You just cannot question some things. The sun will rise in the East, water flows downhill, and Rangiku would find some way to muck up a perfectly fine weekend. It wouldn't be her fault, yet… it is that whole force of nature thing. That's probably why I felt so apprehensive when she stopped me just outside the boardroom.

"Renji! You look down, honey." Hair the color of peaches spilled around her perfect features, lending her the air of sweet innocence that I knew was a blatant lie. This would end in another crazy weekend.

I took a second before answering, "It's nothing. A long day; that boring meeting?"

She nodded, "Can you believe what PR is having you do?"

"Yeah, since it's happening to my department. Mr. Kuchiki is going to passive aggressively make my life a living hell on Monday, Ran. I could use a nice peaceful weekend."

She smiled, "Oh, yes, of course. You know I heard all about it."

I quirked a questioning brow at her, "As it was the subject of our meeting, I know you did. All department heads heard." The conversation was going somewhere, of that I was sure. I just had no idea where, and that is when I started to feel lost and not a little sick.

"Rukia, dummy. You must be hurting, and I …" She slipped her arm around me and steered me toward the elevator.

Rukia. So, Ran had heard that Rukia said yes to Byakuya after a year of making us both flap in the wind. I admit that I knew she would say yes, I didn't have a shot. I only have known her since the second grade. Yes, we had dated in high school, but lost touch when I went to Austin to get my business degree. Yes, she asked if I could get by without her. No, I had not told her that I'd be lost without her. Rukia.

Rangiku had heard, and now I knew I was going to have a hideous weekend that was going to consist of her and a couple of our mutual friends getting me sloshed and then breakfast at Bubbas. How better to mend a broken heart than the perfect plate of biscuits and gravy? Well, at least breakfast was worth the pain.

"Fine, fine, I'll go. Come pick me up at seven-ish?" I slapped a hand to my face, wishing I weren't so sad and predictable.

Her smile brightened, "It'll be fun, Renji! I promise!" She wrapped her arms around me, crushing my body to her ample assets, "Seven. See ya then!"

Rangiku released me, dazed, to find my car. Sliding into the dark leather interior, I inserted the key into the ignition and cranked the air con. I pulled my long hair out of its mandatory confinement with one hand, and flipped my visor down to retrieve my sunglasses with the other. With these Texas essentials finished, I peeled out of the parking lot and hummed down the Expressway toward home.

My house waited, large and empty. I thought with a lop sided smile that maybe a couple of dogs would help with the lonely feeling of coming home to a house too big for just me. I huffed a large sigh of discontent and rolled up to my front door and popped the locks before entering and resetting the alarm. My front room had the bare essentials for a bachelor: a humungous television, a leather la-Z-boy and matching loveseat and couch. A rug sat on top of shining bamboo floors as the only concession to decoration. I had been here for three years; you would think I would have sprung for a decorator by now. I mean, I already knew Rukia was never going to do any of that stuff for me. Another large sigh propelled me to the master suite and a shower I knew was just as barren as the rest of the house. Don't even get me started on the condition of my kitchen. What in the world does one need with an island in there anyway?

In my room, I stripped, tossing my shirt and tie into the dry cleaning pile before carefully hanging up my suit. I flopped into my bed and pulled off my socks, tossing them into the dirty clothes. I was going to have to take these over to aunt Suisen. Sooner rather than later. I almost sighed again, but the pity train only went to far today, so instead, I stood and stretched, rubbing the shoulder I'd twisted a couple of nights ago playing basketball with the guys.

I turned the shower on good and hot. It didn't matter the sun was blazing down still, baking my grass into a state of permanent denial of its job to be green. My heat pump was awesome and my ceiling fan was whisper quiet. Moreover, hot showers feel good. So there.

Casually, I swiped the water away with the blade of my fingers when I stepped out of the shower. I grabbed my last clean towel and squeezed the water out of my hair before drying the rest of myself. I tossed the towel over the top of the door and sauntered back into my bedroom. What should I wear? Something that would endure Rangiku and her attempts to make me feel better. That meant jeans that weren't too destroyed and a t-shirt that would cling like a second skin. I can do that.

I puttered around the kitchen for a few minutes, looking for something to toss into my stomach before the binge started. I settled on a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Protein and potassium, perfect for a night of shots and too many beers. Do I live a great life or what? I shook my head as I headed out to snooze in the recliner to pass the time to seven.

I heard the sharp knock I associate with Ran, since she always just picks a ring to bang on my door. I was not disappointed.

"Ready to go? I'm bringing my friend with me; she just got a job in our building."

"Oh?" I questioned, "Sure she's not some sort of set up?"

Ran smiled, "I swear, she's a friend and she called me and so I asked her out with us."

I smiled and tugged on a hoodie, "Well, let's get this show on the road."

"Good man," Rangiku murmured, and she reached around to pull my door closed.

I stuffed the keys into my pocket, "What's her name?"

"Nanao," Ran answered, "She's a nice girl, ok? I didn't bring her for you."

My brows scrunched involuntarily. The name sounded familiar. In Texas, you don't hear many Asian names just randomly floating around. I only knew a few others besides myself whose parents reached into their roots for a name. Mostly because we all lived in the same school district. I have known Rangiku, for instance, since before I was born. She is two years older than I am, and her mom was friends with mine before she died. Byakuya came from Tokyo, so, of course his name… Rukia's father had brought her mother and their small daughter back to Texas after his tour was over. I had gone to school with an Izuru and a Shuuhei. In collage, I had met Ichigo. That was about it. Why did this girl's name sound familiar?

It had grown dark, so I didn't see her clearly until I slid into the front seat, and I turned to introduce myself to her, "Hey there, I'm Renji…" I faltered. The woman was gorgeous, her hair a dark shining weight that she had simply tucked behind an ear. Her eyes looked like midnight on the prairie behind red-framed glasses.

My mind shifted, and suddenly, I saw her as she looked when I was sixteen. Short hair and no nonsense black glasses that perched in front of indigo eyes. She'd been vice president of our school's debate team under Shuuhei. Her name was -

"Nanao?" It came out shocked. I had not seen the woman since Shuuhei had self-exploded all over our last debate. She'd been the one to call the cops and she had kept the rest of us in our hotel room. She had been twice as organized as and more levelheaded than our adult guardians.

Her lips upturned a bit, the closest thing to a smile I had ever seen on her, "Renji. It's been awhile."

Awhile. Yes, it had been that. "You guys know each other?" Ran pulled up to the stop line, "Why didn't you say something?"

Nanao pushed her glasses up, "I wasn't sure until I saw him, Ran, jeeze." Ok, so she'd unwound a bit since high school, which was good. "What's up with the tattoos?" Her dark eyes swung back to me.

I had tribal type tattoos around my biceps that she could see. Maybe the top had pulled down enough for her to see the design that banded my chest. It would take a couple more beers to show the rest. The bolt-shaped patterns that lance my sides and disappear into my underwear immediately sprang to mind.

I turned around, a blush I hoped she could not see riding my ears, "I like 'em."

She laughed, it was low and quiet, spreading my blush to my cheeks. I whipped my eyes forward. "So, you're working for our company, now?"

"Litigation," her voice wasn't sexy anymore, now that she was talking about work. "I got my degree at Yale, but I couldn't stay out there. When the recruiters from Seireitei Exports offered me a huge sign on bonus to come back to Texas…" she chuckled lightly, "How could I say no?"

Ran revved the engine to catch a barely perceptible spot between two trucks on the 75. I played it cool and only managed to sigh. Nanao gasped, and Rangiku blew a kiss to the poor fool now fishtailing in her wake. For a few minutes we were quiet, thanking all the gods for seeing fit to keep us alive at least for another few minutes.

The rest of the trip into Dallas was much easier going. I managed to put off the shock of seeing Nanao, and was now just enjoying her presence. Rangiku was the life of the conversation and we eagerly waited for her cues. When she pulled into the parking lot of what was sure to be just our jumping off point, I felt pretty normal.

I spotted my friends immediately. A loud group with drinks in hand, almost none of them looking like a stereotypical Asian. Most of us are tall with bright hair. Izuru, with his baby blue eyes and platinum hair is dripping in girls already. He is one of those people with permanently sad eyes and is unfailingly polite. Lady bait. Besides him, I saw Orihime, Ichigo, Yoruichi and Madarame with his friend who I only know as Yumi.

Orihime's honey eyes widened, "Ran! Renji, how are you?" She patted a seat on her other side, "Come sit by me, Renji."

I complied, sliding onto the seat while Ran and Nanao went over to order drinks and bother Izuru. I watched Nanao out of the corner of my eye. Had I been thinking she wasn't sexy? She was not tall, and her dark hair was hardly exotic, but in this group, she stood out like a beacon. Orihime chattered on beside me.

I split my attention and thought about the little beauty currently trying to get me to talk. Orihime is someone else I met in collage. She had been cute and girlish in our freshman year, but the next fall she'd magically matured into a world-class beauty. Just as magically, Ichigo, who hadn't cared to get the time of day from her before, noticed her and they started dating. I have bad luck with females? Yeah.

They broke up, and she started seeing this guy Ishida or something, but we had become friends. She was still a beauty and as far as I knew, single again. Her copper hair was pulled into a messy knot and her eyes were soft, "Are you okay, Renji? Ran told us what happened. I thought Rukia and you were over a long time ago."

"We were." I sighed and settled into the story, "I hadn't seen her since Junior year and out of the blue, she turns up at the company I was recruited into…" I told her all about how Rukia had come back, and seemed ready to pick up our relationship. About how I found out that the Kuchiki family has sponsored her in Japan, and she had started dating their son, my new boss. Finally, how she told me I was imagining things and that she was going to marry Byakuya.

"I'm sorry," Orihime said as she snuggled closer, "I could help make you happy." I saw Nanao staring at me from down the bar, and my heart rate jumped into the stratosphere. "I've always had a little crush on you, Renji, and I'd like to see how it could…"

I jumped up, "Uh! I mean, I need to go to the bathroom, you… stay right there!" I straightened up and headed out to the parking lot. Orihime was not the smartest tack in the box, but she would know I hadn't gone to the men's room. What I didn't notice was the door opening again, and Nanao coming to join me.

"That looked heavy."

I jumped again, "Don't do that! Jeeze, I thought you were her." I laughed nervously while rubbing the back of my neck, "Sorry, Nanao, that was like the weirdest experience I've ever had talking to Orihime, and she talks about some odd shit."

Nanao laughed, its sound was low, "She's really pretty. How well do you know her?"

"Not as much as it looked like, probably. I've known her for a long time, but not…" I lowered my voice to match hers, "Not like you're probably thinking."

"What am I thinking?" Her dark eyes sparkled behind her glasses.

"If you mean, 'what do you wish I were thinking', then I suppose I'd like you to think about me and something very intimate."

Her brow rose in apparent amusement, "Isn't this sudden?"

"Yes, but I feel like I need suddenness. Not from her, but…" Her small hand pressed against my chest and her eyes locked to mine. Hesitantly, I touched her hair, pushing a lock back from her face before letting my fingers graze her ear, "from you, I think I would like some."

"It's been a long time, Renji."

I nodded. Even if she were talking about another subject all together, I could only agree, it had been a long time. A long time since we first met and were parted, a long time since I felt the touch of a woman. Much too long. Cautiously, in case I was reading the signals all wrong, I nuzzled her cheek. I felt the pressure of her leaning closer, her hand sliding up to tangle in my hair. With exaggerated slowness, I moved my lips over the apple of her cheek, grazing the plane of the bones under silky skin. I felt the corner of her lip under mine, and eagerly I pressed a kiss there.

Her lips parted, "For you too," her voice was velvety with emotion.

"I'll borrow Izaru's keys. He can get a ride home."

Her hands retreated down to fist into the front of my hoodie, "Hurry."

She released me, and I don't think my feet hit the floor between leaving her side and getting back with the promised keys in my hand.

AN/ What? I wasn't supposed to be writing this? I have other projects? LOL Sorry - it wouldn't leave me be. Please review, even if you don't want to! They make me happy, and with my favorite anime ended, I need some cheering up.