Chapter Forty-one
Popular Art…
Renji concentrated on doing dishes like he'd never concentrated before. She was incredibly sweet even all tearstained and shook up. He was feeling things some kind of inconceivable high from all that happened today. She had him thinking she was the one.
Seeing her parents together made him want the stability. He pictured the things her mother joked about. What kind of daughter would he have…she would be as strong willed as Tatsuki. Those thoughts made him smile.
Kissing her, inhaling her and tasting her skin had him thinking other thoughts. Those thoughts made him want to skip dishes and drag her back to the bedroom. Damn his determination to have order. It was all that stood in the way of having his way with her on that counter…that is if he could get that far. Realistically Tatsuki would likely take his head off if he tried to. No matter he was up for the challenge.
Damn it Renji stop thinking.
"What are you thinking Renji," she asked still sitting on the kitchen island.
"A lot of nonsense…do you feel tired," he asked.
"A little but we should go somewhere tomorrow since you're here. I mean if you can," she said.
He finished the dishes and dried his hands off on the dish towel. He turned and looked at her keeping a safe distance from temptation. She had recovered somewhat and looked normal again. Back to friends he guessed and he was fine with going somewhere.
"Where," he asked.
"First get me off this counter," she said crossing her arms.
He knew she could get down herself and he raised an eyebrow considering whether or not to play along.
"Fine," he said.
He relented and lifted her to her feet. He didn't miss the way she ran her hand over his chest as he set her down.
"You'll have to find out tomorrow I'll leave it a surprise," she said and headed for bed.
000
Renji stared at the graffiti sprayed messages in front of him. Tatsuki dragged him to this abandoned commercial building to look at graffiti art. This was a part of her world but he could identify with some of the sentiments.
He glanced at the not so pleasantly worded messages to the leaders of this world: teachers, cops and parents. He chuckled at the bold declarations of love and marveled at the occasional ode to freedoms.
"This is tradition and we have to leave our mark," Tatsuki said her eyes twinkling with excitement.
She hoped over the twisted metal waste and discarded tires. Her foot caught on a railroad tie and he quickly maneuvered to keep her from impaling herself on a piece of jagged metal.
"Can you at least try to be careful climbing on things," he said balancing to keep them both from falling.
"Thanks," she said adjusting her bag and continuing on ahead.
He followed her as she began climbing an abandoned freight car. Her fearlessness was beginning to drive him insane. There were hundreds of objects that could do serious damage.
The wall above her was nearly covered in artwork. The artwork up here seemed a lot more thought out than the scribbles down and around the freight car.
She set down the bag pulling out a black permanent marker. He followed her lead grabbing a pen for his self.
"This is permanent ink so if you don't want your clothes ruined don't make a mess," she quickly explained.
"What should I write," he asked staring at the wall in front of him.
"Whatever comes to you just don't write my name wrong," she said starting her drawing.
"You mean right," he joked.
"Maybe I'll draw heart for your name because it's so complicated," she said.
"Alright let's see who can write their name in Kanji the quickest," he said.
"I don't want to write my name in Kanji," she said.
"So you are willing to give up so easily," he said.
"Alright fine on three 1…2…
She wrote her name quickly in Hiragana finishing before him. His was closer to a work of art.
"Cheater," he said continuing to work on his masterpiece embellishing the characters and adding more dept.
"Well enough with the names you're supposed to sign your name after you complete your art not before," she said spraying a section of the wall.
"I think I'll just sit back and watch," he said leaning on his elbows on top of the railcar.
Tatsuki really got into the design of her section of the wall. She seemed to have a decent picture of what she wanted switching tools in the bag as she went along.
"Do you ever wonder about your parents," she asked.
"I do," he settled for a simple response to the very complex thoughts he had about his family.
"My parents seem to love you. I wonder sometimes what your family would think of me," she said.
"You wonder what my family would think of you," he asked.
"Yes sometimes I do especially since you're so close to my family," she said.
Renji stood up and joined her at the wall. He said nothing and began to write in his space.
"See this," he asked pointing at his handiwork.
Tatsuki looked over capping her marker. Renji wrote out the names of their friends. She nodded in response.
"These guys are my family. Rukia is my family and she loves you. They know all that matters to me. Wondering about people I've never met and who don't know me is foolish when I have real bonds with these people," Renji said grinning at her.
000
The cold rain poured down. Tatsuki looked out the window for a good while before deciding it was too cold to be out of bed.
Miserable weather.
Sleep in weather dictates that people stay in bed. So closing the curtains and wandering back to bed she gently climbed back in bed and at staring at Renji.
She wondered what he dreamt about his bright long hair fanned in all directions. Looking completely at peace in another world of another world she didn't dare disrupt him. Her eyes traced the tattoos as she admired his toned chest.
The phone buzzed making her jump a little. Tatsuki grabbed the annoying device as Renji turned over…there went the view, she thought. After reading the screen she quickly texted Orihime back before climbing back under the covers.
There was no way she'd leave the warmth of this bed to go out in the mess that she observed from her window.
"You awake," she asked cuddled up to his back.
"You're cold," he answered.
"Checking the weather," she said rubbing his back.
"You could have turned on the TV to do that," he said turning over to face her.
"Sorry I woke you with my cold hands," she joked and kissed his nose.
He sat up and turned on the television.
The news reporter went on about global warming for ten minutes before returning to information about the local weather.
"Flooded and I'm stuck here already," she said.
"The river is rising so they could order an evacuation…that is for this area right," he asked.
Tatsuki got out of bed once more and stared down at the rising river.
"They aren't talking about us but the river is rising so I'll just stay in," she said returning to the bed.
The phone rang. Orihime had called once again.
"It really is awful weather I don't think you should try to come here," Tatsuki said.
"Tell her we'll go there," Renji said.
"Renji says he misses you guys so we'll go there…no I'm not…Right I'll see you later Orihime," Tatsuki said and hung up the phone adding, "She says she misses you too."
"I've known about Orihime for some time now but when did you become so close to Rukia," Renji asked.
"Renji you're so shy about things sometimes I wonder about you," she said.
"I'm just private and don't call me shy…or adorable it's annoying," he said.
"I didn't call you adorable but now that you mention it I should call you that more often," she said.
Renji ignored this and continued to watch the news. There were so many disturbing stories on the news he found it difficult if not impossible to watch. Flipping through the channels he wishes he were back asleep.
Tatsuki looked at him as he watched the reports. She knew very little about his world but understood that the soul society was a very different place. The disgusting problems that flashed before him were human.
Moments like this made her talk too much. She needed to do something to take her mind off losing him. Nothing in this world would hold him here and that knowledge scared her.
"Anyhow if we girls didn't talk to each other we'd make you guys miserable with our problems. Besides nothing negative is said were all pretty hopeless. As for privacy I'm not really telling them anything. We are no-
"Tatsuki if you go on talking a second longer my head will explode. Just what is up with you today," he said his patience running thin.
"How much more about you was erased from my memory," she asked.
"What do you want to know," he asked.
"I just mean…this will all sound strange but I get these flashes of memory. I kept seeing you from time to time in the past but I don't remember everything that happened," she said.
"Like when…what times," he asked.
"When you came to my class…you came for Ichigo and it made no sense why all of you suddenly appeared. Those others who were with you are Shinigami too," she asked.
"What did they look like," he asked.
"Alright the white haired kid?"
"Yeah he's a Captain…Toshiro."
"The blonde woman?"
"Assistant Captain Rangiku she's his Lieutenant."
"So his Lieutenant is older than he is…odd. I know about the wooden sword Ikkaku and Yumichika because they were staying with Keigo. Ikkaku was helping out Keigo's sister with her Kendo class…so I definitely remember them. They are Shinigami too," she asked.
"Yeah they are," he said.
"I am starting to remember a lot more. First random images then conversations, it is surprising how much I was made to forget. Did you know that back then I almost made you into some sort of obsession for the longest time…you were sort of my crush," she asked.
"I didn't know," he said.
"I really don't mind those memories at all. It is the other times that have made it hard to sleep. I try not to disturb you but on a day like today it's easy to stand beside the window and think," she said.
"The airport on the day you left did you know what happened to you," he asked.
"I saw the smile on your face as you walked away. I know you had nothing to do with what happened. When you told me you loved me I figured it out then that something had happened. Why would you plant memories of another woman to hurt me," she said.
"Replacing your memories must have been the work of Chyko. I know he was only acting on orders so there wasn't much I could do. All I could do was telling you how I felt…tell you the truth," he said.
"I wish I could clean out my brain from the mixed up memories," she said.
It angered him that the Soul Society had taken such measures against her. He wished they would see her as an ally instead focusing on trying to make her forget him. He worried that something else was going on but he wanted to help her remember one clear picture it saddened him that she kept forgetting the simplest things about his world.
"Do you want to talk about them…those memories," he said sitting up. She sat beside him leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Before that time you showed up in my class is clearer in my mind. My karate team suddenly started dropping to the ground. I couldn't tell you what knocked me down or even see it clearly then," she said.
"But now," he asked.
"Now I remember a big guy and this really pale guy dressed in white. The big guy…he killed everybody and then Sado got hurt pretty bad and Orihime showed up and finally Ichigo. What I want to know is what happened to all those people that day," she asked.
"Tatsuki I don't know," he said.
"Were they Hollows," she asked.
"There are a lot of monsters out there but not all of them are Hollows. I think I know where this is going so I'll just tell you not to worry about it. They aren't the ones were concerned about no," he said.
"And you can't discuss it," she asked.
"I'm not going to take away any of your memories. There are laws and rules I'm obligated to upheld so I can't-
"But if they asked you to make me forget all of this…you…would you do it," she asked.
"There is no asking. If an order is given I have to follow it. That's the position I'm in," he said.
"I don't want to forget you," she said.
"Out of our hands there is nothing I can do or say but you knew that going into this relationship. You want security that I can't promise you and I guess it's not enough…you and I as we are will never be enough for you," he said.
"What do we do now," she asked.
"You have to decide if we are enough for you. I don't want you to answer that right now. Think long and hard about everything and then tell me. After that we move forward it is simple as that," he said.
"I knew Ichigo my whole life and suddenly some guy appears and addresses him like he's always known him. We all knew about Rukia and Ichigo but you guys showing up…I was confused and angry and sad," she said.
He knew what she felt it brought him back to his feelings knowing that Rukia had gotten so close to a human. That Rukia abandoned all commons sense to give that human her powers.
"But then something else happened after that time I decided to let go," she said.
"Let go of what," he asked.
"Let go of my anger at Ichigo. When I let go I fell in love with you. I'm still in love with you so all this talk about tell me later is pointless. I don't let go of things easily. I still want to kick Ichigo every time I see him for getting stronger than me and hiding things from me and keeping me at a distance. If you give up on me I'll find a way to hunt you down and drag you out of the Soul Society back to me. Call me crazy but that's just how I think," she said.
"Crazy," he said.
"But I'd find a way don't you think," she asked.
"I can't stay and I can't leave what am I your prisoner," he said.
"A willing prisoner," she said kissing his neck.
"Who wants to go out in this mess anyway," he said.
She would have to find a way to explain her absence later she thought rejoining the warmth of the bed.