GoodLuckMotherFuckers: Pain, pain, aching pain… Did I mention the word PAIN? Ugh…I had to get wisdom teeth removed, and before that I was at all day outdoor concert. And little smart me forget to wear sun scream, and I still look like a bloody lobster. Very fun week, but my misery is your fortunate because I took this time to write a longest chapter of this story. So enjoy!
This chapter and future chapters the names of the bleach series in this story will be the Japanese version, I'm sorry and hope it doesn't confuse things.
Reviewer Corner
Red-Weasel-Chan- Omgosh then, you must be in my mind! Or we share a mind! XD Hehe, but as always I'm glad you enjoy this chapter.
Beruhime219: Ahh! Now I'm blushing too! Red, red! Thank you though for telling me what you like about the story, that's always great and made me do mental back flips it was so nice!
WestAnimeBrigade: Mine too! I usually don't like to swear in my fanfcis (ignore my user name XD) but I always have to add that expression at least once in my fanfic. Thank you for your sweet review!
Brendabond: It's always the nice ones you have to watch for. Poor, poor Renji.
K: Yes…When Tatsuki meet Renji it should provide very interesting results. Mwahah… Wow! Your good! I did not notice that, but I think it was overlapped. But thank you though, these type of reviews help.
All credit for editing goes to Not so Anonymous, who at first was a reviewer turn into kick ass beta-reader. Who not only wrote in bleach terminology but also rewrote the correct Japanese names. Amazing! All credit goes to her!
"Oh Renji-kun," Orihime chanted the third time that evening, where now the Karakura sky was officially dark and lit up with tiny stars. "I'm so very sorry," Orihime mournfully said, bowing her head to the soul reaper.
Renji half heartily rolled his eyes at the worried human. "It's okay, you did good job healing it. Like it never even happened." Renji stated, and to make his point that he was fine clearer he continued. "And stop worrying over a broken nose that isn't even there any more!" He gave a full and toothy grin to the orange haired girl who was still bowing at him. "Geez, I'm not used to this kind of behavior," Renji mentally murmured, rubbing the back of his head feeling the awkward silence growing.
"But I-" Orihime whispered, lifting her head to stare at the red headed man with another excuse ready, only to be silenced by a hand in front of her face.
"We don't have time for this. Come on, we have to go to the Soul Society, and Kuchiki-taichou wants to meet with you," Renji grumbled, knowing they'd be here all day if he didn't do something. With that in mind, Renji grabbed Orihime's arm and began heading toward the Senkaimon he summoned.
"Wait! Where? And with who?" a stunned Orihime questioned.
"Oh dear," Orihime whispered as she paced back and forth. The girl's pacing caused Renji, who was leaning against the wall watching the young woman dully, to begin getting dizzier and dizzier.
"Will you calm down?" Renji announced slowly, causing Orihime's nervous pacing to come to a stop. "It'll be fine. Captain Kuchiki just wants to have a formal meeting with you before signing off on the marriage license."
"It's just being here where Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san announced their..." Orihime trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. She felt her eyes start to water. "Be strong Orihime, no more tears be strong, just like Kuchiki-san is. Don't cry, not in front of him again. No more tears!" Orihime told herself, looking straight at Renji, whose face and eyes suddenly held no emotion.
The thick silence was interrupted by an unknown soul reaper announcing Byakuya was ready to see them. After that he was gone again just as quickly he seemed to have entered—leaving the odd couple alone again.
"Let's go, Hun" Renji cheerfully announced, but Orihime picked up the sarcasm as well as noticing that his expression was different than the one he had held just a second ago. Her observations only confirmed what she knew she had to do.
"Wait, Renji-kun," Orihime whispered and than hurriedly added, "Before we go in and meet with Kuchiki-taichou, I… have some conditions about our marriage."
"Conditions? For our marriage?" Renji repeated, raising an eyebrow at the nervous looking Orihime, puzzled.
Orihime's eyes darted back in forth as the two were led into a brightly lit room occupied only by Byakuya, sitting at his desk in a very intimating manner.
"Well, if it isn't the future Mr. and Mrs. Abarai," a cool voice verbalized at the two.
"Forgive me Inoue-san, for requesting your presence; but when my lieutenant here requested an immediate marriage contract between the two of you, it left me with some questions…" Byakuya said smoothly, resting his hands together on the solid oak desk.
Renji gave Byakuya a stern look as if not to repeat the questions he had earlier to Orihime, while Orihime just nodded, "No I understand, and thank you for taking your time to see us Kuchiki-taichou."
An amused look spread across Byakuya face that didn't go unnoticed by Renji, "Your much more polite then your companion here Inoue-san," Byakuya informed, hinting back to Renji's outburst earlier that day. Renji seeming to understand this message and gave his captain half-hearted glare that still seem to read "I'm sorry." Byakuya gave an equally half-hearted stare right back.
However this staring match between two respected colleagues was however interrupted by a soft giggle emerging from the busty female in the room. "You two have amazing an bond," Orihime sincerily stated, and for first time since the whole ordeal of losing the one she loved, smiled happily and laughed.
A wide eyed Renji stared at Orihime through the corner of his eyes as Byakuya studied the two as Orihime's giggles came to a stop. "I approve this marriage license," Byakuya finally said. "However there are some conditions," Byakuya added.
"Conditions?" Orihime and Renji both repeated at the same time, feeling a sense of déjà coming over them.
"Conditions? What kind of conditions, Orihime?" Renji asked in a dangerous low tone of voice, causing Orihime to back up slightly.
"Re-Renji- kun, I'm just not sure if this is fair towards you." Orihime began waving her hands slightly in front of Renji's face. "I mean, what if people ask us the reason for our sudden marriage," Orihime began.
"To hell with what they think!" Renji roared causing Orihime to shrink back a bit. Renji couldn't help but think she did have a slight point, despite his angry outbursts.
"We'll make up something then," Renji groaned, already regretting his second outburst today. "A charade, we'll pretend or whatever," Renji expressed. Orihime slowly nodded doing that exact thing earlier with Tatsuki.
"So we'll pretend we're love birds. 'Any other conditions before we go see my captain?" Renji asked, wanting to be ready for any other surprises.
"Just one, Renji-kun," Orihime replied, "And this one is the most important one. If you fall in love with anyone…please divorce me so you can be with that person." Orihime pleaded, causing Renji to stare at the mortal women in shock.
"There she goes again, putting herself second for other people" Renji thought, still coming over the shock.
"These are my conditions for me marrying you Renji-kun" Orihime stated suddenly finding courage she didn't know she had. "And I—"Orihime words were cut off by Renji giving a cough.
"Well, I agree to these conditions Orihime," Renji began. "But I have one of my own as well." Orihime gave him questioning look at this. "My condition is call me Renji, not Renji-kun… After all were going to be husband and wife soon. Only makes sense you call me that."
"Hai." Orihime gave a small smile in return. "Renji," she whispers forming the word in her mouth, deciding she liked the name.
Renji walked slowly behind Orihime, watching her long orange hair bounce in different directions as they headed off towards the captain's office, "I can't see myself giving my heart to anyone else, Orihime. Not after I gave it to Rukia centuries ago..." Renji presumingly thought.
"Yes, conditions," Byakuya began, gaining the couple's full attention. The noble proceeded to get a paper out from his desk, writing words on it with his ink paint brush. "It seems that our substitute soul reaper, Kurosaki Ichigo, has to report to Soul Society with Rukia to attend to matters that they've caused."
This statement caused Renji and Orihime to stiffen, "Are they in trouble again?" Orihime nervously asked, worried for her friends despite everything that had happened. Renji could only nod, almost prepared to reach for the hilt of his sword, not ready to almost lose Rukia again.
Byakuya shook his head as if reading the two beings' thoughts, "They will be fine. They just have to take care of some unfinished business and will have to be gone for a month, two the most."
Orihime couldn't help but look down for a second, "A month or two without seeing Kurosaki-kun..." It didn't go unnoticed by Renji, however.
"Because of this, Karakura needs a local Soul Reaper to protect the town. Who else would be the perfect substitute for the substitute than our own Abarai Renji, who will be getting married to a Karakura resident?"
Renji gritted his teeth in annoyance, knowing he would have to do more work for that substitute brat. Just for a moment, he mentally allowed himself to wish for a minute alone with the high schooler.
"You'll be living in Karakura, Renji, taking over Kurosaki's duties until we are otherwise informed, and pose as a human with your new wife." Byakuya stated, finishing the paper he been working on, "Now if you kindly both signed your name on this paper, you two will be officially married."
Orihime stepped outside the 6th division quarters feeling the cold air of Soul Society biting at her face. The girl was feeling a little dazed; who would have thought writing her name on a simple piece of paper could change her life?
"I feel funny," Orihime thought. Her vision was going, she couldn't see! Noticing her footing was little off as she tried to stand upright, but only to be distracted her heart pounding. "I can't breathe, oh my, is this what a heart attack feels like?" Orihime thought, panicking. She didn't even realize she had tripped and fell to the ground, landing on two soft pillows.
Renji watch his new wife leave the room, suddenly needing air after writing her name on the marriage certificate. Renji grabbed said marriage certificate in his hands, and couldn't help but smile at how Orihime wrote her name with little smiles at the end.
Thud
Renji perked his head up, already knowing where and who had produced the sudden loud sound. Breathing a long sigh, Renji paused to stare at his captain who was already back at work. "Excuse me captain I must attend to my…wife," Renji began, still not used to being bound to someone after being a stray dog all his life. Running out the door, Byakuya didn't even give his lieutenant a second glance.
"Um..." Renji's began, only to stop when he realized his lips weren't making any words as he stood, dumbfounded and red in the face at the scene in front of him.
"Renji! I fell and landed on pillows!" Orihime sang out still feeling dizzy in the head from the lack of breathing she was doing just a second ago from her brief panic attack, her heart still pounding. She grabbed the pillows under her to make her point clearer to Renji, who was turning into a bright red tomato.
"Orihime! That's not a—"Renji bawled, however was cut off by light and loud laughter coming from under Orihime. "The pillows are laughing at me now!" Orihime blinked as her vision continued to swirl around her.
"You silly girl!" A female voice cried out in laughter before grabbing Orihime's "pillows" in return.
"Ahh! Renji! The pillows are attacking me!" Orihime shouted, as Renji felt a large sweat drop coming down on his head, watching Orihime being "attacked."
"Dammit, Matsumoto! Stop molesting my wife in public!" Renji demanded, causing Rangiku to temporarily stop grabbing Orihime's "pillows" as the high school girl continued to struggle under Matsumoto, trying to break free.
Matsumoto stared dumbfounded at Renji, "Your wife!"
"I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! Our little Abarai Renji is married!" Matsumoto bellowed out for the third time that evening, already feeling a little tipsy from the drinking she had been doing.
Renji, who was sitting across from Matsumoto in Orihime's dinning room, couldn't say a word. He didn't understand why Matsumoto had insisted on coming to the human world with the newlywed couple. Oh well, at least she brought the couple congratulations sake. Too bad she was greedily drinking it all herself.
"Dinner's ready!" Orihime declared, coming into the room with a big pot, which Renji could only assume was stew.
"Yay!" Matsumoto cheered. Causing Renji to cough "free-loader" under his breath, which only caused him to have to dodge a sake cup aimed at his head.
"Enjoy!" Orihime beamed at the two, removing the top from the pot. Renji started in disbelief at the creation his wife prepared. "Orihime, what's this?" Renji quietly asked.
"Oh! This is one of my originals! Peanut butter, curry, grapes, yogurt, rice and ice cream all mixed together with tomato sauce!" Orihime said, giving Renji a big helping.
"Thanks..." Renji murmured, staring at the plate and then startled at the two women who were gleefully chatting together about different food ideas. "You'd think they were long lost sisters at how well they got together." Renji thought as he watched the pair.
"This is not how I expected to spend my wedding night with my new wife," Renji dreadfully thought, eating a spoonful of his supper. Orihime smiled across the table at him, causing Renji to give her a sour smile in return. "She looks better smiling then crying", Renji decided.
"Oh my, where are we all going to sleep tonight?" Orihime mused to herself as she washed the dishes from their dinner.
"Well, since it looks like Matsumoto's staying awhile..." Renji paused glancing at Matsumoto, whose full attention was at the moving picture box at the moment. "She can sleep on the coach, and I'll take the roof."
"The roof!" Orihime, flabbergast, protested, "You can't sleep there! You'll get cold and sick and—"
Renji rolled his eyes grabbing another dish to dry, "Soul reapers don't get sick Orihime."
"Oi!" Matsumoto announced from the couch causing the two red heads to turn. "Aren't you two newly weds? Shouldn't you both be in bed right now, having some fun?" Matsumoto asked wiggling her eyebrows at the two blushing red heads, whose faces matched their hair. "Or is Renji-kun not man enough, Orihime? Can't get it up?" Matsumoto teased, which only caused a screaming match between the two soul reapers, causing Orihime to sigh.
"I think I'm going to take a shower," Orihime said, heading towards the bathroom, not sure if they even heard her or not.
After stepping out of the shower and drying herself, she noticed Matsumoto was passed out on the coach hugging the wedding sake bottle she bought for Renji and Orihime, which was now empty. Light from the abandoned TV still lit the room.
Orihime smiled as she grabbed a blanket, turning off the TV and placing it on the sleeping Matsumoto.
"Now off to bed," Orihime nervously thought, not sure what to expect, even though the marriage was based on lies, it was still a marriage. And Renji was still a man, so she wasn't sure what to expect tonight.
"Renji?" Orihime asked stepping cautiously into her dark bedroom. However what she did find still surprised Orihime. Renji was sitting at the corner of her room, holding a picture of her late brother—Inoue Sora.
"Renji?" She questioned, stepped closer to the red head.
"He has your smile," Renji stated. "A family member of yours?"
Orihime blinked, processing her husband's question. "Yes, my late brother," Orihime whispered softly after a very brief pause as she too looked at smiling picture of her brother. "He took care of me... before he died."
Renji's facial features formed into a frown, cursing himself for bringing up sad memories. Orihime, sensing Renji's mental beat down on himself, began to panic. "It's alright Renji!" She hurriedly assured, "I like to think he still takes care of me" She gave a sad smile at the expressionless Renji.
Renji placed the picture frame back on the bookshelf, and with neither talking silence fell over the dark room. Suddenly remembering herself, her situation, and the currently location of her husband, Orihime felt her cheeks flame at the situation they were in.
"I'll sleep on the ground," Renji suddenly declared as if he knew what Orihime was thinking. Orihime gave a sigh of relief, thinking how silly she was acting, already imagining the worst.
"Sorry I'm in here anyway. I would went up to the roof, but Matsumoto…" Renji drawled out, causing Orihime to giggle as she gave him extra pillows and blankets from her closet.
"I like Rangiku-san," Orihime said, lying under the blankets. Renji laughed as he made a bed for himself with the blankets on the floor next to Orihime bed.
"Yeah, she's real spitfire, that one." Renji answered back, feeling sleepiness setting in.
"Renji?" Orihime whispered.
"Hn," Renji responded, feeling sleep taking him over quickly. "I know you're far from home, so do you want me to sing you to sleep?" Orihime asked
Renji grinned into his pillow, fighting back a laugh, "Please don't, Orihime."
Renji yawned sitting up right up as fresh new rays of light filtered over his face. He grabbed a pillow and held it over his ears. He could hear, and even smell the humans around him. Some were yelling in the streets, others were eating some sugary fried things, different aromas of soap and perfume filled the air, it all made him sick. Or was it from last night's supper? He wasn't sure. However, he was amazed that Orihime, or anyone else in the human world for that matter, could continue to sleep with all that noise going on.
Deciding that he wasn't going to get no more sleep he decided a morning run would be the best thing to do.
Not even bothering using the front door, Renji carefully leaped out of the room, making sure not to wake his wife. He took a glance at the sleeping girl, and he couldn't help but smile as she hugged her pillow, all tangled up in her sheets.
Sprinting down the side walk was a perfect way to let off some steam he had been holding in. He couldn't help but feel his anger towards Ichigo to rear its head again. It seemed, no matter what, Ichigo was determined to take Rukia away from him.
He was so deep in thought he didn't notice a other being following him, an out of breath Renji leaned against a nearby fence, noticing it was the same place where he stood yesterday with Orihime when smacked him in nose...
He couldn't help but smile at Orihime's carefree nature, almost envious, wishing be could be more like her.
It was confusing how connected he felt with her. He felt like a kid with her, back in his childhood with the other orphans, during the rare good moments. Even though they lived different lives, he was still surprising at how much in common they had: both loosing family at young age, living alone, and loosing the ones they grew to love with all their heart.
Misery loved company he supposed.
"Just one, Renji-kun," Orihime replied, "And this one is the most important one. If you fall in love with anyone…please divorce me so you can be with that person."
Renji kicked at the ground, replaying her last condition in his head. Marrying her was his way to repay her for her kindness and saving Rukia. But even now, after taking her as a wife, getting to know her better, he now knew he still had to pay her back somehow—it didn't feel like this all was enough.
He just wasn't sure what else to do, he had nothing else to give.
"Soul reaper?" an icy voice spoke from behind.
Renji's eyes widened. That voice! Renji quickly turned around to face the infamous last quincy, Ishida Uuryu.
"I have a question for you, and I demand you answer it," Ishida said in icy tone. The edge in the quincy's voice had Renji already posing himself for a fight. "Why were you in Inoue-san's apartment? And why is it your spirit ribbon seems to be connected with hers?" Where before Ishida's voice was usually cool and calculating, it was instead angry and held a dark tone that demanded answers.
"None of your concern, Quincy," Renji spat in annoyance.
"Inoue-san is my concern, soul reaper," Ishida growled, preparing his spirit bow at Renji ready to attack.
GoodLuckMotherFuckers: Cue the dramatic music! Oh well, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. A other spoiler for the next, Renji starts school. What will happen?