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Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
Chapter 6
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The day of the Festival had arrived and Orihime was genuinely excited. Ever since she had met Renji's friends, she couldn't help but be fascinated about the stories they told her. Not to mention how much she enjoyed their company.
She had always been living alone, apart from having the kids visit her or her going to the market. So it was really nice having some adult company around. Not to mention having Renji around was by far the happiest moments in her life.
She couldn't help smiling at the thought of him. She knew he really cared for her, she could feel it every time he was near her. The warmth he generated when he held her, or even if he was just within the room. Another thing she noticed was that he had become really protective over her.
If he wasn't able to be around her at the market, he would always get someone from his squad to escort her around. It's not that she didn't like it, because she really did, it made her feel special and cared for.
But she felt bad that maybe she was inconveniencing Renji, even though he insisted she wasn't. He said that it put his mind at rest if he knew she was safe.
He also got annoyed for some strange reason when Rangiku would come visit frequently after the first time she dropped by. He insisted he stay for her visits but Rangiku would whine until he left. She didn't understand why he didn't like her being around Rangiku, until one day when he confessed that it was because Rangiku was stealing his time with her. She smiled at his mild jealousy.
But she convinced him otherwise, she truly loved the days Rangiku came over. They would have so much fun, especially cooking. Rangiku was the only one who enjoyed the things she did and she would always make her laugh. She was hardly ever alone, if it wasn't Renji that came to visit, it was Rangiku.
There was a knock on the door and a merry, 'Orihime!~' coming from outside. Orihime got off the couch swiftly and quickly shuffled to the door, opening it with a huge smile. "Rangiku-san! You're early!" and she moved aside to let her in.
"Now, now Orihime, we have a lot of work to do. I don't want you to be late, you know how Renji can be, and he'll probably be here early to pick you up." She said as she sashayed into the small home, holding an outfit draped on one arm and a bag in the other.
Orihime closed the door and turned towards Rangiku. "Arigatou Rangiku-san, for helping me prepare for the festival. I know that many of Renji-kun's colleagues and friends will be there and I really don't want to embarrass or disappoint him in front of them…" She said shyly, lowering her head.
Rangiku approached her and held her shoulders firmly, making her tilt her head up wards. "Orihime, Renji could never be embarrassed or disappointed in you, especially in front of his friends or colleagues. You are an extremely kind and loving woman who has the utmost respect for anyone and everyone. Not to mention the fact that you're absolutely beautiful that any mistakes you make will be forgotten by just looking at you!" Rangiku laughed.
Orihime could only open her mouth in awe. She couldn't believe her new found friend thought that about her, and believed that Renji also felt the same. She smiled heartily.
"Good, now no more sad stories, I'm gonna dress you up like a movie star and then we're gonna have fun tonight!" Rangiku exclaimed while pulling Orihime to her room.
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Renji was on his way to pick up Orihime, he hoped that Rangiku was done with her and that she didn't over do it, seeing as Rangiku's sense of dressing was a bit outlandish… He was still unsure of taking her to the event.
He just hoped people were already aware of her presence since he had told his friends about her. Word tends to travel fast around Seireitei so he was guessing most people knew.
There were many who approached him, asking him in person if it was true. He didn't relay the whole story, but just enough so that they wouldn't ask unnecessary questions. Most of the captains knew but not many knew about his relationship with Orihime, which was getting stronger each day.
Ever since he had told his friends about her, he didn't feel as if he had to hide anymore. He was tired off doing that, and he had done it in the past, it got him no where. He visited her more and when he couldn't he would send Rikichi, who was now third seat in his squad, to watch over her.
Also, although Rangiku stole his time with Hime, he was glad that they were friends. Orihime needed female company and he could se the friendship did both Orihime and Rangiku a whole lot of good. The both of them were in high spirits after their visits.
He spent as much time with her as he possibly could, without Rangiku interfering that is. They would go for long walks, picnics or usually just lounge around her home by the fire, content in each others presence.
Their physical relationship also went further than he expected. They did a little more than just kiss, but a lot less than going all the way. Renji now realised how hard it was for him to keep his hands off her but he wanted her to feel safe, to know that the decision was always hers to make.
He was also glad that Rangiku was finally happy with the both of them being together. She had her doubts at first and wasn't shy to voice them. All he remembered was that if he ever hurt Orihime, he'd be missing one of the finer parts of his anatomy… And it certainly wouldn't be removed in the nicest way… He shuddered at that thought.
He understood were Rangiku was coming from, she just wanted her friend to be happy, and he damn sure was gonna make it happen. She probably understood Orihime's feelings for Ichigo when she had been alive, so she probably didn't want anything hurting the fragile girl even though she didn't remember the events of her past.
He gave her his word he wouldn't hurt her, he would rather take Zabimaru too himself than bring tears too her.
He smiled as he knocked on the door once and then opened it. "Orihime…?" he walked in, looking around in search of her or Rangiku. He looked towards the bedroom where he could sense both their reiatsu there.
"Renji, we'll be out in a moment!~"
He decided he'd sit on the couch while he waited. He could hear Orihime complain about something and then Rangiku whined until Orihime kept quite once again. He lifted his eyebrow at that and was ready to barge in there and demand to know what she was doing to his Hime when Rangiku stepped out.
"Renji! Brace yourself for our wonderful Orihime!~" she sang happily and moved aside from the door, waiting for Orihime to step out.
Renji got off the sofa and stared at the door and what he saw had him literally picking his jaw off the ground. She was hesitant at first but eventually walked out, one hand trying to cover her chest while the other held onto the door frame, her head bowed to the floor.
"Renji-kun~ don't you think she looks stunning! I can see by your expression you do" Rangiku almost sang
Once he managed to get his jaw off the floor and put his thoughts back into place, he stuttered, "O-O-Orihime… Y-You look a-amazing…"
She had on a very extravagant yukata. It was a royal blue with black and a lighter shade of blue flowers along one side of it. Her hair was put in a neat bun at the base of her neck, closer to the left side of her head, her bangs pushed to the side of her forehead secured with her infamous hairpins, shaping her face wonderfully, which was dusted with a slight bit of makeup.
The one thing he was most shocked about was that Rangiku had modestly covered her bosom, unlike how she would have worn it herself. It still clung to her in all the right places, tighter than her normal clothes, but it couldn't be helped. He'd just have to be on high alert and pound anyone into the ground for even looking at her, captain or not.
"Arigatou Renji- kun…" she said, smiling shyly.
Rangiku dragged him out of his stupor with her laughter. "Well I'll leave you children alone. I also have to look my best." She hugged Orihime while the young beauty thanked her continuously.
As she gathered her stuff and passed Renji, she whispered in his ear, "Don't mess up my creation before she gets to the Festival." And she winked at him, sauntering towards the door, laughing.
Renji just stared wide eyed at her as she left the house, closing the door behind her. He turned to the beauty in front of him and slowly approached her, watching her fidget with her hands. He towered over her as he grasped her hands in his and brought them up to his mouth to place a kiss on each.
He watched her face as she smiled shyly. He loved that about her, the way she'd smile coyly at him, at his light touches and simple kisses. "You really do look incredible Hime… I'm gonna have a tough time beating off the rest of Seireitei's men from you." He chuckled, watching her cheeks turn rosy.
She giggled at his statement, "Stop teasing me Renji…"
"I'm not teasing you… It's true…" with that said, he swooped down and covered her lips with his, kissing her slowly and tasting her lips which now tasted like cherries. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer against him as he continued to devour her plump lips. The kiss was rapidly becoming heated so he pulled away and steadied his breathing. "Oi… I think we better get going or we're definitely gonna be late." He grinned, resting his forehead on hers and grinning.
"Hai" she replied.
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When they reached the festival, there were many people around, gathering at the different stalls, enjoying themselves. Renji held onto Orihime's hand as she smiled brightly, listening to the joyous atmosphere.
He took her to the many food stalls as she wanted to try out as many as she could and he was having a good time himself until he started bumping into people he knew, and those she knew once as well.
"Ah, Abarai-kun. It's nice seeing you out and about. I hardly see you around anymore, Captains work probably got you busy?" The tall white haired Captain said while smiling.
"No Ukitake, it's the beauty beside him that's stealing his attention. Aren't you going to introduce us Abarai Taicho?" Kyoraku intervened with that slight smile on his face.
The said beauty shyly smiled at Renji's side, eventually taking a step forward as Renji introduced them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ukitake Taicho and you as well Kyoraku Taicho. She said in her sweet voice, as she bowed to both.
"No my dear, the pleasure is all ours." Kyoraku said as he took her small hand in his and placed a kiss on it.
Renji growled and furrowed his eyebrows at the elder Taicho as Orihime giggled and stepped back to Renji's side, letting him grip her hand tightly once again.
"Kyoraku, stop teasing the couple, it was nice meeting you Orihime-chan but we must take our leave, come Shunsui, I noticed a stall with a wide variety of candies." The soft hearted captain said as he nodded at Renji
Kyoraku smiled at Renji, "Hai, Abarai Taicho, take care Orihime-chan" And they left.
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"It's really sad to see Orihime chan with out her sight…" the white haired Taicho said sadly as they walked away.
"Hai… But she seems like she has retained that high spirit off hers you were telling me about" Kyoraku replied, looking out at all the people attending the festival.
"Hmm. Well it looks like Renji is looking after her, so that's a good thing"
"Did you see that glare he shot at me when I kissed her hand?" Kyouraku asked, smiling but raising his eyebrows.
"Hai, but you should stop teasing him and flirting with all the girls Shunsui!" Ukitake replied, playfully scolding him.
"Ukitake… You know there's only one woman for me…" he drawled, smiling ahead of him, "And there she is, my sweet Nanao-chan…" he smiled as said woman looked his way and then turned, trying to avoid him
"Nanao-chan! I know you saw me!" Kyouraku yelled, increasing his speed towards her, leaving Ukitake to laugh at his outlandish ways.
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"They seemed nice Renji-kun!" Orihime beamed.
Renji's frown didn't leave but he agreed. "Hai, but Kyoraku is a bit too flirty I think." He grabbed Orihime's hand which had been kissed by the elder Captain and wiped it on his Haori.
As they turned, he noticed Rangiku bounding up to them, breasts almost spilling out. She pulled Orihime into a tight hug and then moved aside.
"Orihime, there's somebody I want you to meet! Hitsugaya Toushiro, my Taicho." Rangiku smiled, looking down at her Taicho. "Taicho, this is Inoue Orihime"
Orihime walked forward and held her hand out, "It's a pleasure to meet you Hitsugaya Taicho. I've heard so many wonderful stories about you." She finished, smiling.
Said captain glared at his Fukataicho and took the young woman's hand in a small shake. "Hai, it's nice to meet you too Inoue." He said in a deep voice. He couldn't help but feel sad for the woman in front of him.
Although he might not have had many conversations with her, he wouldn't forget the hospitality she shared with them when they had lived at her home. She truly didn't know them at all and could have disagreed to keep them but she didn't. She took them in and went out of her way to make their stay a comfortable one.
It was a shame that she had lost her life at such a young age. He felt that she would have been destined for more than that. It was also sad to see her with out her sight, it left an uneasy feeling in him that he couldn't place. He knew Matsumoto felt the same.
However, he was also glad, to a mild degree, that she was now apart of Matsumoto's life. His Fukataicho had been hit really hard when she had heard the tragic news. She had been distraught, leaving behind her merry mood. She was getting drunk more than she used too.
The one thing he noticed that really made him realise she was taking it really bad was when she started completing her paper work… The times when she was sober, she would be drowning herself in paper work which was unheard of.
He knew something was really wrong so he had asked Hinamori to help her by trying to console her. He wasn't one to talk about feelings and such but he didn't want his Fukataicho to fall in a slump…
She started getting better but the change came a few weeks ago when she found out that she could finally see the auburn haired girl in front of him. Her spirits were raised and her paper work suffered… But he was glad none the less…
"Well I must be going, it was nice meeting you Inoue" he said to the beauty before him. He turned to glare at Rangiku. "Matsumoto, I will trust that you will not out do yourself tonight. I expect to see you at the office tomorrow completing your paper work." He said with finality.
"Aw Taicho! Don't be such a party pooper!" Rangiku moaned as she watched Toushiro walk off, probably to go find Hinamori.
"He seems so nice Rangiku-san! But he has such a deep voice! I thought you told me he looks like a kid and he's way shorter than me?" Orihime pondered
"Hai, but my Taicho is very wise Orihime. His looks deceive him and that's why many of his opponents underestimate him" Rangiku replied
"Hai…"
"Well I need to show you all the fun stuff that I tried to get to be part of the festival! A lot of the stuff that I'd seen in the real world!" Rangiku chirped as she grabbed Orihime's hand, who squealed in excitement.
"Oi, where the hell do you think you're taking her?" Renji screamed, following the both of them.
"I'm going to show her the better stalls!" Rangiku replied.
And that's how the night carried on, Renji having to run after the two as Rangiku dragged Orihime all over the place. They met his friends and she seemed to enjoy her time with Kira, Madarame, Yumichika, Momo and Hisagi.
Towards the end of the night, they sat on the bank to watch the fireworks display. He sat Orihime in his lap, despite her objections and blushing. He also ignored the looks he got at their position, and continued to describe it all to her. She was in awe like a little kid.
He thoroughly enjoyed the day with her and was glad that there were no bumps in the evening consisting of people asking stupid questions. As they enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere, Orihime couldn't help but voice the same thoughts as him.
"I really had a great time today Renji-kun. All your friends and colleagues are so nice and this place seems so calming… and familiar…. It was an amazing day, especially spending it with you."
He smiled at that and held her tighter, choosing to ignore the comment of Seireitei being familiar, "Hai, I feel the same Hime" and he kissed the top of her head.
"Renji-kun is it okay if I go get another one of those red bean paste filled chocolates with wasabi…?" she asked pleadingly.
He cringed at the sound of that but he couldn't deny her, "Hai, I'll go get it for you, just sit here with the rest of the guys I'll be back just now."
"No! I'll get it, you enjoy the fireworks and-"
"Hime" Renji said sternly
"Hai…" She smiled and shifted off him until she was on the grass next to Rangiku.
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Renji made his way to the stall which was on the other end, avoiding the bustling of people. When he reached it he decided to take two bags, just incase it wasn't enough. Knowing her, even if she didn't want another one she'd still finish both. He chuckled to himself thinking about her.
"Gosh Renji, I haven't heard you laugh like that to yourself, people may think you're losing your mind" he heard a teasing voice say to him.
He turned slowly, eyes widening at the sight in front of him.
"R-R-Rukia…"