A/N: I am not going to go on a rant like I always do, so here's chapter 3. Enjoy!

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Naruto for that matter.

Such Things Don't Happen

The first week of school had been… overwhelming. The first day had not been bad at all the professors had just gone over what was expected of them throughout the semester: projects, group assignments, tests, presentations, etc. What had been more than what she was used to was the second day. The professors— mainly her Biology professor Retsu Unohana— had bombarded them with endless information and notes. She looked like an incredibly nice person even her voice sounded like it, but when a student walked in late mid lecture she gave him "the look". She had been smiling the whole time but that smile unnerved her and made her shiver, not in a good way; Orihime made a mental note to never walk in late to class or do anything that would earn her that smile. Her Political Science professor had been incredibly late to class the first day giving the excuse of having helped an elderly lady cross the street. Kakashi Hatake was late again on the second day giving them another semi-believable excuse. By the end of the week they stopped believing anything he said.

Her professors were some pretty interesting characters and despite the full workload she knew she would have, she was looking forward to her first semester. The second week of school she decided to explore the area surrounding the campus. She was pretty familiar with the campus by now, but she remembered having seen some interesting shops and a coffee shop she had wanted to go to when she went shopping with Rangiku. Orihime loved the fact that everything was within walking distance from campus. It was a little after 1 P.M., and she was already finished for the day. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were her short days and today was Monday.

About two blocks from campus she found a quaint little coffee shop hidden between two more popular shops. She walked in and was assaulted by the smell of fresh coffee; she could hear the coffee beans being ground and could smell muffins and cookies fresh out of the oven. It wasn't a big shop or anything and she liked it; even the color palette made up of reds, oranges, and browns gave it gave it a cozy feeling. There were a few tables throughout the place and a small section with several couches arranged in a rectangular shape. She spotted a vacant table next to the window, 'Perfect.' She liked to watch the people going about their business.

She took a seat and a server was immediately at her tableside. "Hi, welcome to Jitterz! My name is Ayame and I'll be your server. Did you have what you wanted in mind? You don't look familiar… is this your first time here?" The brunette said cheerfully.

Orihime laughed lightly. "Hi, Ayame I'm Orihime. Is it that noticeable that it's my first time here?" Ayame nodded and Orihime blushed lightly. "Can I just have some hot chocolate, please with lots of marshmallows?" She wasn't much of a coffee drinker. "Oh, and can I have two of your best cookies?"

Ayame smiled at her, "Sure thing, Orihime. They're coming right up." She walked away quickly to bring her the order.

Orihime looked out the window and saw how busy the streets were. This part of town was crowded mainly because of the school and the big corporations. Everybody was always in a rush. She wondered if they ever took a break from their busy lives to look at the things around them; Karakura was a beautiful city and full of life. The streets were surrounded on both sides by greenery. The trees were really tall and she wondered how old they were, probably older than her. They were still green but they would soon begin to change color with the coming of fall, and she couldn't wait to see it. She was too absorbed in her thinking that she didn't notice when Ayame brought her the hot chocolate and the chocolate chip cookies.

She scanned the shop quickly for the girl and when she spotted her behind the counter, she smiled at the brunette and nodded slightly in gratitude. Ayame gave her an even bigger smile in return. Orihime noticed that the shop was beginning to fill rather quickly with college students. She had read a sign that said there was free wireless internet available on her way in, and about half of the people had laptops out. She turned away to continue to look out the window and "people watch" as she called it.

Some time passed by with her in a daze. She heard somebody clear his throat beside her. "Excuse me, Miss?" The voice sounded incredibly masculine.

She slowly turned to look at him and was taken aback by his size. He stood a good foot taller than her making him easily over 6 feet tall. He had long crimson hair pulled up in a ponytail. He was wearing a black shirt, faded distressed jeans and a chain was hanging from his right side and connected with his wallet in his back pocket. He was wearing black boots making him look even taller. Her eyes were drawn to his rich amber eyes. "Yes," she responded shakily. 'Come on Orihime get a hold of your self! Yes he's incredibly good looking— I mean you would have to be blind not to see that— but you are making it obvious!'

The tall red head chuckled nervously. "I-I'm real sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could sit with you?" Her eyes widened slightly and she felt heat on her face. He quickly lifted his hands and waved them in front of him as he shook his head. "I don't mean anything by it. It's just that the shop is already full and there are no seats available. Your table has the only available chair, and I really have to get an assignment done today."

Orihime felt deflated for some unknown reason. 'Of course, I'm the only one that's here sitting by herself…' She quickly scanned the shop and indeed saw that it had filled up while she was daydreaming. Even the couches were full and there were people sitting on the floor leaning against them as well. She looked back at the man standing next to her and smiled. "Sure, go right ahead," she answered as she gestured towards the empty chair in front of her. She would have to remember to get here before the rush of students in the future.

He gave her an appreciative smile, "Thank you so much, this is the only place where I can get my work done. I can't do anything back at my apartment."

Orihime furrowed her eyebrows in question. "Why not?" She quickly scolded herself for butting in to what was not her business and averted her gaze; the mosaic coffee table suddenly became very interesting. "I-I mean if you don't mind me asking…"

He chuckled and it was a deep sound, she quickly found herself looking back at him and smiling his laugh was contagious. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well… my roommates won't allow me to get anything done. They argue everyday over anything, but it's all in good fun."

Orihime could imagine what that would be like and was glad Tatsuki and Hinata valued good grades in school as much as she did. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"No, it's okay. We all manage to get our work done… just… not at the apartment." He looked embarrassed now for some reason.

She smiled genuinely at him once again, "That's what matters." She extended her hand to him. "My name is Orihime Inoue, by the way."

He flushed a little before he took her hand. "I'm so sorry! How rude of me, asking you to share your table with me without even introducing myself. Renji Abarai pleased to meet you."

This time she laughed he was a pretty interesting character. "Don't worry about it."

Ayame quickly approached their table and looked flustered. "Hey Renji, I'm sorry I hadn't made my way over here but we're pretty packed. Will you be having the usual?"

Renji smiled at the brunette, "Its okay Ayame, I don't mind I'll be here a while anyway. Am I that predictable that you already know what I'm going to order?"

Ayame laughed heartily, "No, Renji it's just that you have been coming here several times a week for the past year already. How are your grades going by the way?"

"They're still pretty good considering my troublesome roommates." Renji said.

Ayame smiled knowingly, "Ah, so Shūhei and Izuru are still giving you a hard time." Renji nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that Renji, but you know you are always welcome here and so are you Orihime." An older man called out to Ayame from behind the counter. "Well, it was nice talking to you. Your order's coming right up!"

"Thanks, Ayame!" Renji called out to her retreating figure. Orihime was about to ask what school he was going to, there was also a technical college close by, but he spoke up as if reading her thoughts. "It's my second year at KU. I happened to stumble upon this place the first week I started attending there and I've been coming ever since."

"Really, I go to KU it's my first year!" She gave him a smile that brightened up her face.

ͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻ

Renji knew it was her first year, he would not have forgotten seeing someone like her around. Orihime had characteristics that one could not forget easily; from her sunset colored hair, her big grey eyes, and her peach complexion. Only one word came to mind when he first saw Orihime Inoue sitting alone at the coffee table: beautiful. The fact that she was sitting on the table with the only available chair in the shop had worked out in his favor; otherwise he was positive he would have never approached a girl like that. As he got to talk to her he was glad to know that she was down-to-earth, definitely nothing like the type of girls he was used to dealing with romantically or otherwise. This girl was beautiful, yet it seemed as if she was not aware of it. She was wearing a spaghetti strap, candy stripe, white and red dress that had the bottom hem of the skirt embroidered in small white flowers and white strappy sandals.

She wore her emotions plain for everyone to see, that was what he had concluded in the past ten minutes he had been sitting with her; from the dazed look she had when he had first seen her to the warm smile she gave for the simplest of things.

"I take it you're living on campus?" He asked hopefully, maybe he would have more chances of running into her.

She gasped, "Yes, how did you know?"

Renji smirked, "Lucky guess." He answered simply. "I'm staying at B-complex on the ninth floor-"

"I am, too! Well, I'm on the floor below yours, but what a strange coincidence…" she said as she rubbed her chin pensively. Renji would have laughed at her then, but he knew she would take it the wrong way. Her facial expressions gave her away just as badly and she looked rather cute.

Ayame brought his usual order coffee with two chocolate chip cookies. "Thanks," the red head offered and the woman smiled at him before walking away quickly. He took out his laptop and rearranged his things so that there would be enough space on the table.

As he opened it and got the right programs running he heard Orihime gasp. "I'm sorry Renji I forgot you had work to do." When he looked up from his computer at her, he saw that she had a blush on her face and was scratching the side of her head nervously.

He smiled at her, "Don't worry about it Orihime it really won't take me long to finish." That seemed to settle her down a bit. Since it was the beginning of the semester the assignments were not difficult at all yet, it consisted of five questions regarding the lecture from today which would then have to be emailed to the professor. It was simple really but even something as simple as that would not have been accomplished back at his apartment. He had grown up with his roommates and they were his best friends, but when they got in their moods he sometimes really didn't want to be around them.

Fifteen minutes later, his assignment was finished and he hit the send button. He looked up at the grey eyed girl sitting across from him and saw that she was looking out the window with a pensive look on her face. He briefly wondered what she was thinking about.

He closed his laptop and the low click brought her attention back to him and she smiled. "All done?" Renji nodded just as Ayame brought another round of what they were having. They spend the next two hours talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Not once during that time did his heart not accelerate every time she smiled.

ͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻͻ

Without her realizing it almost three hours had passed, and when she finally acknowledged it she was surprised. Time flew past them as they talked. "Renji, I'm so sorry I didn't know it was this late. I haven't been holding you up have I?" She would be mortified if she had.

Renji only laughed at seeing her flustered and she found that she liked the sound of his deep timbre. "No, Orihime not at all. On the contrary, forgive me if I have." She quickly shook her head. He packed his laptop and drank the last bit of his coffee before he stood up. He outstretched his hand and offered it to her. "Thank you for allowing me to sit with you today. I was a perfect stranger and I know anybody else would not have shown me the same kindness. It was very nice meeting you, Orihime Inoue."

She shook his hand and smiled, "There's no need to thank me. Thank you for your company. It was a pleasure to meet you, Renji Abarai."

His hand lingered a little longer and he gave her a crooked grin. As he let her go he said, "See you around, Orihime." Then he walked off.

She didn't want to leave just yet, and she stayed there to get one last glimpse of him as he walked off. A few minutes later she saw as he passed the window his back towards her. He must have seen her still sitting there for as he walked off he waved over his shoulder and she knew it had been for her. She waved back even though he couldn't see her anymore.

Orihime finally stood up and went to the register to pay for her chocolate and cookies. When she stood in front of Ayame the brunette smiled. "Oh, you don't owe me anything Renji paid for it before he left." At the confused look Orihime gave her she laughed. "He also left this for you."

She handed her a napkin from the coffee shop, it was ivory and embossed with leaves and vines all around the edge, even their napkins had a vintage look to them. She opened it and saw the message he had left for her. "You are as sweet as they come. Thank you for an incredible afternoon, Orihime Inoue." At the bottom he had signed his name. Orihime felt the blood rush to her face, nobody had ever done something so sweet for her.

"He comes in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around the same time." Ayame told her slyly.

Still a little dazed Orihime thanked her before walking out of the shop. She gently put the napkin in her purse; it still smelled lightly of him, a warm musky scent. She walked down the sidewalk in the direction he had gone a few minutes prior, probably on his way back to the complex. When she had gone on her small tour of the vicinity she had never expected for something like this to happen. Interesting things like this did not happen to Orihime Inoue. Beautiful, red headed, strangers did not approach her out of the blue and ask to sit with her, much less spend hours talking about the most random of things. No, such things did not happen to Orihime Inoue.

Strangely enough they had and she still wondered if they had not been a figment of her vivid imagination. She took a peek inside her purse and saw that the napkin was still there. This afternoon had happened. Then she remembered what Ayame had told her, "He comes in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday around the same time." Had she seen something that made her give her that bit of information? Maybe she had. She felt a fluttering in her stomach at the thought of running into him again, and she wondered if she would be brave enough to risk such an encounter.

Amber eyes and a lopsided grin flashed in her memory. Maybe she could be brave just this once. She felt that she wanted to be his friend. Nothing else just a friend. She could coincidentally stop by the quaint little shop on those days, no one would know. It's not like he would know. There was no harm in doing that, now was there?

A/N: I hope this chapter was to your liking. Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your feedback. Just so we're all on the same page, in this particular story, Renji still has his tribal tattoos… just not the ones of his face. I love Renji, but I feel that we could see more of his lovely face if he didn't have them there. I'm sorry if some of you don't like it, but that is just my preference. Thank you for reading once again. I'm going to get started on Hierro as soon as I'm done proofreading this one, and then it's on to This World Can't Tear Us Apart. So be looking out for that update very soon. I'm also working on a new Bleach/Naruto crossover and its Hinata and Byakuya. I have already let two of you know and you gave me good feedback so that is in the works. It won't be posted soon since I really want to get the merging of the two right. I want to have two to three chapters done before I upload it. Thank you for your support.

*** Jitterz is an actual coffee place here where I live. I couldn't come up with a name so I used that one. I've only been there once but I loved it, it was very cozy. They have the best hot chocolate ever! Just wanted to share!

-Wyvernhail