Alternate Ending #2: Waterworks

Renji was walking towards the park. Actually...he was running. He was late. Very late. "So-late-that-Rukia-would-probably-kill-him-for-taking-so-long" late.

But it wasn't his fault that he got lost. It was Uruhara's fault for giving him faulty directions.

Why couldn't he just tell me he didn't know like a normal person would have, for crying out loud, Renji thought as he turned a corner.

Suddenly, he ran into someone. He groaned as he fell and landed on his side. He got up quickly. He gasped as he saw who he hit.

"Rukia!" Renji knelt down beside her to see if she was hurt. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..."

There was something wrong with her voice, Renji knew. It was soft and sounded sad. And, Renji noted, Rukia seemed not to want to make eye contact. She was overly concerned with retying her shoe. What was up?

Renji sat there and waited while she finished tying her shoe, which she seemed to be doing extra slowly. Renji grabbed her shoe impatiently and tied it himself. She had no choice but to look at him.

And that's when he noticed she was crying.

She wasn't crying loudly. But still, she was crying.

"What's wrong? Are you bleeding? Did you scrape your knee? Are you hurt?". But Rukia just shook her head.

Renji frowned. Is she going to tell me or what?

"I-I-Ichigo..." Rukia whispered before she put her head to her knees and began sobbing.

Renji was confused. Ichigo? Was that it? She's crying because she's mad at Ichigo? There's gotta be more to it then that.

"What'd Ichigo do?" Renji waited until Rukia's breathing became normal.

"Orihime...Ichigo and Orihime..."

Orihime? Is she mad at both of them or something?

Then something clicked.

She saw Orihime and Ichigo together. Which means she must have liked Ichigo.

Renji was proud that he figured it out. But then his jaw dropped. Rukia liked Ichigo?He couldn't believe it.

But there Rukia was, bawling her eyes out over Ichigo.

"Doushite...doushite Orihime karesuki desu ka?" Rukia whispered, on the verge of crying.

He grabbed Rukia and pulled her head to his shoulder. She took it as a sign and began crying. Loudly.

"Look...this is not as bad as it seems." Rukia stopped cryingas loud so she could hear what Renji had to say.

"Now, you can move on with your life. I mean, you can study for school or join the swim team or something. You don't have to let Ichigo pull you down. While you're over here being all sad, what's he doin'? Being happy, that's what." Renji paused to let what he said sink in.

"There are lots of other boys out there that do like you. There are a whole lot of other fish in the sea, y'know." Rukia cries were getting quieter and quieter until they stopped altogether. Renji lifted her head off his shoulder.

"Do you feel better now?" Rukia sniffed and nodded.

Renji smiled. "Good." Rukia smiled too and gave Renji a hug.

"Arigatou, Renji." Rukia said while still hugging him. "Your the best friend ever." Rukia didn't notice that the hug had become one-sided.

Friends. Renji sighed inwardly. That's right. I almost forgot. We're just friends...

.:End:.

Random Fact: -"Doushite Orihime karesuki desu ka?" means"Why does he like Orihime?

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