He knew the party animal would be out and about still, even though it was nearing ten at night. When he was done talking to Ikkaku, he hung up and sunk back onto his pillow with a huff. "Jeez, that was close. I nearly jumped out of my damn skin when I saw who was calling." His girlfriend smiled mischievously up at him. "You know, you really shouldn't be that scared of my Nii-sama. There's no way I'd ever let him fire you."

Renji didn't look so sure. "Rukia, you're barely even legal, and Byakuya is crazy protective of you. He'd fry my hide if he caught us together, forget firing me. I'd be toast." Rukia laughed at the mental image. "Don't worry. Nii-sama isn't going to find out about us that easily. I'm good at being discreet, and he's not the kind to pry. Let me worry about him. Besides, you've got more important things to think about, like… how you're going to make round three even better than round two…"

Renji's eyes widened comically. "You're ready again? Already?" Rukia grinned before she started nipping, licking, and kissing Renji's neck with a fierce passion. Renji's eyes shut, and he groaned in pleasure. "I'll just take that as a yes then…" Rukia had known Renji since she was a little kid. He'd spent a lot of his time on the streets too. He'd been a foster kid for as long as he could remember, and it seemed to him that each couple he got dumped with was worse than the last.

Eventually he'd just run away. He was two years older than Rukia, and a good head taller than her, but she'd been such a feisty little thing. She'd made everything seem brighter to him. When Byakuya had come along and taken her in, at thirteen, Renji had gone back to school, determined to see her again someday. Luckily for him he was actually pretty smart when he tried to be.

He'd done four years worth of high school work over the next two years, and graduated with several distinctions. He'd interned at Byakuya's company for the next year, until his big mouth, fearless attitude towards the boss, and capable personality had got him noticed, and Byakuya had hired him as his PA. Not long afterwards, at a business function, Renji had finally found Rukia again.

She'd grown so much in three years, but she was still much shorter than him. The real difference was that she'd gotten some noticeable curves since he'd last seen her. They'd talked the whole night, eventually winding up making out in the coat room. Renji had bribed the attendant with fifty dollars. He remembered it like it was yesterday. They'd been a couple ever since, but they were keeping it a secret until after Rukia graduated from high school, which she was due to do the next year, four months after her eighteenth birthday.

They would have to wait until then to get married, because Renji seriously doubted that Byakuya would give them his permission to get married before then. Rukia would have to get her guardian's written permission to marry if she wanted to do so before she turned eighteen. Besides, she didn't think Byakuya would be excited about her getting married before she went to University.

He'd probably think she would change her mind about going, even if it was a ridiculous notion. Rukia was deadly serious about her future, and that included a damn good education. Renji was very supportive of her going to University, too. He wasn't some bone-headed moron who thought that University was only for men and pathetic women who weren't hot enough to get husbands. Renji had already decided that when Rukia went to University to become a doctor, he was going to start studying part-time to get his business degree.

Someday he wanted to be more than just Byakuya's PA. He wanted a real position in the company. He wanted to be a man Rukia could be proud of, a man Kuchiki Byakuya could respect. He knew he was intelligent enough, and he was willing to work as hard as he'd need to. This goal was very important to him. Someday, when it was time for him to become a father, he wanted to make damn sure he was a good one, and that included being financially prepared.