8

Risa

I held my books agaist my chest with a trembling arm. I faced the door to my next class with a hint of fear in my eyes. The Soul Reaper Academy was brutal to begin with, and a few AP courses and it's worse than hell. I raised my arm to open the door.

"You gonna stand there all day or are you gonna go inside?"

I turned around letting my long blonde hair fall into my eyes. The speaker had about a six inches on me and his crimson hair was pulled back into a ponytail leaving his face free to veiw his unnaturally black eyebrows. I stammered.

"A-Abarai-kun."

"Risa, call me Renji," he answered crossing his arms and looking at me. The simple motion made the muscles in his forearm stand out. "And answer my question, are you going to class or what?"

"Of course I am!" I yelled indignatly, going bright red. "We have that lesson in the world of the living on konso coming up! I have to be ready!"

Renji uncrossed his arms and put his hand on my shoulder.

"You overstress, you know that right?" he mused letting a smile playfully dance across his lips. I blushed harder as he moved his hand and made to brush the hair out of my face before he slid the door open for me.

"Ladies first," he said.

~*~*~

"Risa," someone called but my nose was buried too deep in my notebook to notice.

"Arisa-san?"

"OI!"

now I looked up. Three of my classmates surrounded me. Renji leaned on my desk in front of me. To the left was the clean cut annoyingly proper blond Izuru and the right was occupied by the black haired pigtailed Momo.

"Arisa-san are you ok?" Izuru asked. His formality often got on my nerves.

"Risa," said Momo. There was only the four of us left in the classroom, class had ended. "are you sure you're alright?"

As I closed my notebook I felt a warm hand on my forehead. Raising my eyes I saw Renji had his hand pressed agaist my forehead.

"What are you doing?" I asked putting my books into a neat pile. Renji let his hand slide down my face as I stood up. A chill shook my spine that had nothing to do with the breeze that floated through the open window. Apparently my shiver made Izuru panic because he slapped Renji's hand away only to slam his own palm agaist my forehead.

"I heard that influenza was going around the fourth years." He said. I narrowed my eyes.

"Get off, now," I commanded and much to my surprise he obeyed. I left the classroom followed by Renji, Momo, and Izuru in that order. When we came to the entrance hall Renji and Izuru parted with me and Momo.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Renji asked. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Yeah, I am," I answered. "I'll see you later." I called after his back. He raised his had to signal that he heard me. Momo and I continued on our way outside to spend our break. There were various upperclassmen milling around in the hallway casually chatting. I walked past them not paying attention to the wet patch under the window. My foot hit it and slipped out from under me. I fell forward throwing out my arms to brace my fall. My books scattered and some landed near the sixth years whose attention I now caught. My hair fanned out around my head when I landed and I felt a throbbing pain in my wrist. It was a few moments before I pushed myself up brushed the hair out of my face and began to collect my books.

"This is yours, isn't it?"

I looked up and my hair fell back into my face. One of the sixth years was kneeling in front of me holding out my black bound history notebook. He scanned me down with his dark narrow eyes before shaking his short messy black hair out of his face.

"Th-thank you," I stammered, blushing and taking my notebook from him.

"You better be careful," he advised stading up and extending his hand. "That window leaks, after a rainfall it gets really slippery."

I grabbed his arm and felt a har bundle of muscle under my hand. I felt his hand close gently around my wrist and he pulled me up with no effort at all.

"Thank you," I muttered again. I went to walk forward and stepped in the wet patch again. This time I fell into him. I went my reddest yet, and I was glad that my face was hidden, pressed into his shirt. He gently pushed me away and I hoped that my face was a normal color.

"Are you alright?" he asked genuine concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," I stammered. Swiftly he bent down and picked up my fallen history notebook.

"Be careful," he advised again before taking off in the other direction.

"Risa, Risa!" Momo's voice broke the silence. "Are you ok?" I shook my head to clear it.

"What, yeah Momo I'm fine." I answered

"That's good, honestly you were so red you could have made tempura on your face you were so red."

"What?"

"Well I would have gone red too, do you have any idea who that was?"

"That guy that helped me?"

"How do you not know him? That was Hisagi Shuhei!" Name didn't ring a bell.

"Who?"

"Hisagi Shuhei, the sex god that's already been accpeted into the Gotei 13."

"He's what?"

"I know, it's amazing, he's amazing. They say he'll make lieutenant in the next two years or so."

"Not that why is he a sex god?"

"Did you not see his face?"

"Do you think I was paying attention?"

"Well if you ever get a closer look he has a '69' tattooed on his face."

"Ok"

"Don't tell me you don't know what that means."

"Yeah I know what that means, I told you remember?"

We dropped the subject when we reached out favorite sakura tree in the courtyard. She pulled out her notebook to finish the last bit of calculus homework we hadn't done in class. I was done so I pulled out a book that my friend had once gotten me in the world of the living. It was called Twilight and it was about vampires.

"Excuse me," said a voice. I looked up. It was that sixth year from before. "is that seat taken?" Momo giggled.

"No," she said. "I was just leaving, Risa I need to go find Uchiha-kun, see you later."

Now I was alone with him. Thanks Momo. He glanced in her direction before he returned his gaze to me.

"We haven't introduced properly," he said once again extending his hand. "Hisagi Shuhei, sixth year."

And resident sex god I thought to myself as I shook his hand.

"Uchimani Arisa," I said letting go of his hand. "Freshman." To my complete surprise he sat down next to me. Some passing Sixth year girls passing my way scowled their displeasure. From what Momo had said Shuhei was quite popular. I looked at him noticing the infamous tattoo Momo spoke of.

"Where are you from?" he asked m casually proping a notebook agaist his knee. My answer was hesitated.

"Rukongai," I admitted. "District sixteen."

"You too?" he asked not looking at me. "You're better off though, sixteen is way better than sixty-nine."

This shocked me.

"You, rukongai?" I asked. "There is no way you're just as polite as Kira Izuru."

"You learn," he answered bitterly. "You have to put on a façade if you want to fit in with the Nobles." I fell silent. "Still you're from rukongai so that makes me feel better, you know the shit they give you."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"Don't apologize it's not your fault." He muttered. "You're in AP so you've got to be smarter than half the nobles that pay for this."

The unexpected compliment took me by surprise. He smiled slightly.

"I got a perfect score on the entrance exam, and I fought Abarai Renji in the practicals."

"First time?"

"Yeah."

"Damn well you should be in AP you have natrual talent rukongai and a perfect score it has to be. You'd be better than me in five years I failed the exam twice."

"What? But you're so perfect!"

"Don't kid yourself there's no such thing as perfection and only idiots think so."

I looked down, his hand was on top of mine. The bell signaled the end of break.

"Are you going on the Konso exercises next week?" he asked getting up and once again pulling me to my feet effortlessly.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Great, I'll see you there."

He walked off ignoring some girls as he past. I headed off to Calculus skipping slightly.

I sat on Renji's lap as we waited in the entrance hall. Today was the day of Konso in the world of the living. There had been only one seat open and Renji promptly took it. Me not caring sat on his lap and much to my surprise he obliged.

"Hey there you two!" Izuru came over looking smug followed by Momo.

"Risa, Renji," she said. I felt Renji wrap his arm around my waist.

"Hey Momo!" I said taking no heed to Izuru. From behind them I saw Shuhei walking past with some of his sixth year counterparts. He didn't notice me and I felt my face fall slightly.

"Alright," his voice commanded over the first years. A few utterances remained. "Shut up or we'll leave you behind! Right introductions: I'm Hisagi; behind me is Kanisawa and Aoga. Before we leave I'll need you to assemble into your groups."

"Check the slips of paper we gave you before," said Kanisawa. "Find the people with the same symbol, as there are 31 of you that's nine groups of three and one group of four."

Me, Momo, Izuru and Renji drew the same symbol.

"Is everybody ready?" Shuhei asked leading up outside. "Very well let's go."

The world of the living was different than the soul society.

"Now what do we do?" I asked scanning the area.

"Be on the look out for souls, when you find one begin konso," Shuhei said from behind me. I jumped backward nearly landing on him. "And try not to hurt me."

"Sorry," I mumbled as he walked away.

"Look!" Renji said. "There's one!" Sure enough there was a ghost fluttering around. Renji drew his sword and chased after it. When he reached it he jammed the hilt of the sword into its forehead. The ghost was engulfed in light and disappeared.

"Alright Abarai," Shuhei had returned. "That was good. Just press lighter next time." Another ghost fluttered by and I konsoed it.

"Well done Uchimani," Shuhei said.

"Thank you," I said slightly surprised.

After a few hours we had finsished and were about to head home.

"Ok Freshmen," said Shuhei. "That's good we're heading..."

"HISAGI!"

We looked up. A giant Hollow had killed Kanisawa. Aoga was running at it.

"That thing just killed Kanisawa!" he yelled.

"Stay back!" Shuhei yelled at him but Aoga was killed just as easily.

"YOU FRESHMEN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Shuhei yelled with a not of panic and fear in his voice. I stood there utterly transfixed when Renji hit me in the stomach.

"Risa, are you on weed or something?" he yelled throwing me over his shoulder and running away (A /N Run away, run away, run away from the stench and the trenches… Shuhei: Not funny. Neji: … Amy: WTF is Hyuga doing here?)

"Renji!" I screamed. "That thing'll kill him!"

"Ok, you're on something else, did you not see what it did to the other two?" Renji yelled back.

"Hisagi-sempai ordered us to get the hell out of here," Izuru yelled in front of us. "Don't think about it his orders are absolute!"

"But Risa's right!" Momo said coming to my defense. "We can't abandon him." As if on cue Shuhei let out a scream followed by a slew of curses. Momo ran back. Renji put me down admitting defeat and we followed. Izuru tottered for a moment before following us. In a flash the four us arrived in time to prevent one of the hollow's massive claws from killing Shuhei.

"Sorry for disobeying your orders sir," Renji said fight back the claw. I stood in front of Shuhei. Up close he looked like the shit was kicked out of him. He was bruised and the right side of his face was bleeding.

"We kinda came back to save you so you'll over look it right?" Izuru asked turning red with the effort he was putting in.

"Shakka-ho!" Momo yelled. She was a kido master so a simple spell had much power in her hands. The red flame hit the hollow and it backed down.

"Nice job Momo," I said kneeling next to Shuhei.

"Yeah," said Izuru standing up. "You killed it!" Dumbass spoke too soon. More hollows were converging on us.

"No," Shuhei muttered. "No damn it no!"

"Oh God!" Izuru sobbed. "I don't wanna die! Not like this I don't wanna die!"

My grip on my sword slackened and it fell with a clatter. Tears welled up in both Izuru and Momo's eyes. A long zanpaku-to few out of nowhere and skewered the hollow in the face.

"My, my ain't this a nasty position eh?"

"C-captain Aizen!" Shuhei stuttered. "L-lieutenant Ichimaru!"

"Nice job you five," Aizen said kindly. "You were able to hold them off. Don't worry we'll dispose of them. Your job is to make sure Hisagi receives proper medical treatment, Uchimani-kun can you oversee that?"

"Yes sir!" I answered quickly. "Hisagi-sempai?" I asked tentatively, he groaned in response. I slipped his arm over my shoulders and tried to help him up. He was heavier than I was so the task was difficult. I managed with Renji's help.

~*~*~*~

"Arisa?" I looked up from my calculus homework. Over a week had passed since the hollow incident. I was back in the courtyard under the Sakura tree with Shuhei next to me. He had steri-strips holding together the 3 vertical scratches on the right side of his face. "Why did you Abarai, Kira and Hinamori come back to save me?"

He had asked me this question so many times and each time I feigned deafness until a subject change was present. I figured I had evaded long enough that unless I answered say now…bad thing would happen.

"Do you wish that we didn't save you?" I asked with a bitter edge I had not meant. He noticed because he slid my hand into his and squeezed it gently. I looked away letting my hair fall blocking my face. Shuhei let my hand slip out of his.

"No," he said softly in my ear. "That's not it at all. I am indebted to you four for saving me. I told you to run and you came back, even though it was risking your lives. I'm curious is all."

Damn it he read Twilight when I wasn't looking. He was talking like the main character, Edward.

"That thing would have killed you," I said with tears welling up in my eyes. I prayed Shuhei couldn't see them. "I know that the commander's orders are absolute, I know you said to run. I was full heartedly ready to disobey. It was Abarai that tried to drag me away make me obey. I fought him and Hinamori sided with me and we came back." The tears slid down my face.

"I couldn't bear to see you hurt and still trying to fight, I-I-"

"Shut up," he said softly in my ear with his head resting gently on my shoulder. "Just shut up." He added kissing it. My breathing was staggered from crying. Shuhei pulled me into him.

"Shuhei?" I whispered.

"Thank you," he muttered. And with that he closed the space between us.

The movement took me by surprise even though he deliberated everything. He met my lips tenderly begging me to obey him. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arm around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my back and pulled me even closer into him. After a few moments he pulled away there was a look in my eyes begging him to continue. He looked into my eyes for a brief moment before he lowered his head and nuzzled my neck gently. I wrapped my fingers in his hair as I felt his warm breath run the length of my neck. I fell backwards and pulled him on top of me. The grass under the tree tickled the back of my neck as he continued to kiss the side of it slowly and tenderly. Only did he stop when he pulled back to rest his head on my chest.

"Shuhei?" I whispered.

"Shh," he murmured. His eyes were closed and his hair was tickling my neck. I reached out and stroked his face with the back of my hand. I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them his face was mere millimeters form mine.

"Stop crying," he muttered in my ear, it took me a while to remember that I was before. Now I had lost all the intention. He bent lower and placed his lips over mine again and I willingly obeyed. His touch was still as soft as before but a little bit more aggressive. I broke away in a need for oxygen.

I was so out of breath, the way I felt when I ran the 100. (A/N Track reference!) He resumed his position with his head on my chest.

"I could just fall asleep right now," he muttered. "Your heartbeat is so relaxing."

"I bet yours is too," I muttered. He half smiled.

"You wanna hear it?" he asked looking up at me.

"Yes," I answered tousling his hair. He wrapped his arms around me and rolled over. He lay on his back in the grass just as I had been moments ago. I laid my head on his chest just as he had done to me.

I closed my eyes as my breathing fell into rhythm with the soft thumping of his heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I sat in the back of physics later between Renji and Izuru. I doodled on my notebook. I looked up to copy a note and when I looked down there was a folded piece of paper on my stuff. The handwriting was recognizable.

Risa, I saw you before on break with Hisagi-sempai, looked like you guys were having fun.

-Renji

Oh Shit, I thought feeling blush creep into my face. If Renji had seen us, then who else had? I scribbled back

I have no idea what you're talking about, all Shuhei said was thank-you for saving his life last week. Damn I shudder to think what could have happened to him if we had left, he might have been killed.

He looked at me after reading my note. His pen scribbled back and forth across the paper and when I got it back I could barley read his writing.

Well, it didn't seem like it was very verbal. He seemed to be coming on to you or something. If that's the case I'll have to step in. I can't let you do this. He's older than you are I don't want to see you getting hurt.

I rolled my eyes at his response. How the hell was my personal life his business? Sure we were friends but it wasn't my fault Hisagi-sempai kissed me like that…or kissed me at all. Annoyed I scribbled back

How the hell is any of this your business? I mean really. It's not like I'm your property. I mean, I love you like a brother and that's it. So stop acting like I'm cheating on you or something.

I threw the note at him now fuming. Izuru looked over at me and scribbled a note.

You all right Risa? You seem really annoyed about something.

Trust Izuru to be oblivious to pretty much everything. I failed to answer him as I glared at Renji. My last note had verbally slapped him by the look of it.

"Well?" he hissed at me. I ignored him copying down my last note. "Are you gonna talk to me or what?"

My hand clenched around my pen.

"Just shut up and stop acting like it's a big deal." I hissed back. He didn't have a chance to answer because the bell rang at that moment. I hurried out of the room but Renji caught up with me.

"Just tell me what's going on between you and Hisagi-sempai," he said. I was ready to loose my mind.

"There is nothing going on between me and him that was a once off because he said thank-you," I yelled. "It's my fault I let him get that far. I only know him because he handed me a book when I fell on my face in front of him! Does that make you happy!" I breathed heavy for a moment before adding. "And the only reason you're making a huge deal of it is because I kissed someone who wasn't you and you're just jealous!"

I stormed away still fuming. I knew I had pushed it too far and that I should have stopped after the once off thing, but I was so angry with Renji my brain wasn't functioning properly. I was so annoyed that I wasn't paying attention when I rounded the corner and stepped under the window. I felt my feet fail me once again but for some reason I didn't hit ground. I had closed my eyes to prepare for the impact that never came. I opened them slowly.

"Did I not tell you that that window leaks and after it rains it gets slippery?" I looked up. Shuhei had his arm around my waist keeping me from falling face first again. I felt my face go scarlet.

"Yes, you did," I muttered as he steadied me on dry ground. "Thank you for well um, that." I added going redder.

"No issue," he said looking at me. "You look upset about something."

I rolled my eyes. "It's nothing I'm fine." He put his hand on my shoulder.

"Doesn't look like nothing," he said. I looked around. Renji and Izuru had come around the corner. I saw Renji's expression change when he spotted me and felt Shuhei's arm tightened around my shoulder.

"Oh, so that's what's been going on," Renji muttered barley audible as he past.

"Would you can it?" I hissed. I stormed away letting Shuhei's hand slip off my shoulder.

Later on I sat in my dorm scribbling away at a paper that was due in a few days. Momo came in.

"Well?" she asked excitedly.

"Well what?" I asked not looking up.

"You, Hisagi-sempai?" her eyes were shining. I ignored her. "Are you an item?"

"No!" I yelled jumping up and spilling water all over my paper. "Aw damn it!"

"So you're not an item?" Momo asked.

"No" I said shaking my paper. It was pointless the ink was spattered everywhere.

"So then," Momo continued. "I guess that rumor that the sixth years were saying isn't true then."

"What rumor?" I asked looking up.

"The one that you and Hisagi-sempai were making out in the courtyard."

I turned around my face going bright red. Had it really gotten that far?

"No, that's true."

"He likes you," Momo said smirking. "Oh my god Risa, off all the girls that are in this school, Hisagi Shuhei likes you! Oh my god!"

"You say that like it's a good thing," I snapped.

"Why is it not?"

"No, because Renji's going on some psycho rampage like I cheated on him because Hisagi kissed me and now he's all pissed off about it!"

"Well what about Izuru?"

"If you don't kiss anyone he'll be happy, he likes you."

"Really? Eww."

"Yeah I know! He's so happy all the time!"

"I think he's gay!"

"He probably is!"

"Wait if he likes me then he can't be gay."

"Maybe he's bi?"

The two off us burst into an onslaught of giggles at the gay possibly bi Izuru.

The Next day I walked through the halls my blond hair pulled up into a ponytail. Even though I was still pissed at Renji I was unusually bubbly today. Well when was I ever bubbly? Hell I said hi to some random person? Oh shit, something's wrong with me. Maybe Renji knows it and he's being an asshole to snap me out of it.

Oh crap, I listened in on enough of Momo and Rukia's girl-talks to know what this is.

I'm in love.

I'm screwed.

Renji

"Ok, maybe I shouldn't have yelled at her but I mean he's so much older and no I am not jealous Izuru so shut up," he gaped at me like I was a total idiot.

"Why is it such a bad thing if she likes someone else?" Izuru said calmly as ever, still studying. "And anyway what about Rukia I thought you liked her?"

"It's different with Rukia," I answered so tempted to snap his book shut, I wondered if Momo feels the same way with…crap I can't even think about her!

"Your face is all red," Izuru said coming back to the real world. "And it's not like he's gonna do anything to her you're being overdramatic and it's annoying."

"But!"

"Drop it!"

I stared at him anger still welling up inside me.

"Look Renji," Izuru said getting up and putting his book in his bag. "You can tell he likes her and he probably has even before the Field Training incident. If you like her then tell her god damn it!"

"She was skipping today! She was all bubbly and happy and shit! She's usually all serious and studious!"

"Like I said you're jealous that someone else is making her feel happy."

"Shove it."

"I know I'm right." He said walking away. I knew now that Izuru probably was a girl because how the hell can he know all this stuff?

I walked to class with my head in the clouds and I was glad that's where it was. That way I didn't have to see him kissing her as they departed to get to class. I sat in the back far away as she rambled on to Momo like it was a normal day.