Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

I had a hard with Renji's character in this chapter, let me know how I did please. And thank you for all your support!

Chapter Four: I've come to save you!

Ichigo yawned, lifting his gaze up the narrow stairs, he had just came back from walking his sisters home. He didn't like the idea of them walking the streets alone. He didn't care how old they got, or even if they had finally grown their fangs, they were still his little sisters.

With a tired sigh, he headed up the stairs. There was only a few hours left before sun rise, and he was beginning feel it. Ichigo stopped outside Rukia's door; the door stood ajar just enough to see what she was doing. What was happening beyond the door, woke him up right away. A smile spread over his lips, as he watched her in amusement.

Rukia danced around the room, her movements, swift and fluent as water, as she trained with one of the extra curtain rods. A light sweat had broke out over her pale skin as she pushed herself. Her violet orbs, determined, and focused.

Ichigo could feel her spiritual pressure rising as she trained,"you're going to hurt yourself, if you keep that up." He muttered, at the same time she slipped on the area rug.

She let out a little yelp as she slipped, luckily she caught herself; just before she hit the floor, correcting her stance. She wiped her brow with a heavy sigh, just as Ichigo strolled into the room. "You really shouldn't play with that, it's not a toy, ya know." Ichigo said with a cocky smile.

Rukia's eyes widened, as she realized she had been caught training, with of all things, a curtain rod. She quickly tossed it aside.

"I wasn't playing." She snapped back, her face heating up with embarrassment.

Ichigo smirked, walking towards her, he leaned down tilting his head and said. "I saw you." He watched her fidget, her eyes shifting from his.

"Idiot." Was all she manage to say.

Ichigo stood up right, "you could have hurt your self." He said, watching her closely as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Oh please, like I would," she snorted.

Ichigo rose a brow, he noticed just how careful she was with her injured arm. He scowled at her, taking two long strides towards her, and pulled her rob down, making her gasp. "I knew it, look what you did, idiot." He said turning his gaze from her bleeding bandages, to her face. The shock had rolled away, leaving an irritated expression, on the petite hunters face.

"Let go, I'm fine!" She hissed pulling at her rob.

"No, I don't think so. You're getting your bandages changed, or have you forgot." Ichigo barked back at her with a scowl.

Rukia scowled back, "I said no, now let go!" she hissed between her teeth, pushing him back with her good arm.

Her efforts; though, were in vain, he didn't move an inch, no matter how hard she shoved him with her good arm.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that." Ichigo said, drawing his face close to hers. He smiled watching the anger taking her features, her hand clenching into a fist, just before she swung it at his head. Ichigo caught her fist in his, his fingers closing around her small hand. She was too cute not to pick on, her changing expressions really did amuse him, along with her weak resistance.

"I'll show you- I'm completely fine. You'll be on your knees, begging for mercy!" Rukia spat at him, pulling her fist from his.

Ichigo nodded, "uh-huh.. when will you do that, exactly, runt?" He asked, poking her in the shoulder. Rukia bit her cheek to keep from crying out from the pain. Her expression, though, showing the agony she felt, and she turned away from his gaze.

"I'll get the bandages." He said turning to leave.

Rukia sat stiffly as Ichigo cleaned the wound on her back, it hurt, yet felt strangely good having him wipe it clean.

He was so gentle, his touch leaving lingering heat along her skin. She blushed, clenching her hands over her knees, how could someones touch do that? She hadn't experienced this before, not even with Kaien. She clenched her hands tighter, how could she compare, Kaien to Ichigo- a vampire.

"It looks pretty good, if you'd stop fooling around; you'd heal faster." Ichigo said, a hint of authority in his voice.

"I don't fool around, idiot!" Rukia replied sharply, turning to glare at him.

"Ugh, keep still!" Ichigo snapped turning her back, "I'm almost done." He added, as he began to rub something cool against her wound. Rukia dropped her head, defeated by his touch, her hair hiding her blush.

"How is it you're able to do this? You're a vampire, yet you haven't attacked me for blood." Rukia said softly, perplexed by it all.

"What do you take me for, I'm not one of those low rank vampires, who can't control themselves! I'm a pure blood, damn it!" He snapped clearly offended by her question. "Besides thirst doesn't drive my motives." He added with pride.

"Please, you're still a vampire. No vampire is that good at resisting fresh blood, " Rukia snorted.

"Tch, aren't you arrogant; thinking your blood smells that good." he snickered, though he did think her blood smelled that good. The bags of blood he consumed daily, didn't compare to the smell of her blood. He clinched his jaw, his gaze noticing the pulsing vein in her neck. Tempting him to lean forward, and sink his fangs into her neck.

"Soo, you're saying you're not tempted, cause you're better, because you're a pure blood." Rukia muttered, interrupting Ichigo's lustful thoughts.

"..I do struggle. You have no idea how many bags of blood I've gone through, since you've come into my life." He confessed. "So, thanks for that, midget." He scoffed as he began to wrap the gauze.

Renji paused in front of a little blue, two-story house, it wasn't much to look at. It stood between two slightly bigger houses, making it almost seem puny. Renji rose a brow, was she really here, could he have been mistaken? Renji shook head, and started to leave, when his zanpakuto began to shake. Renji dropped his hand down upon the hilt of the sword, stilling it.

"So, there's a vampire here, huh, Zabimaru." Renji smirked, lifting his gaze upon the house.

He first tried the door, it was locked; of course. He glanced around a quick moment, stepping back, he lifted his leg and swung his best kick, knocking the door in. Renji made his way through the house, letting his zanpakuto guide him. His sword shaking violently, the closer he got to the vampire.

He stopped in front of a door, on the second floor, he could hear a soft murmuring from the other side. Renji kicked the door down, pulling his zanpakuto out, as he called. "Rukia, I've-" he stopped mid-sentence, hearing a moan coming from Rukia.

A crimson blush rose up his face.

Rukia sat, her back to him, her rob gathered around her waist, revealing her slim, delicate shoulders, and back. He then noticed him; an orange haired man, who leaned over Rukia, his arms moving around her.

Never mind the bowl of bloody rags, and roll of fresh gauze. All Renji saw was a man with his arms around his Rukia, with her clothes hanging off. And what was the sound he had just heard? He shook his head.

"Get off her, you filthy scum!" Renji hissed.

Rushing towards them, all heroically, when his foot slipped on something soft, and he fell forward.

"Renji, what are you doing here?" Rukia called glancing over her shoulder to see him fall. Renji quickly got to his feet, his eyes narrowing on the stuffed lion he had tripped on.

"Hey oaf, watch where your-" Renji kicked him, cutting him off mid-sentence, a disgusted look crossing his face a brief moment.

Ichigo finished binding Rukia's bandages, maybe binding them a little too tightly though. Ichigo stood, turning to face Renji, drawing his zanpakuto in one easy movement. "I thought I heard a rat." Ichigo sneered at Renji, as their swords clashed.

"The only rat here, is you!" Renji growled, swinging his sword towards Ichigo's neck.

Ichigo blocked his attack with a smirk, "Nope, I'm pretty sure it's you, mop head." Ichigo replied.

"Mop head! My hair doesn't remotely look like a mop!" Renji hissed back, his face reddening with anger, his attacks becoming angry and sloppy.

"Renji, calm down!" Rukia huffed, as she struggled to fixed her rob with her good arm. Renji, of course, was tuning her out, as he fought with the orange haired vampire. Renji leapt back, "roar, Zabimaru!" Renji called running his hand above the blade of his sword.

Rukia watched as his sword transformed into a long six part segmented blade, each segment wider than the one preceding it from the hilt. Renji smirked, swinging his zanpakuto at Ichigo.

"You'll have to do better then that." Ichigo scoffed, as he knocked Renji's blade aside.

Renji's blade leaving a trail of wreckage in its wake, as he swung it around. Rukia watched as Renji finally landed a hit on Ichigo, his blade driving into his left shoulder. Taring flesh and clothes; blood spewing every where, as Renji pulled his zanpakuto back, with a satisfied grin. "It seems, you're not untouchable after all." Renji snickered.

Rukia had just enough of this; watching these two baboons, fighting was tiring, she stood clutching her hand at her side. And In an act of impulse, darted between the two. "Enough of this, Renji!" Rukia shrieked.

Renji rose a brow, pulling his zampakotu back, before it could come in contact with Rukia.

Ichigo scoffed, jerking the petite hunter behind him. "What are you doing, leaping in between a fight, do you have a death wish?"

Ichigo hissed glancing over his shoulder at her.

"I was simply trying to stop your mindless fighting," Rukia snapped back.

"I see, so you need protecting, don't you?" Renji sneered, slinging his sword over his shoulder, it no longer in its shikai form.

"I don't need protection, I can take you out any time!" Ichigo growled, the two clashing swords again.

Sighing, Rukia hissed, "enough, you two!" Stamping over to the two; she jerked Renji back with her good arm, stepping between the them.

"Do you know this punk?" Ichigo asked, as he slid his zanpakuto back into its sheath.

"I do, he's a friend." Rukia said, glancing up at the tall hunter, who stood to her right.

"Good, I guess I don't need to worry about a midget like you, anymore.. Your free to go." He said walking past her.

Rukia froze, her hand clenching at her side, she spun around, snapping out her daze. "Ichigo, wait!" Rukia called after him.

"Rukia," Renji muttered, his voice holding question, as he grabbed onto her arm, stopping her from going after him.

Rukia glanced back at Renji.

"He's a vampire, Rukia." Renji said gently.

His gaze softening, he knew she had formed some type of bond with this vampire, he looked a lot like Kaien, after all.

"I know that." Rukia said dropping her gaze.

Renji' looked away, he didn't want to see that kind of expression her face. His grip on her arm loosening, till his hand finally slipped from hers. Sighing, he slid his zanpakuto back into its sheath, "Are you hurt?" He asked sweeping his gaze over her.

"I'm fine," Rukia said forcing a smile.

"Good, we still need to get your arm checked out." He said, adjusting the sling holding her arm.

"You're a fool, you know that, right?" Rukia muttered walking past him.

"Rukia, I came to save you, and that's all you've got to say.. No thanks Renji, you saved my life." Renji said crossing his arms, his brow twitching now.

Rukia leered back at him, "I don't recall asking you to come to my rescue, idiot. You did that on your own." Rukia replied simply.

Renji rolled his eyes, "Well I did, you can at least thank me. I risked my life for you, you know." He stated averting his eyes from hers.

"Oh, great Renji, thanks for saving my life.." Rukia replied sarcastically .

Renji's frowned, all playfulness dissipating. "..I heard you make a noise, I thought he was hurting you or – or doing something inappropriate to you." Renji trailed off, looking away.

Rukia narrowed her eyes at him, watching the blush ride up his cheeks, what in heavens did he think was happening? Rukia's cheeks burned when she realized what he meant, inappropriate.

"Pervert!" Rukia called punching him in the jaw.

"Pervert, I'm not a pervert, that orange haired vampire is the pervert, I saw how he was all over you!" Renji snapped, rubbing his sore jaw.

"He was changing my bandages, idiot!" Rukia snapped back in annoyance.

"You're the idiot!" Renji shot back, following Rukia through the house.

"Rukiaaa, don't go..." Kon moaned from the floor, watching the two hunters leave.

"What are you going to tell them, Renji? Whats gonna be in your report?" Rukia asked softly, noticing her zanapakuto. She rushed over to it, lifting it from the dinning room table, where Ichigo had placed it for her.

"I don't know yet." Renji replied, his expression serious. Silence eclipsing them, before Renji spoke up, braking the heavy silence. "Damn it, Rukia, this is bad.. You realize if they find out, you could be in some real trouble." he stated solemnly, glancing at her, as they headed out into the cool night air.

Rukia nodded grimly, "I do."