I do not own Bleach, the characters, or the settings.

Hey, Chapter 3! There is no lemon in this chapter…sorry! I know, I'm being so mean, but the next chapter will have a lemon to make up for this chapter's lack of one. Also, I want to say thanks to everyone who has supported this fic. Your reviews and faves mean a lot to me. I'm also very pleased with the compliments to my lemons *blushes*. I didn't realize they were written well enough to actually be mentioned in reviews so thanks a ton!

One other thing…and you will probably hate me for this, but there is an itty bitty baby cliff hanger-ish ending…I'm a bitch I know. I promise I will make up for all my wrong doings in the next chapter.

Okay, now just one more thing before you read. I'm so sorry I made everyone hate Byakuya so much! He's gotten slap threats and angered sighs of exasperation in several reviews. Anyway, here is chapter 3...read, review, enjoy!

Renji tried his hardest to get back to sleep after Byakuya's departure, but he just couldn't. He was just too distracted by the noble's earlier actions and finally he just decides to get off his futon and clean himself and the futon up as well as get something to eat. The redhead had told himself that this time was the last time, but he'd said that before and every time he saw that gorgeous man his resolve just flew out the window. He didn't know what to do because he loved the alone time with his Captain, but he felt like trash when he was back alone.

He lets out a distressed sigh as he dresses and gets ready to meet his friends. The time arrives for him to leave his home and head to the bar. He was hoping a night out with friends would ease his racing mind and stop him from thinking about Byakuya.

When he enters the bar he sees Rangiku, Shuhei, Izuru, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and even Rukia sitting at their usual spot. The ninth Lieutenant notices him first and draws everyone else's attention to his presence. They all smile and wave him over as if he wasn't heading there on his own anyway. Renji hadn't realized how much of his time had been taken up by his Captain until he began to be filled in on all the bar gossip he'd missed.

The redheaded Lieutenant tries his hardest to have a good time and gossip with his friends, but his thoughts just wouldn't let him. Shuhei and Rangiku asked him several times if he was okay and he just nodded and told them he was tired and not feeling well. They took his word for it, but he could tell that Rukia wasn't buying it and he really didn't want Rukia to find out the real reason for his depression.

Renji finally excuses himself for the night and says his goodbyes to everyone. He leaves the bar and begins walking to his own home, but unsurprisingly he hears quick footsteps behind him. He knows it's Rukia without turning around, "Can I help you, Rukia?"

The petite shinigami grabs Renji's sleeve and spins him around to face her, "What's wrong with you tonight? Do not say you're tired or sick because it isn't true. I know you better than that."

"It's nothing, Rukia. Just go back to the bar." He tries to turn back around, but the small woman is stronger than she looks and tightens her grip on his sleeve preventing him from looking away.

A hurt look appears on her face, "Something is wrong, Renji. I don't like seeing you so depressed. You aren't acting like yourself and I'm your best friend so I should be able to know what's wrong!"

The tattooed man lets out a loud sigh, "I'm just having some…love life trouble." His cheeks turn pink at the amused expression on Rukia's face.

"Oh." She finally lets go of his sleeve and tucks a piece of black hair behind her ear, "I didn't know you were dating anyone."

His cheeks go from pink to red, "That's the problem, I'm not dating them…just having amazingly, hot sex."

Her violet eyes widen as a pink tint dusts her own cheeks, "You have a fuck buddy!"

"Shhh!" He quickly covers her mouth with his large hand, "I'd rather the whole Seireitei didn't know my personal business."

Rukia nods and Renji removes his hand, "Sorry…who is it?"

He looks away from her curious face with an even deeper blush. There was no way he was going to tell her that he was having amazing sex with her older brother, "Um, that I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Her excited expression fades with a frown.

He grabs her small hand in his and begins walking toward his home dragging her with him, "If we're gonna talk about this then let's talk about it at my place and you can't tell anyone anything I tell you…not even Ichigo!"

The diminutive Soul Reaper nods and doesn't argue as her tattooed best friend continues to lead her to his home. He only lets go of her hand once they're inside his home and seated around the kitchen table drinking tea.

Rukia blows the steam from her cup and takes a sip before bringing up their previous discussion, "So why can't I know who it is?"

The Lieutenant just stares at his cup of tea wondering how to begin his explanation, "I should make something clear before I say anything else." The adopted Kuchiki nods and looks on with interest as the redhead takes in a deep breath and slowly lets it back out, "I'm having amazingly, hot sex with a…guy."

He drums his fingers nervously on the table as he waits for his words to fully sink into his friend's brain. Finally, her eyes widen as she gasps loudly, "What? Since when did you go homo?"

"This is the only guy I've ever had sex with…so I guess just recently." He finally takes a sip of his tea trying to calm himself down enough to tell Rukia the actual problem he's having.

"Now I'm even more curious as to who it is." She notices Renji almost drop his tea cup at her words and she frowns, "Why can't I know?"

He runs a nervous hand through his red, pony-tailed hair, "When you hear how fucked up the situation is you'll understand. If this guy finds out I'm talking about it then things will be even more fucked up. So, I just can't tell you who it is."

She pouts and crosses her arms over her chest, "But, I won't tell anyone."

"You say that now, but you'll tell your best girl friend and then she'll say she won't tell anyone, but she will and then that person will tell someone and that person will too and so on and so forth until everybody in Seireitei including my fuck buddy hears about it." He takes in a deep breath before continuing, "So just hear me out and try to help me and don't worry about who it is or I won't tell you anything."

A disappointed expression is plastered to her face, but she knew Renji needed to talk and he trusted her. She nods agreeing to his terms, "Okay, but now I won't be able to fantasize about you and whoever having hot, gay sex."

The Lieutenant gives his best friend an uncomfortable look, but decides not to comment, "Me and this guy have been having sex like I said earlier, but I'm in love with him and I have been even before the sex started, but I'm not sure if he feels the same way."

He takes another sip of his tea as he waits for Rukia's response. Eventually, the small woman speaks, "So you don't know for sure if he loves you back…you're just assuming?"

"Well, of course I haven't asked him!" The tattooed shinigami buries his face in his hands and lets out a sigh, "I'm almost positive it's just sex for him. He's never told me he loved me or even asked me to stay over after sex. Hell, he even said it was just sex after our first time!"

Rukia looks at her distraught friend and doesn't remember a time when he'd ever sounded so desperate, "Wow, you're in deep, huh?"

"So deep, Rukia." He uncovers his face to look at her again, "I don't know what to do!"

"Idiot!" She shakes her head in disbelief, "Isn't it obvious?" He shakes his head pitifully and she rolls her eyes, "You have to tell him how you feel and see if he feels the same way."

His eyes widen in horror and he actually drops his tea cup, breaking the cup, and spilling tea everywhere, "I can't do that!"

"Why not?" She watches the spilled tea drip off the edge of the table as all the color drains from Renji's face.

The redhead blows out a frustrated breath, "Because, if I tell him and he doesn't feel the same way then I'll make a fool of myself! I'll be rejected and I can handle rejection, but if he starts to feel weird by my loving him then he might not want me at all!" He stands up and begins pacing the kitchen, "I have to be with him even if it is only sex."

"Are you listening to yourself?" She follows his pacing with here eyes, "You sound like a teenage girl. If this guy only wants you for sex then I say get rid of him. You have way more to offer than sex."

He stops his pacing and gives her a look of incredulity, "Yeah, right…like what, Rukia?"

She lets out an amused giggle at the expression on his tattooed face, "Don't put yourself down, Renji. This guy can't be as great as you make him out to be…like he's royalty or something." The Lieutenant looks away from her at that statement, but she continues talking, "You're nice and caring, you work hard, you're loyal, a great friend, you're strong, a great fighter, a good Lieutenant, you're not as dumb as you let yourself believe you are, and you're pretty easy on the eyes. You have a ton of great qualities."

He walks into the bedroom and flops down onto his futon with Rukia following behind him. She sits beside him on the futon and rubs his muscular back with her small hand, "You're just sayin' that because you're my best friend."

"No, I'm saying that because it's true. You're being too hard on yourself."

He shift a little and rests his head in her lap, "And, how would you know if I'm a good Lieutenant or not?"

Rukia lets out a sigh as she begins twisting a piece of ruby colored hair around her tiny finger, "I know because my brother told me so."

Renji sits up so quickly that Rukia accidentally pulls several strands of red hair out of his scalp, "Captain Kuchiki said that?"

She hides the hair behind her back before he notices, "Yeah, he told me that he was unsure about you at first, but now he thinks the two of you work well together. He also said that he's afraid that with the Captain shortage and you being able to do bankai that he'll lose you as a Lieutenant." She smiles at the happy expression on her friend's face, "He said that he was sure they'd ask you to take the Captain's exam and that even though you'd make an excellent Captain he'd still hate to see you go."

"And, Captain Kuchiki actually said that? You aren't just sayin' that to cheer me up?"

She shakes her head, "He actually told me that." She grabs his hand in both of hers and squeezes it lovingly, "So you see, if you're good enough for my brother then you should be better than good for this mystery guy of yours."

"Yeah." He swallows down the nausea he feels coming up his throat at Rukia's words, "Maybe, you're right."

"Of course I'm right." She lays down on his futon and puts her hands behind her head, "Don't let this guy walk all over you. When you see this guy again you tell him how you feel and if he doesn't go for it then you tell him it's over. It's simple as that."

He lays down beside her with a worried look still plastered to his face, "It sounds simple, but even if he doesn't share my feelings and I do walk away that won't stop me from loving him." He lets out another sigh, "How do you just stop loving someone?"

"I can't answer that for you. Sometimes you just have to let go even it hurts you."

The two shinigami are quiet for a long time, but finally the redhead speaks, "Hey, Rukia?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think you could spend the night? We could stay up and talk like we used to when we were kids." He gives her a hopeful look and she nods.

"Of course I will." She smiles at knowing she and Renji are still as close as a brother and sister even after all these years, "What are friends for?"

He returns her smile and gives her a tight hug, "Thanks, Rukia. At least I know you love me."

"Always…even if you do sound like a chic right now."

The next morning, Renji wakes and notices that Rukia has already left for her squad duties at the Thirteenth Division. He closes his eyes again, but suddenly remembers his own duties and realizes he only has two minutes to get to the Squad Six Building, "Shit! I'm never gonna get there on time!"

The sixth Lieutenant takes the fastest shower of his existence as he struggles to get dressed and get to work. The redhead manages to get dressed and eventually makes it to the office where Byakuya is (as always) already there having his morning tea.

The nobleman looks up from his own work at the panting and sweating second seat standing in the doorway, "You are late, Abarai."

"I'm very sorry, Captain Kuchiki." He bows his apology, "I overslept, sir."

"I see." Byakuya is wearing the same uninterested expression as always on his handsome face as he waves Renji into the room, "Your work awaits you, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir." Renji quietly walks to his desk and attempts to fill out the mountainous pile of papers, but he just couldn't concentrate.

He'd decided last night that Rukia was right. He didn't have to be anyone's play thing and he was certainly good enough to find someone who did love him if Byakuya only wanted sex. He was still nervous though and sick to his stomach. He hated the thought of losing those nights of passion with his lover and he also hated the thought of how awkward work would be, but he had his mind made up. If Byakuya didn't want all of Renji Abarai then he couldn't have any of Renji Abarai.

That night, Renji makes his way to the Kuchiki manor and walks in with no hassle as usual. He walks to his Captain's bedroom and takes a deep breath, but before he can open the door he hears Byakuya's voice, "Come in, Renji."

The redhead's heart had never beaten this hard before and he felt nauseous and lightheaded, but somehow he found the courage to walk into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

His mind was set and tonight was the night he discovered how Byakuya truly felt about him…no matter how gorgeous the Kuchiki heir looked.

TBC…

I'm a bitch! Sorry, but I promise I won't take forever to post the next chapter. Haven't I been pretty quick with my chapters…have a little faith. Read and review…critique if needed and as always, Love Ya!