RenIchi : Hello part 1 of 3

Ichigo winced at the pain in his arm. He hadn't been paying attention and it cost him. He gripped his shoulder as it hung loosely by his side, useless. He cursed and turned back to the swarm of hollows.

In a final attempt to desecrate the soul society, Aizen had ordered every and all hollow to swarm the seireitei in one large attack that trigger the ever lasting battle that both Ichigo and Renji found themselves caught in.

Ichigo glanced through the crowd of sneering and roaring hollow for his red haired lover.

Damn it...

Renji was fighting his own battle yards away from him, obviously drawing further away as the hollow pushed him back. He slashed through a large amount with his bankai but more just took their place and continued to attack relentlessly. His hair blew behind him for the battle had long sense released the crimson mane from its bonds.

Ichigo had let himself be distracted and now his arm, the one he used to hold Tesa Zangetsu, was useless.

Damn it all... at this rate, we'll never kill 'em all. What the hell?! Why wont they just die already?!

Ichigo shouted in frustration and with a swoop of his sword, cut through another mass. He was so tired, so frustrated, so filled with rage that he forgot to watch his back.

There was a shout of his name and then a cry of pain. Ichigo turned his head slowly at the familiar voice and gasped in surprise and fear.

Renji stood above him, his arms out stretched, shielding Ichigo with his body. A large hollow claw sliced through his back and poked out of his chest, blood dripping from the tips of the blade.

Renji gasped in pain and coughed up a large amount of blood, some of which fell on Ichigo's dirt smothered face. The hollow pulled out its claws with a triumphant war and many of the other hollows roared as well.

Ichigo felt as his world crashed down around him.

“RENJI!”

He reached out and caught his lover with his one good arm as best as he could. Tears began to form in his eyes as he looked into Renji's face, wrenched in pain and soaked in blood. He gritted his teeth and forced back the forming tears that threatened to spill over. He set his lower down on the ground gently and turned to the roaring hollow. It stopped and looked him over in challenge.

Ichigo's eyes became fierce and filled with anger, rage and revenge. His reiatsu began to pulse strongly and flare violently. The hollow began to roar again but was cut off. I one swift, fluid movement, Ichigo sliced the thing's head off.

The other hollows shreaked and rushed him but they were too slow. In blinding flashes of speed, Ichigo cut through section after section of the unsuspecting army. They started to run and scatter but to no avail. Ichigo felt the anger and sorrow in his soul boil over as he charged his reiatsu for one blinding final attack.

“Getsuga Tensho!”

The hollows shreaked and cried out as they were engulfed in the black energy and destroyed leaving nothing but a distressed Ichigo, cradling his lover's body.

“Renji!”

Ichigo shook Renji desperately, hoping he wasn't to far gone. Renji grumbled and opened his eyes, cracking a small and weak smile.

“Hey.” He crocked. “Whats with all the nose..? You act like I'm never gonna wake up or something...”

“Baka...” Ichigo smiled weakly as he touched Renji's cheek. “Your going to be just fine, damn it...”

Renji smiled back before suddenly shaking violently and going into a hysteric coughing fit, more blood running down his chin and spilling into his hands.

Worry and fear filled Ichigo's face as they both looked at Renji's bloody hands. Renji sighed at the look in Ichigo's eyes. With a shaky hand, he touched Ichigo's face with the clean tips of his fingers and stroked his chin.

“Ichigo...” He said, his voice cracked and rough. “I love you...”

Ichigo fought back tears and clutched Renji close to his chest. He refused to cry, not when there was still hope...

“Don't talk like that! You make it sound like your going to die! Like I won't see you again!” Ichigo's body began to shake, unknown to the red head. He ran his fingers through Renji's hair and let out a long, shaky sigh.

“I'm sorry...”

Ichigo watched as a tear fell down Renji's thin face, mingling with the blood and dirt. His eyes closed momentarily and Ichigo panicked.

“Renji! Don't go! Don't leave me!”

Ichigo shook Renji's body again, this time a little more roughly.

“Ow...” Renji grumbled. “That freaking hurt...”

Ichigo couldn't help but sigh in relief but that relief was soon overwhelmed by grief and sorrow. Renji looked up into Ichigo's eyes, his own half opened.

“Ichigo...?”

“Yeah...?”

“I can't see you anymore...”

Ichigo's heart almost stopped. Couldn't see him? But why? He was losing his sight, which meant...

“I'm right here, Renji. I'm right here and you are too! Stay with me...” Ichigo couldn't keep the pleading tone out of his voice as he tightened his hold on Renji and tears were to strong to hold back. Renji put his hand up and Ichigo clasped it, feeling the cool blood that just reminded him even more of this terrible realization. He was losing him. Renji was dieing...

“Ichigo, please kiss me.”

Ichigo's heart wrenched as tears flowed freely down his face and splashed onto Renji's. Ichigo leaned down closer to his lover's face and looked into his glazed eyes, knowing he couldn't see him anymore.

“I love you, Ichigo... I think I always have... from the first time I saw you, there was just something about you that-” Renji was cut off by another hysteric coughing fit. “that I feared and...admired...” Renji coughed again and this time his eyes blinked slowly.

Ichigo whimpered and rest his forehead on Renji's.

“But I don't want you to die!” He cried. “Stay with me!”

Renji blinked slowly again looked up with that blank, lifeless expression.

“Ichigo... please...”

Ichigo nodded even though he knew Renji couldn't see it but was sure he could feel it. Then, he leaned down and gently kissed Renji on the lips. He knew it was the last time. The last time he would ever hold him, kiss him, hear him, touch him, taste him... He knew and it broke him down. Sent his world crumbling down around him.

Ichigo was afraid to pullback but when he no longer felt Renji kiss back, he clutched the man to his chest and sobbed, screaming his lover's name in pain and agony into the starless night sky.