Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Chapter 2

Renji was onto his daily once a month visit to his 'hometown' of Inuzuri, the 78th District of Rukongai. After the winter war and attaining Taicho status, Renji felt compelled to travel the distance and go back to his roots once a while. Remembering his young days with his friends and Rukia, how they would scavenge for food on a daily basis, it was almost a battle everyday to attain some nourishment.

The one thing Renji reminded himself was that he would never forget where he came from. He would take this trip every month just to remind him that he was not born into the status he acquired, he had to work for it, and it brought him back down to earth to really see how life had been. He would bring along gold coins and secretly place them in places where he knew the little kids were sure to find it, the kids who reminded him of himself and his friends.

It made him happy to see their looks of wonderment when they would find it. At least it stopped them from stealing and getting beatings for the time being. He would walk to the streets, aware of the stares and greetings he would get. People feared him now and some respected him for they knew how he had made it to the top.

As he walked along the side of the road, he looked at all the people bustling around him, many bowing and greeting him. He was glad that the people had toned down in the recent month. No one crowded him or stared at him in awe, they were used to his daily visits now, so the most attention he would get would be stares or greetings. Well some still shied away in fear, usually the younger ones. He was used to that, he was told on many occasions that he scared people due to his outrageous hair and the combination of his electrifying tattoos and to top it all off was his piercing stare, no wonder people backed off.

However, in all the time he had been coming here, not once did anybody approach him or dared touch him. Renji had been so caught up in his thoughts that he did not see the figure that approached him at his front, all he felt next was a throbbing pain at the middle of his chest as his butt made contact with the ground, a loud 'oof' escaping his mouth.

His eyes closed in frustration and pain, he rubbed his chest as he made to get up. As he stood, he couldn't help but voice his frustrations. "You Baka! How dare you assault me?" He couldn't understand for the life of him how someone would dare attack him, a Taicho, on the street. This fucker was in for a serious beating!

As he turned to see the assailant, he felt a tug at the bottom of his Haori as a very familiar melodious voice floated towards his ears.

"Hai! Gomenasai! Heh heh… But then again you didn't see me either…" the voice relayed.

Renji was dumbstruck as he turned to look fully at the voice that he just heard as she pulled on his Haori to help her back into an upright position. There, in front of him, stood Orihime Inoue in all her innocence and beauty, with that breath taking smile. And then he noticed her eyes, those same eyes that had troubled him that night she left the living world. They weren't focused and then he looked towards her hands and noticed the stick she held in her right hand and then it hit him like a ton of bricks, Orihime was blind…

He glanced at her, all while his mouth still hang open, as she attempted to pick her bags up off the ground but not succeeding.

"Wait" Renji said while bending to pick up the packages, putting in the groceries that had spilled onto the street.

"Arigatou… but you really shouldn't be helping me seeing as I kinda chest butted you…" she said quietly, while looking towards the floor and squeezing the stick between her small hands. It reminded him off that night at the Shoten… He shook his head. Dispelling awful memories and spoke up, "Were you on your way home?"

Orihime was a bit nervous, she had just walked into a Taicho! And knowing her head, it must have stung! She was surprised he didn't go Bankai on her and kill her right there, but then again, why would a Taicho waste his energy when he could just send her to her death with a mere punch! She knew he was a Taicho, she had felt the bottom of his Haori and only a Taicho's Haori had those unique markings, and she would know.

She loved interacting with the kids on the streets and for some odd reason she was good at sewing or patching up things. So it was no hassle for her when the kids came to her with the idea to sew little Taicho outfits for them so they could recreate the imaginary game of becoming a Taicho and slaying hollows and evil doers. One of the boys had drawn the exact pattern for her, colouring it in hard so she could feel the shape and realise the pattern. And she knew the material she had felt was different from others, it was rare and expensive. Due to her blindness, Orihime's other senses were heightened.

Although she knew he was a Taicho, she wasn't scared, she was nervous, not scared. He kind of had a foreboding aura around him but that didn't deter her at first. But when she realised his aura changed when he turned around fully, she wasn't sure what to expect. She was pulled out of her thoughts by his impatient voice.

"Oi, are you going to answer me?" Renji growled slightly in irritation. He knew that Orihime could space out at weird times but he didn't think she would take it with her into the after life. He was so stunned to actually see her in front of him, after five years…

When she had lost her life, they all figured that she would reach Soul Society and be granted some sort of permission to retain her memories as well as her allowance into the academy or even straight into one of the squads, fourth preferably. However, they were all shocked as hell when they reached Soul Society in search of her, to find out that she had been placed in one of the districts within Rukongai, without her memories.

Everyone was enraged that she was being treated as an ordinary soul after all she had done to help Soul Society and her friends. That anger quickly turned to shock when it was revealed that Orihime herself had asked to not be given preferable treatment, she also didn't want to retain her memories and stated that if she ever felt like becoming a Shinigami while she lived in Rukongai, she would join the academy.

Her last wish was that none of her friends or the Shinigami she had known was to know where she was to be situated. She probably felt it would be better that way. And they had granted her wishes. Renji figured it was for the best, at least then she would be able to forget the pain she endured… But for fucks sake, couldn't they have put her in one of the better districts! It's not like she would have known!

No one looked for her, Rangiku tried but in the end they all decided to respect her wishes and let her be, but it didn't stop them from thinking about her from time to time, himself included. Although, now looking at her, he couldn't understand for the life of him, why she was blind…

"Er… Sorry… I space out like that sometimes…" She giggled. "Hai, I was on my way home" She smiled.

He looked at her, taking note of the brown tattered dress she wore that just fell below her knees. The dress accentuated her figure, just like all her other clothes, he grinned. Orihime was one well endowed lady, he wouldn't lie, she had a stunning figure, and he suddenly frowned at the thought of the creeps that he knew lurked on the streets of Inuzuri leering at her.

"Ok, Show me the way" He said with slight agitation. He definitely wasn't going to leave her to carry these bags herself, the least he could do was help, and not to mention, if they saw a Taicho walking with her, they wouldn't think twice about looking at her again.

Orihime gasped and widened her eyes. "Oh no! You can't do that! I already knocked you down with my clumsiness and now you are being so kind to walk me home, I just couldn't, it wouldn't be right! It's okay, I-"

She was cut short as Renji grasped one of the wrists that were flaying in front of him and stilled her, "It's okay Orihime, I'll walk you home, and maybe help you refrain from barreling anyone else down with that hard head of yours." He said with a light chuckle.

She was about to giggle when she realised something, "I-I-I didn't r-remember telling you my name…" She said with a shocked look on her face.

"W-What? I-I heard someone mentioning it as they passed and they were looking at you…" Renji spluttered, letting go off her wrist, sometimes he could be so thick headed!

"Oh! I thought you might have been a stalker or a psycho path that preys on woman... Heh heh… Sorry…" She smiled softly.

Renji grinned at that, same old Orihime, "It's fine, now lets get you home, and no arguments." He stopped her as she began to protest.

"Hai, arigatou" Orihime said and held out her stick in front of her, getting ready to walk. Renji followed her lead and walked along side her as she led the way. The conversation on the way to her house was a quiet and minimal one, mostly because they were lost in their own thoughts.

"How do you know your way home?" Renji asked her.

"Oh, I've gotten used to the route for the many years I've been living year, I guess my sense of direction is heightened and I usually don't stray off my normal route." She replied.

They carried on to walk in silence and eventually reached Orihime's house which was a small cabin on the outskirts of Inuzuri, along the river. The inside of the cabin was small but just enough for at most two people. As you entered through the door, a lounging area was found towards the right with a single couch in front of a fire place, on his left was a small table with two chairs place around it and the kitchen lay just beyond that, with a counter separating the dining area from the kitchen.

He noticed two doors on the other end of the room, probably a bathroom and bedroom. The place looked rather homely and he could see that Orihime had put her familiar touch to it. Not to mention her scent and warmth radiated throughout the room, making him feel at peace for some odd reason.

"You stay quiet far away from the market…" Renji said as he laid down the parcels on the kitchen counter

"It's quieter out where I live, I just feel more at peace…" Orihime replied, as she made her way towards the kitchen cautiously avoiding objects, proceeding to fill the tea pot with water and then placing it on the stove.

"Oi, Orihime, I must be going… I have some work to do… It was nice meeting you." Renji said in order to leave, he didn't know what to make out of finding her. It's not as if he was looking for her, he just happened to stumble upon her, literally… If he remembered correctly, she didn't mention anything about a situation like this before her memories were stripped, so he figured it would be fine to walk her home and help her out.

She was considered a friend in his case, mind you he had offered to rescue her from Hueco Mundo, and he eventually got there but then that was mostly to look out for Rukia, but his intentions were the same. At this moment he didn't know what to do, it was hard to sit here and have a conversation with someone you knew but who didn't have a clue who you were, especially all the things they've been through.

He might just blurt out something he shouldn't, and knowing him he would, like her name! So he decided it best for him to leave and figure it out later. However, before he could make for the door, her sweet voice reached him and made him stall.

"Please, don't go, just have tea, and I made a new batch of biscuits this morning which I could warm up really quickly, well… it's just to say thanks for your help…" Orihime said quietly, while shifting uncomfortably.

Renji was cornered, he couldn't turn down the expression she had on her face, hell he would have to be that psychopath she was talking about earlier to turn that down! He smiled softly and gave her a soft 'ok'. He smiled even wider when she gave out a squeal of approval and a huge smile burst forth on her mouth.

"Thank you! Have a seat and I'll be done in a minute." She smiled and then turned slowly as she went on to put the oven on and then attended to the parcels on the counter.

Renji walked toward the kitchen area, "let me give you a hand with those, just tell me where they all go-"

He was stopped short before he could finish what he was saying or even reach the counter. "No, no, no! It's fine I'll take care of it! You are a guest, please, relax and take a seat." She exclaimed as her hands flayed in front of her chest.

Renji gave out a hearty chuckle and said, "Hai", as he moved towards a chair near the table and sat. He watched her as she merrily moved around the kitchen, touching everything to find her way around. As she moved to put a few cans in one of the above cupboards, Renji couldn't help but stare at her derriere protruding outwards as she stood on her tip toes to reach the top.

It looked so firm and round as the dress hugged it close, shaping its wondrous contours, he couldn't help but wonder how soft it would feel… He quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he realised where he was and whom he was with. He looked away with a small groan and a tinge of hotness on his cheeks. He heard the tea pot make a whistling noise just as the oven gave off a ring.

Orihime slowly poured the tea without spilling and then placed the biscuits on a saucer, eventually arranging the tea and biscuits on a tray. She was a slight bit nervous, she never had a man in her house before, except for the boys who would help her with her packages most of the time, but never a grown man, with a strong voice and an even stronger presence. She could tell he was extremely tall from when he spoke to her at the market, they were in quiet close proximity after getting up after their collision and she noticed his voice was very much above her.

Not to mention he was a Taicho! In her house! That just made her red at the ears! She hoped the house wasn't too untidy, she really hoped he didn't look at things with disgust… He was probably used to things way better in his life… She picked up the tray and slowly took it towards the table, placing it at the center. She then sat on the remaining chair and waited as he put in his sugar and milk, she did the same after him. She really hoped he'd like her biscuits, she knew she had some of the weirdest tastes but she had changed her recipes when she realised that not many people shared her tastes.

However she always made a small batch for herself with her favourite toppings. She was always baking and distributing her productions to her friends in the market, eventually people said that she should start making a profit, which she refused to because she felt bad for taking people's money, but eventually she was convinced by her friends, plus it helped with the income to upkeep her home.

Renji was a bit apprehensive to taste the biscuits. It looked fine, but he was afraid of what was inside… They all knew about Orihime and her weird tastes, Red Bean Paste and Wasabi coming to mind… He figured it was safer to just stick with the tea, which was really good. However, the Gods were not on his side…

"Aren't you going to have a biscuit…?" She asked enquiringly. She really didn't want her guest to only have tea. Maybe he had heard rumors of a blind woman who created strange concoctions when baking and figured it to be her! Oh no! She widened her eyes and quietly said, "It's okay, it's not that bad, I think…"

Renji felt like an idiot, something he had been feeling a lot recently around her. He chuckled to ease her and then said, "Actually I was gonna get to that…"

Orihime felt really stupid now, it seemed like she was forcing him to eat it! She bowed her head in shame when she heard him speak.

"Don't worry about it, I know you are just trying to be hospitable." He smiled softly and reached over to gently squeeze her hand, which held her cup, to assure her he meant it. Renji did not anticipate the jolt he would feel when his callous hands touched her soft skin. He pulled back as she let out a small gasp at their touch.

He didn't know what he had felt but it was definitely a feeling he hadn't felt before, especially seeing as it didn't happen before when he held her wrist in the market. He didn't want to linger on it for too long so he decided to pick up a biscuit and shove it in his mouth to distract him. Another thing he did not expect, the biscuits were divine! His eyes widened at the delicious treat as it rolled around his mouth. The biscuit smooth with a tinge of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nuts. It was amazing to say the least…

"Wow Orihime, these are great! How'd you make these? I have never tasted anything like this before!" Renji said ecstatically, he wanted to revert to his old ways and just barrel the rest of the biscuits in his mouth, forgetting about the status and reputation he had to uphold, but he refrained from doing so. He continued to chew as Orihime's mood changed for the better after their close encounter.

She giggled, which he now realised was a very heartwarming sound. She then went on to tell him how it was made and their conversation went on about how she lived and what she did to make a daily living,

Renji realised that it was getting late and that he had wiped out all the biscuits on the table, he moved his chair backwards, and stood. "Thank you Orihime, the tea and your treats were amazing to say the least, but I have to get going, it is getting late after all." He said while smiling and watching her as she stood carefully and moved around the table.

"Oh no! It was my pleasure! It was the least I could do for your help" She said, looking at him, eyes unfocused but still smiling.

He couldn't help but feel sad and regret as he looked into her unseeing eyes… He nodded, even though she couldn't see, turned around and stepped out onto the porch and of onto the grass as he heard her voice stop him. He turned to look at her as she stood on the porch, the setting sun bathing her in fire, catching on her auburn hair making it look like it was alight.

She really looked like an angel standing there, a beautiful vision… Argh.., did he just think that? Where were all these thoughts and feelings coming from all of a sudden? He shook his head as he heard her questioning voice and realised he hadn't heard her question.

"S-Sorry Orihime, what did you say?" He asked.

"Oh, I said that you know my name and we've spent a while together and I never asked yours, silly me!" She giggled.

He chuckled, he completely forgot about that! "It's Abarai, Abarai Renji…" he said as he looked at her. What he saw next would be etched into his mind forever. She gave him the biggest, brightest and most genuine smile he had ever seen and that combined with the after glow of the sun made him stare in awe…

"Ah… It was really nice meeting you Abarai… Taicho…" she said while keeping her smile.

Renji was shocked out of his stupor. He widened his eyes and spluttered like a bumbling idiot! "H-H-How did you know I was a Captain?" he exclaimed.

She giggled even louder, "I felt the bottom of your Haori…" She said, while controlling her giggles and smiling softly back at him.

He smiled then, this woman was truly amazing, he had thought that she had treated him the way she did because she didn't know his status but apparently she had known from the beginning. Most of the people in Inuzuri would never have dared to speak to him or let alone invite him for tea.

She had treated him just like she would treat anybody else, with the kindness and caring that only Orihime Inoue knew how. He figured that someone from the village had described a captain's uniform for her and she had figured it out. Yes, a bright woman indeed.

He smiled and then said a final goodbye, "Take care Orihime"

"Hai, you to Abarai Taicho" She smiled and then she felt the air around her move as she felt him shunpo away…