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Not Alone

They knelt quietly side by side. Every so often one of them would make an effort to sip the teathat was growing cold on the table, but the cups never quite reached their lips. The silence was

not comfortable, or comforting, as it often was between them. Something was not quite right

anymore, and it disturbed the careful balance they had been maintaining for years.

Rukia sighed, almost imperceptibly. It was the smallest of openings, but her companion was

quick to take the opportunity.

"What's the matter?" Renji asked.

Rukia looked up, surprised out of her thoughts. "I nothing," she lied unconvincingly. The

expression on her face revealed that she knew how weak her lie was, but she was going to run

with it anyway.

Renji stared at her, unimpressed. "Uh huh. Try that on someone who ain't known ya since" hebroke off with a smirk as her eyes narrowed and she shot him a look that told him in no uncertainterms that he'd better choose his next words carefully.

"Someone who ain't known ya as long as me," he finished, still flashing his best cocky grin.

Rukia swatted at him halfheartedly and tried to scowl, but the corners of her lips tugged upward.

That was encouraging; she hadn't shown that much expression in a while.

"C'mon, what's goin' on with you?" Renji was determined to have this out while her shell wascracked even a little. "It ain't like ya t' be so mopey." He chose the word deliberately, knowing it

should trigger a reaction. But Rukia just sighed and stared into the distance as she gathered her

thoughts.

"I it's too hard," Rukia whispered. "I don't want to feel this way anymore."

"What way?"

"I can't trust anyone. Everyone leaves. They change, they go away they die." Her voice

faltered over the last. "We fight to protect them, but eventually we fail and they die. Or we die.It's all the same in the end."

Renji understood this uncharacteristic hopelessness, all too well. Every shinigami in the Soul

Society was feeling it, as comrades fell to Aizen's forces and Hollows ravaged the living worlduntil the overworked defenders could track them downand nothing they'd tried so far was

working to turn the tide in their favour.

But this this was something he coulddo something about. He turned to face her fully.

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"Ya know that ain't true, don't ya?" Renji's voice was unusually gentle, and it made her look him

straight in the eye for the first time in days. "It's always been us against the world, and we're still

winnin'. Some days it's just harder t' see than others."

"But"

"I'm not leaving. I'm never leaving." Renji stretched out his hand to cup her cheek. "You're not

alone." He drew nearer, his eyes holding hers steadily.

"It's always been you" His breath brushed warmth across her face as he whispered beside her

mouth. "Rukia" Renji closed his eyes as he pressed his lips to hers.

His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he waited for some responseany response. He

couldn't bear to see her hurting, so he was risking everything to reach in and bring her out of the

darkness with him. He could handle rejectiontheir friendship had survived too much already tofall apart nowand anything was better than seeing her suffer like this any longer.

Rukia hadn't moved. Renji steeled himself for heartache and began to pull away.

A small hand on the back of his neck held him fast. Soft lips captured his, and Renji's heart racedas Rukia pulled herself in to lean on his chest. He had no idea how long they stayed locked like

that, frozen in one moonlit moment.

When Rukia finally released him, Renji opened his eyes and saw she was smiling at him.

"I've been waiting a long time for you to do that, Renji." The light had returned to her eyes; for amoment Renji felt like leaping to his feet and yelling his victory into the night. Instead he settled

for kissing her again, enthusiastically this time, nearly losing his mind when Rukia's soft tonguelicked tentatively at his.

He nibbled gently at her lips as he they separated, drawing a soft giggle from the previously

melancholy woman. Renji wrapped his arms around her and lifted her onto his lap; Rukia nestledherself into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's gonna be ok, ya know," he stated matter-of-factly. "We're gonna win. Got too many peoplecountin' on us t' fail. So we just won't."

The tiny woman nodded into his shoulder. "I know. Just hard sometimes."

"It's still you an' me against the world, Rukia. But this time we ain't alone in the fight. We got alot more people we can count on now."

She raised her head. "People who won't go downat least not without one helluva fight." Hersmile was like the sunrise, its warmth washing over him and settling into his bones.

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Renji couldn't help himself; he bent to taste her small, perfect lips again. Hours passed unnoticed

as they held each other close.

It was after midnight when she finally sat up and disentangled herself from his lap, reluctance

showing in every movement. "I guess I should go"

Renji caught her hand. "Stay."

Rukia bit her lip. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"I just wanna hold ya tonight." His hand tightened on hers. "That's all."

"No, I wantI mean they'll wonder where I am," Rukia explained. "Nii-sama"

Renji cut her off with another kiss; he wasn't letting her get away, not ever again. "Yeah I should

tell ya 'bout that. Kuchiki-taichou we had a a talk, a while back." One side of his mouth

twitched upward in a crooked grin. "He, ah, sorta gave me his blessing."

"What?! When?" Rukia's eyebrows drew together. "I'm not a prize to be passed out!" she huffed.

Renji laughed. "No, 'course not. But he's your family, an' it's proper t' have his approval. Though

I woulda done it anyway," he admitted easily, "even if he didn'tapprove."

"When?" she asked again, though the heat was gone from her voice.

"Right after this whole thing blew up. I went t' see him in the infirmary, after that bastard left."

He scowled; the memory of Aizen's betrayal still boiled his blood. "He said said that his sister

'deserves someone who will stand up for her above all others, even if it means sacrificinghimself'." He tried to remember his captain's exact words and intonation.

"Nii-sama, he said that to you?" She looked shocked.

Renji nodded. "Yeah, surprised the hell outta me, too. Then he told me not t' 'waste any moretime keeping people waiting'."

Rukia smiled again. "Then I guess I have to staaaayyy!" She yelped as Renji scooped her upand carried her into his bedroom. "Renji!"

"I ain't gonna drop ya. Carried ya a lot longer when I was a lot weaker," he reminded her with agrin. "But I ain't gonna let you go, not ever again, so get used t' it."

"You've never been weak," she protested, wrapping her arms around his neck as he knelt andlowered her onto his futon. She wouldn't let him go, pulling him down and kissing him again.

"Well I never will be, long's I got you." Mentally, he groaned a little at the mushy sentiment, butthe sparkle in her eyes told him he'd gotten it right and erased the faint flush from his cheeks.

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Renji reached out and untied her sash. "Not gonna sleep in your uniform, are ya?" He slipped the

black robe off her shoulders before stripping down to his own white under robe.

Rukia wiggled out of her over robe and pants and tossed their uniforms off to one side. "This'll

do." She reached up and untied the band that held his hair in place; he shook his head, letting the

long red strands tumble down around his shoulders.

"Thanks." He settled himself beside her and drew the blankets over them as Rukia snuggled into

his embrace. Renji tucked the small woman under his chin, marvelling at how perfectly she fitagainst him. He breathed deeply of her scent, and fell asleep to the sound of her heart beating

against his own.

The first thing Renji saw when he opened his eyes in the morning was the disheveled black hairbelonging to the woman whose head was pillowed on his shoulder. Rukia was still soundly

asleep, her face peaceful and calm. Her eyes fluttered, and she sighed softly in her sleep as hepressed his lips to her temple.

Her white robe gaped slightly in the front, exposing the curve of one breast. Renji's eyes

followed the lines of Rukia's body pressed against his, her warmth stirring a different heat in hisgroin. He ignored it for now; at this moment he wanted nothing more than to simply watch her

sleep.

She would definitely argue the pointwhich would be funbut she was his prize, a prize he

never thought he'd deserve. And now that he'd won her, he wanted to savour it. But eventually

her eyes opened.

"Renji." The smile she bestowed on him was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Mornin', love." His voice was rough, and he felt the flush in his face as he tried out the

endearment.

Rukia buried her face against his chest as he turned to face her. Something that sounded like,

"Love you too," was slightly muffled in the folds of his robe, but he heard it and it echoed clearlyin his mind.

Finally she raised her eyes to meet his gaze. Their eyes locked, dark red and deep blue. With that

radiant smile Renji loved so well, Rukia reached her arms to him and he fell into them willingly.They remained that way for several minutes, holding each other close, their rapidly beating

hearts beginning to beat in rhythm.

They pulled apart, barely, enough for him to gently capture her lips with his own. A small sound

in the back of her throat nudged the gentle kiss to deeper passion, breaking only when it wasabsolutely necessary to breathe. Renji opened his mouth to speak but Rukia quickly hushed him

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with a fingertip against his lips. All that had needed to be said had been said. He nodded once

and lowered himself into her arms, pressing her back against the soft bedding.

Rukia's arms went up around his neck as his mouth descended on hers once more. Her lips parted

beneath his, inviting his tongue to twine with hers. Renji groaned, crushing her closer to him.

The passion took them both, the earlier calm eclipsed by the growing need.

Her fingers worked their way down his chest, following the tattooed lines, nails gently tracing

the path to the sash at his waist. Her hands deliberately brushed the firm bulge beneath the thinrobe and Renji shivered against her. Rukia untied the sash with one quick motion and raised her

arms to slide it off his shoulders.

Their lips broke apart as he sat up to remove the garment. Renji stared at her; the sight of her

flushed skin, wide eyes, and swollen, moist lips directly beneath him sent a shaft of desire

through him. Slowly he ran his hands along the robe that barely reached her thighs. He slid hishands beneath the smooth fabric and gave her bare buttocks a gentle squeeze before continuing

around, one hand caressing her stomach while the other undid the sash to let one side of her robefall open. Rukia's breath quickened as Renji's hand moved higher to cup her breast, small and

firm, nipple already hard beneath his palm.

He lowered his head and kissed the curve of her other breast through her robe. Rukia's handsburied themselves in Renji's loose hair as his tongue lashed out to caress the peak in her lightrobe, her legs twisting beneath him as she held herself against his lean body. Renji worked his

way lower, leaving a trail of fiery kisses down her belly until he reached his goal.

Gentle hands pushed Rukia's robe up around her waist, exposing her beauty. Her feminine scent

rose all around him and Renji breathed deeply, savouring it before diving down to place a kiss

between her folds. She gasped at the heat on her flesh; the hands that had been stroking his hairclenched once and then relaxed. Renji's mouth covered her, his tongue stroking hot and wet.

Rukia moaned as Renji's lips worked their way back up to suckle her stiff nipples, leaving his

hands to their magic below. She reached for him, pleading with her gaze, and that mischievous

sparkle she loved so well shone out from Renji's passion-filled eyes as he positioned himself

over her.

Hands trembling with desire, she took him in her hands and felt his body shudder with each

feather-light touch. With a mischievous spirit of her own, Rukia leaned up and nibbled Renji'searlobe, making sure her breasts brushed against his bare chest as her own hands squeezed and

stroked his hard length.

A low growl escaped him then, and as she lay back to look at him she was struck breathless by

the intensity of his gaze. Her robe went flying. Renji's mouth crashed down upon hers and they

swirled away together in a flood of passion as he entered her moist depths. Rukia's cry ofpleasure was matched by his own, both muffled in the midst of their kiss.

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She arched her back, raising her hips to meet his, and they fell into the rhythm together as

naturally as breathing. Her hands ran up and down the length of his back, pulling him closer with

each thrust, alternately grasping his buttocks and running through his brilliant hair.

As their passion built their movements grew faster; Renji's hand on Rukia's hip pulled her to him

more forcefully. She cried out again as the sensations burning inside her flared higher. Anothergrowl, this one of deep satisfaction, as with each stroke they claimed each other fully. Their

wordless gasps echoed in the empty morning, soft sounds of flesh upon flesh enticing them,

drawing them deeper.

With a final moan Rukia writhed again beneath him, clutching his inked shoulders as her climax

overwhelmed her. The force of it rolled over him and sent him spiralling with her, Renji's lips atlast crying her name in triumph.

They came down from the heights together. Each touch elicited a gasp or an exclamation ofpleasure as their movements slowed and eventually stopped. Rukia pulled his full weight down

upon her and locked her slender legs around his waist, hugging him as close to her body as shecould. Together they rolled to the side, still clinging together as Renji withdrew from her. Their

breathing slowed, hearts gradually returning to a steadier beat.

Together they lay quietly in the early morning light, exchanging soft kisses, the gentle breezesliding over their flesh and drying the slight sheen of perspiration produced by their exertions.He left her only briefly, to recover a blanket that had been pushed to the floor. Wrapping it

around them both, Renji took her into his arms and smiled down at her. His long red hair was

hopelessly tangled, Rukia noted, after she'd run her hands through it in her passion.

Renji gave her his best grin, the one that had captured her heart the day she'd first seen it. "I

never woulda waited so long if I knew it was gonna be like that!"

Rukia laughed and curled closer, earlier shyness forgotten. "Why didyou wait so long, Renji?When were you going to tell me how you felt?"

He shook his head. "Don't matter anymore."

"But"

"Quit askin' dumb questions, Rukia." He silenced her with a kiss.

END