his feelings overpower mine. We knew each other as children and still she didn't notice how I felt. I don't hate Ichigo. And I'm not jealous. It's just… a surprise, of sorts."

Renji thought this a lot he had the topic of Rukia and Ichigo on his mind so much His Captain could notice. 'He wasn't flaunting his usual "brutish" charms' He said.

"Ni-Sama, have you seen Renji?" Rukia had been looking for him all through the Court.

"No, I haven't. If you happen to find him, tell him he has work to do." Kuchiki Byakuya countered.

No one knew Renji had been wandering through Rukongai all day. Not even Rukia.

As he walked down a dirt filled path, into an ally way, he noticed that this was the place that they first met.

Renji and his group of misfit orphan children were unhappy. They met Rukia. Renji and Rukia were the best of friends. They were accepted as Shinigami and they knew they would have a wonderful friendship forever.

"Matsumoto-san!" Rukia ran up to the busty figure

"Oh, Rukia-chan." Matsumoto sounded very "jolly"

Rukia could notice something about her right away.

"She only calls me 'Rukia-chan' when she was drunk" Rukia thought.

"Have…..you…..Renji….seen...him?" she was panting and totally out of breath from trying to find Renji and catching up to Matsumoto.

"No but he shuda been dere wiffth usssz dringkin'! It wasz a blasts!!!" She managed to slur out the rest of her thought.

Rukia ran off to continue her search.

Renji kept walking through the streets and stopped at a little vendor that seemed to be selling candy. It wasn't just any candy though. It was more like a nostalgic remembrance of their friendship (If that is what they wanted to call it.) Something He and Her used to share together.

"Rukia. It's so, so hard to stop thinking about you. I just can't. You're everywhere in my thoughts and I can't help it if I love you."

Renji wished he could say something like that to her. He just couldn't go talk to her. He bought the candy so maybe he could forget his nostalgia. Of course, it didn't help.

Rukia finally understood. As she walked up to the gates of Seireitei she thought about why he was nowhere to be found.

She sighed deeply. "It's because of Ichigo. Because Ichigo and I have a friendship and he thinks that it's stronger than the one that we share." She thought.

She ran into the Rukongai streets. Finally she saw the outline of a man clad in Shinigami robes, a white bandana "covering" his forehead and flaming red hair formed into a ponytail sitting on the grassy bank of a river. She remembered this place well. They had gone fishing there many times.

"Oi!! Renji," She felt relieved at his sight.

He turned around slowly with a blank stare on his face. It was the look in his eyes. Rukia immediately realized he was suffering.

"Sadness," She knew this feeling well.

"Oi, What the hell do you think you're doin'?" She yelled, ignoring her thoughts on comforting him.

He didn't answer. Instead, he turned his back to her. She walked over and sat next to him finally. She took a deep breath in and then…

"YOU IDIOT!!! WHY ARE YOU ACTING THIS WAY," She screamed.

But he didn't even flinch.

"Listen Renji, you and I," she tried to form the words while trying to hold back tears, "we have such a strong relationship. Ichigo and I too, have a bond but, do you seriously think that our bond that you and I share is a weak one?"

"Rukia. I'm not jealous. I don't hate Ichigo and I don't hate you either. The thing is, it's so hard for me to get 'I love you' across. I know we couldn't possibly have our relationship work the way I wish it could. I wish tha---"

"Shut up will ya."

Quickly she moved her hand towards his but still had her eyes on the river's glistening orange and yellow tint.

"I love you too Renji. I don't want you to ever forget that or doubt it because I do love you immensely. Nothing will ever change that. Not Ni-Sama, not Ichigo, not anyone."

"Rukia, I want to believe you."

They just sat there for a while and slowly they just started to enjoy the moment they had together there at the river's bank.

"Renji?"

"Hmm?"

"Is there something wrong?"

Renji hesitated slightly.

"N-no nothing"

Even though she said that their bond would

be forever, somewhere inside himself

he knew that he'd have to share her heart with another.