Chapter 16

"You did all that for me?" Rangiku asked tearfully when she listened to his part of the story. Tears were streaming down her face as she raced forward and enveloped the redhead in a tight hug. Uncontrollable torrents of tears streamed down her face, involuntary sobs escaped her lips as she tightly hugged Haruto.

Haruto returned her hug with affection as he rubbed her back and ran his hand through her silky hair in a soothing manner, whispering comforting words into her ears as he sat down and eased her down with him on the chair.

"I searched everywhere, but you simply weren't in that dimension. I'm sorry." Haruto said apologetically as she sobbed even harder.

"I t-thought you had abandoned me… I w-was scared and alone."

"I know."

Haruto listened while she sobbingly related her story of how she had waited for him to show up and when he hadn't, she had actually taken her own life to prevent them from capturing her, how she had lived in the Rukongai for years searching for them, how she had been recruited to be in the Shinigami Academy and became a Lieutenant.

He knew he would have time to hear all her stories later, but now he had to shift the topic to a more light-hearted subject. Seeing her beautiful face stricken with tears made him cringe inside. Her face simply was not made for tears and from now on, it would remain that way!

"Wait, you mean you're actually a Lieutenant of these sword carrying idiots?" Haruto teased and received a bonk to the head.

"Who are you calling a sword carrying idiot, you idiot?!" Rangiku muttered in irritation as her eyebrows twitched madly.

"I wasn't talking about you, you little brat!" Haruto retorted back with a groan and rubbed his pulsing head. "Wait, you are not little anymore. Man you sure have grown in all the right places! Hehehe."

He finished with a perverted giggle and gave her a once over while she blushed in embarrassment.

"Stop checking me out, you perverted old geezer!" Rangiku snapped and shook her fist in front of his face.

"Who are calling an old geezer, you old hag!"

"I'm only twenty six, you redhead lunatic!"

"That is still older than me, so that means you are an old hag" Haruto retorted with a smug grin.

"You are the one to talk, you're still alive till this day and it had been decades or maybe century since I died, that means you are all old geezer. Which also reminds me, how in the hell are you still alive and where is big sister?"

"I have my ways. Naruko is currently with the team to keep their assess safe from harm." Haruto answered mysteriously.

Rangiku had all the time in the world or in the afterlife to think about the redhead and his companion. She had realized that they were both special, as no ordinary person would have been able to accomplish what he had told her and what he had done. She may have been a mere child at the time, but now she knew that no ordinary human or even Shinigamis were capable of making a house with precise details that quickly!

She snapped back from her thoughts and saw Haruto looking at her chest, causing her eyes to twitch in irritation with a hint of redness on her cheeks. "Where the hell are you looking, you perv?!"

"You still wear that necklace I gave you" Haruto asked fondly.

"Yes, it was the only thing reminding me of your idiotic and wrinkly old ass." She said mischievously and grinned when a giant tick mark appeared on Haruto's temple.

"Man, when I created that bastard, I didn't make it to be that lucky. Look at it, hanging between the Valley of heaven, without even realizing it" Haruto whined while Rangiku blushed even harder.

What was with him talking about her assets all of a sudden? She knew he was a pervert—she still remembered the many dirty jokes he would direct at Naruko during their Lunch or Breakfast—but she was not expecting him to get that forward with her.

"Still, it's great to see you again Rangiku, I thought I had lost you forever." Haruto smiled softly and gave her a warm hug, which she returned with equal vigor. "But to ensure that I don't lose you again, I will have to remodel your necklace."

Igniting his hands with red and blue flames at the same time, he brought them together in a blinding light. A few seconds later when the light faded away, he opened them to reveal a necklace with a golden chain and a crimson rose with a black diamond in the middle.

Taking the necklace, he leaned forward and wrapped it around a blushing Rangiku's neck with a soft smile on his face.

"There! It will not only let me know where you are and summon me to that place, but also protect you should you be in trouble, which from knowing you, you always are. And besides." His fond smile suddenly turned mischievous "It makes you even more beautiful."

Rangiku looked away with a small hint of rosiness on her cheeks while Haruto let out a loud laugh.

"Idiot" she mumbled under her breath and snuggled up to his bulging hard pectorals with a blissful sigh. She was glad that he hadn't changed at all, still the tall redhead and lovable idiot she knew him to be.

"Hey Ran-chan, aren't you supposed to stop me from causing untold mayhem and whatnot?" Haruto asked with a deadpan when he realized that they were practically sitting in the middle of a street.

"I'm, but who cares." Haruto sweatdropped at her blunt answer while she nuzzled his neck.

Maybe she had rubbed off of him too much!

"You do know they are going to call you a traitor if you side with us, right?" Haruto deadpanned

"They can call me whatever they want, I'm not leaving you after not seeing your wrinkly old ass for centuries." Haruto grew a tick mark on his temple as she called him an old man again.

He was not an old man dammit. If anyone was old, it was Naruko. She always acted like a fussy grandmother.

I would like to hear you say that when I'm near you, Love.

Haruto paled completely white when he heard her threat. Man, he sometimes overlooked the fact that they had a telepathic link with each other.

Sorry Naru, just a spur of the moment. Haruto sent back apologetically, however he had a feeling he was going to get his ass kicked no matter how many times he apologized now.

Where are you guys anyway?

Near the 1st Division headquarters. Ichigo is currently fighting a bloodthirsty lunatic called Zaraki Kenpachi, the Captain of Squad 11.

Oh that lunatic with an eye patch? How come you guys hog up all the fun. Haruto complained but brightened up again. Hey Naru, did I tell you that I found Ran-chan! Well technically, she found me, but that's not the point!

He could feel her surprise and astonishment through the link.

You did?!

Yep, she is sitting right here with me and from the looks of it, is currently ready to punch me in the face for not answering her call.

He was correct as Rangiku was just about ready to punch the living daylights out of him for ignoring her. He couldn't really blame her for wanting to hit him since he was sitting there with a faraway look on his expressive face.

That's good to hear. I have a feeling we'll meet soon.

I look forward to seeing your pretty ass! he sent back smugly and severed the link, not even waiting for her response.

"Oi, you old geezer! Answer me when I'm trying to talk to you!" Rangiku whined, her full and tempting lips stretched into a pout as she crossed her arms under bosom.

"Rangiku, why don't you return to your Barracks for now, I promise we'll meet again on the day of execution at Soukyoku Hill." Haruto replied seriously.

Rangiku looked skeptical but reluctantly untangled herself from his embrace and stood up from the chair with an adorable pout, which almost shattered Haruto's resolve. Almost.

"Fine, spoil my fun." Her tempting pout soon turned to a deceptively sweet but deathly smile as she looked at him. "Oh, if you even think about breaking your promise this time, not even death will be able to stop me from tearing ribbons out of your hide."

Haruto nodded vigorously. Man, this woman has got to be Terumi Mei's cousin or something!

With that, she did something he never would have expected from someone like her, she gave him a wet kiss on his cheek and ran away with steams pouring out of her ears like a steam engine, leaving a flabbergasted Haruto behind.

"Well, that was… exciting!"

Just as Rangiku disappeared behind a corner, a horde of Shinigamis appeared behind the confused Haruto and surrounded him.

"You're coming with us to our Captain," the apparent leader said with a sneer and stepped forward with his hand on the handle of his sword.

Haruto shrugged nonchalantly and walked up to the leader. He had nothing else to do right now, seeing as there was still time till the execution. He might as well meet this Captain and have some fun along the way.

"Ok." Haruto agreed cheerfully causing the leader to blink in surprise.

He hadn't expected the redhead to surrender so quickly without even fighting them. Not finding a convincing enough reason or response, he shrugged nonchalantly. Who was he to prefer violence when the Ryoka wanted to come quietly?