Chapter: Things Unsaid
Rating: PG-13 | T
Pairing/Character/s: Byakuya + Renji, Inoue
Word Count: 11,775
Warning/s: Spoilers. Angst. Violence.
Summary: The team Renji left to clean things up in the Living World suddenly come under fire, but Byakuya isn't letting him go back alone.
A/N: It's not sex, but for them, it's sort of like foreplay.
"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. "
- Benjamin Franklin
Even after years without Renji's presence, experiencing the redhead's company prompted Byakuya's mind into old habits. It was no surprise that his eyes drifted towards the door of his office in the late afternoon, expecting any minute for his lieutenant to come bursting in, drag him away from the stacks of paperwork, and walk him home. When the minutes passed, and gradually shifted into nearly an hour of time lost, Byakuya gave up waiting. Perhaps Renji had lost track of time. It was his first day back, and he was guaranteed to have a lot of catching up to do in the Division.
Deciding that he might as well be the one to pull Renji away from whatever he was doing, the noble left his office, taking the winding hallway of the headquarters outside. A quick glance around noted, with some irritation, that Renji was still at his post, looking completely unpreoccupied. Byakuya approached the redhead silently, quietly remarking, "I take it you are too busy with other matters to leave work at a normal time?" Never, Byakuya thought, did he think he would chide Renji for working past regular hours.
The lieutenant glanced up, the look on his face becoming apparent as he did, a slight frown the most prominent feature. He quickly looked away, though, and collected the small stack of papers left on his desk, placing them on the left side as he carefully stood. "I was interrupted," he explained, "so I was finishin' up..." He couldn't avoid looking at the other man, although he obviously wanted to. The only emotion showing, though, was some sort of vague irritation. "I'm headin' home now. I'll see ya' tomorrow, Taichou," he added, making to walk past the noble, failing to completely mask his limp.
Byakuya couldn't keep back the surprise from his own face. Frowning as well, the noble reached out and caught Renji's arm, stopping him as he walked past him. "Renji -” For a moment, the captain hesitated, Renji's uncharacteristic irritation throwing him for a loop. "Is... everything all right?" he finally managed, silently wondering if he had, by chance, done something to anger the other man. Knowing from experience that Renji's memory - when it came to Byakuya - was impeccable; the noble could not help but find it strange that Renji would brush aside their old routine without a good reason.
The redhead stopped and exhaled slowly, obviously trying to control his reaction. "You don't want to hear my answer, Taichou." A sardonic smirk crossed his lips as he glanced back at the other man, "Least of all, hear it here - unless ya' still expect me to dart behind a locked door every time we talk." He couldn't help adding the last bit, already feeling more than upset with himself let alone Byakuya.
The noble's frown deepened with Renji's words, his hand slipping from his arm. "...I do want to hear your answer." Byakuya allowed a bit of irritation to cross over his expression as well. "And you should know by now that when we talk on a personal level like this, the Division and the rest of Seireitei need not know about it. It is for both of our well-beings."
Renji turned back towards the door, but instead of re-entering, pulled it closed and locked it. Without a word, he turned back around and continued on his way home.
Eyes narrowing, Byakuya's hand shot out and caught the redhead's wrist. He held onto it tightly as he snapped, "Never turn your back to me, Renji."
The redhead stopped dead in his tracks, curling his hand into a fist. "Is that an order or threat, Kuchiki Taichou?" He answered darkly, not turning to face the other man.
"Both if you continue this nonsense, Abarai," the noble shot back, not relenting his hold on the other man's arm as of yet. "If you have a problem, then we can go back into your office like civilized men and deal with it. Otherwise, I won't tolerate this sort of behavior."
"What nonsense?!" Renji snapped, spinning around and physically dislodging the other man's hold on him. "I'm fuckin' upset an' yer pullin' rank on me over a personal matter! If you want to talk ya' need ta listen too, not just stand there ord’rin' me and expect me ta' just take it!"
"Fine. I'm listening." The response was sharper than Byakuya intended, but he kept on, dropping his hand at his side again. "Forgive me if I find it nonsensical that, even after I asked what was wrong, you walked away from me without a word."
"Because I'm angry and I don't want to hide in my office ta' talk about it!" Renji made a noise of frustration and then made an obvious attempt to calm himself. "Look, if we have ta' hide somewhere I'd rather just go ta my apartment."
"We aren't hiding anywhere," the noble almost hissed, but restrained his tone enough that his voice was still calm. "But, fine, we'll go to your apartment if you refuse to speak on what is bothering you in your office."
The redhead sighed and ran a hand over his face before turning to walk to his home. "It feels like hiding," he answered quietly.
Byakuya said nothing as he turned and followed the redhead. It was several moments before he did speak, and by then they were almost at Renji's apartment. "Do you really think I like it any more than you do?"
"I don't know, Taichou... I think you don't care about the repercussions as much as I do," he answered honestly as they came to his door. He quickly unlocked it and let the man in, following shortly thereafter, closing and locking the door behind him.
"Which repercussions are you referring to, Renji?" the noble asked quietly as he stepped into the apartment. "Because there are many that I am quite aware of and care about perhaps more than you think."
"I hate lyin'," the redhead answered flatly, leaning back against the door. "When Ikkaku takes a jab at my limp I can't tell him it's cause I was screwed within an inch of my life. When Ayasegawa tries ta get me a good lay on the field, I can't tell 'im I'm involved... it's always just 'no'. They ain't dumb, Taichou, they know somethin's goin' on. They know when I give them some dumb excuse... they know I'm lyin' and I feel like an ass for it!"
Letting out a long sigh, Byakuya leaned against the back of the couch. "I don't appreciate lying any more than you do, Renji. If you think my household has overlooked how common your presence has become, then you are wrong. My excuses hardly cover the obvious lack of professionalism between us when you are around." The noble shook his head. "But what do you expect us to do? Do you realize how Seireitei, the rest of the Gotei 13, and my family would react?" The thought made Byakuya shut his eyes and raise a hand to his temple, a headache quickly assailing his senses. "I am sure your friends would be... more accepting, and if you were sure they could keep silent, I wouldn't care if you told them," the noble added finally, trying to appease the redhead in some way. The thought didn't sit well with him, but if it would make Renji happy, he could allow it.
"React to which part? Maybe it matters more ta' nobles, but no one else gives a fuck who or what ya' sleep with," the redhead answered, pushing himself away from the door and then slumping into the couch.
"It does matter to my family," Byakuya said curtly, turning and leaning over the back of the couch, draping an arm over the side to rest his hand lightly on top of Renji's. "If it hasn’t been made apparent by now, they aren't extremely happy with my choice in lovers. If they knew I was currently involved with, not only a man - as I seriously doubt you can produce children to carry on my line - but a man from Rukongai... I think they would commit suicide. And probably kill me first." He sighed again. "That, needless to say, would be difficult to deal with."
"Well I'm about ready ta' kill 'em anyway," Renji answered with a snort, feeling very put out concerning the whole matter. "Unless yer plannin' on marryin' at some point, you'll have ta' talk ta' them about it eventually. I doubt they'd take bein' lied ta any better than the truth."
"Maybe I should marry you and kill two birds with one stone," the noble drawled. "I'd be honest with them and kill them at the same time from shock." He moved around the couch and fell back on the other side of it tiredly.
"Che, it's almost worth wearin' the bridal robe for," the redhead snickered, and laid down, placing his head in Byakuya's lap. "Almost," he solidified and then regarded the noble with a more serious expression. "What have you been planning on tellin' them? Since you won't be givin' them an heir, I mean."
Byakuya's fingers absently traced down the other man's jawline and to his neck, running his thumb lightly over the pulse thudding there. "I don't know," the noble admitted softly. "But whatever I tell them, it will be sooner rather than later. If they are going to disown me, I'd rather know now. And," he added absently with a hint of a smirk, "if it were pink, it would suit you."
Renji winced in distaste. "I like ya' an all, Taichou, but I'd sit on my sword before I wore anything like that, pink or not." His expression quickly returned to a somewhat brooding continence. "They can disown the head of their clan?" he murmured, looking quite upset at the notion. "Losing you would hurt them more than whatever societal shame keeping you might cause them, surely they could see that."
"If it is 'for the best interests of the clan', they could try," the older man answered wearily. "And after I took a wife from Rukongai, didn't produce an heir with her, adopted her sister from Rukongai, and otherwise 'embarrassed them' and 'disappointed' them, I think they would love something else to misconstrue and otherwise make my life a living hell with... Let alone the fact that they /could/ possibly throw me out and pretend I am some illegitimate son." With a roll of his eyes, Byakuya's hand slid to rest against Renji's shoulder, curling his fingers into the fabric there. "Needless to say, I'll think keep my proposals at bay, and not just because you don't want to dress up," he said dryly.
"Why then?" Renji murmured, glancing to the side. "As it stands I'm just a liability to you... why hold yerself back from finding a woman you'd be happy with?"
"Because I am happy with you," Byakuya responded immediately, then hesitated slightly, surprising himself with the sureness of his conviction. "And," the noble added in a barely audible murmur, "I would much rather be with you and happy, than with a woman my family would approve of, and not happy at all."
A warm sensation caused a light blush to dust Renji's cheek before he could properly hide it. He turned towards the noble again, curling up slightly. "I don't like it."
A slender hand rested against the top of Renji's head, stroking his hair gently. "I know."
Auburn eyes slid shut with a soft sigh. "After all that work and care you put into maintaining that clan, they'd just drop you? They don't deserve you. They never have and they should know they'd never get anyone better."
"I'm glad someone sees it that way." Even if it isn't going to change anything, Byakuya added silently to himself. The noble's eyes slid from Renji to the front door and he frowned slightly to himself as he contemplated staying here for the night and simply not bothering to go back to the manor. If his household was going to be irritated with him, they might as well feel the emotion properly.
"I doubt I'm the only one," Renji replied, lightly curling a hand into the fabric of his captain's haori. "But if you can't tell them..." He sighed. "Ya know I'll fight for you... for whatever it's worth."
"It's worth quite a bit to me," Byakuya responded softly, his hand slipping down to absently run over the back of Renji's neck. "Thank you." He fell silent for another moment before asking quietly, "Would you mind if I stayed the night here?"
The redhead glanced up at that, caught off guard considering where their previous conversation had ended. "You sure can do that?" he asked, not trying to continue the argument, but genuinely concerned. He may not have liked all the lying, but Byakuya was worth it, as far as he was concerned, and if the noble was worried over exposure, he would be too. Aside from simply wanting to allow the man his life as he knew it, Renji was also fairly certain that they'd have to "go public" at some point anyway, so he might as well give the noble his time with things as they were.
"If I go home now, I am afraid I will not be able to control myself from ripping several family members' heads off," the noble answered quite firmly. "I have also not given them a reason to scold me as of late... Perhaps this should be the first of many reasons, and then when they learn of us, they will not be as fazed due to being used to my 'rebellious ways.'"
"Are you sure it's such a good idea to have 'rebellious ways'?" Renji joked lightly, "Then I wouldn't get any credit fer 'debauching the great Kuchiki-sama'." He grinned at the thought, auburn eyes sparkling with mirth.
"I'll be sure to keep my rebellion to a minimum, then, for the sake of your title," Byakuya returned with a small smirk. He shifted on the couch, gently pushing Renji up so he could opt for a more comfortable position and stretch out. He tugged Renji back once he was settled, letting Renji lie against him.
"Good," the redhead answered with a grin, twisting slightly as Byakuya adjusted their positions. "An' anyway, you're always welcome to stay," he added, nuzzling up against the other man. "Just don't expect four course meals or anythin'..."
Sliding his arms around the younger man, Byakuya pulled him closer, affectionately nuzzling at the top of his shoulder. "I prefer your cooking, anyway," he murmured as he relaxed fully back into the cushions. After another absent nuzzle to the redhead's neck, he let his head fall back, ebony hair fanning out across the couch as he sighed deeply and simply allowed himself to bask in Renji's warmth, and the fact that he didn't have to deal with his family tonight.
A soft rumble of pleasure echoed the compliment offered by the noble. Renji's hand automatically moved to stroke through the black hair, loving the silken feel of it and the look it had when not set perfectly in place. " 'm glad you think so," he finally replied, voice soft and almost distant sounding as his mind drifted and he allowed himself to immerse fully in the presence of his lover.
Grey eyes slid shut at the touch of Renji's hand in his hair, the noble's head tipping to the side just slightly as he exhaled slowly. He cracked open an eye half-way, enough that he could reach up and grasp Renji's hand and bring it up through his hair until the redhead's fingers brushed against the kenseikan. "You can take them out," Byakuya offered quietly, personally finding the task more enjoyable when Renji's hands were near him and doing it for him.
A shiver went down Renji's spine at the softly spoken offer. Despite preferring the man's hair down, it would be a definite loss if the kenseikan were ever permanently removed, since it would cause him to lose moments like this and the warmth that accompanied the noble's acquiescence to its removal. Slowly, but with practiced motions, the redhead set about freeing each lock of hair from its white prison, combing it out with his fingers after each part. Byakuya let his eyes slide shut again, enjoying the attention and all but wallowing in Renji's presence. His head turned at just the right time to brush a kiss across the redhead's passing hand, letting his lips linger against the other man's palm before leaning his head back once more. The shiver did not go unnoticed, but Byakuya said and did nothing in regards to it, save for a gentle brush of his fingers against Renji's forearm.
When the last piece was removed, Renji carded his fingers through the black tresses, smiling softly as he pressed an affectionate kiss to Byakuya's lips.
A low murmur of pleasure fled the noble's lips, his eyes lidding partially as he gently kissed Renji back. "Why are you so good at making me act like this?" Byakuya breathed out softly, a smile almost on his lips.
"Because you let me," the younger man stated simply, attention still mostly on the way the noble's hair fell about his fingers and the way the man's eyes would darken sometimes when looking at him.
"Mm. Probably." His lips brushed over the side of Renji's mouth tenderly as he murmured, "Your bed's more comfortable than this couch."
"You know... it's scary to think what you'd be like if I ever denied you," Renji quipped playfully and managed to pull himself out of the rather nice trance he'd settled into. He slowly stood up, offering the noble his hand once standing.
An elegant eyebrow rose in response as Byakuya slowly sat up, shaking his hair from his eyes before sliding his pale hand into Renji's. "Have I ever given you reason to do so?" the noble countered.
"Who said you needed to give me one?" the redhead countered, easily pulling his lover to a standing position. "I might have had my own, after all."
"Might have," Byakuya pointed out before pressing a kiss to Renji's cheek. "I have yet to hear any denying..."
"And you won't," Renji answered with an amused sigh. He turned then, still holding the other man's hand and lead them back towards his bedroom without any further 'resistance'.
Vaguely satisfied with his 'victory', Byakuya couldn't help but steal a light nip to Renji's shoulder. "Good." Following close to his side, the noble tipped his head just slightly to rest it against the same shoulder.
Smiling faintly at the noble's actions, Renji quickly passed the threshold to his bedroom and brought them around to his bed, pulling apart gently so they could sit again. Since he'd been more or less ignoring the lingering spikes of pain in his lower back for two days now, it was an easy matter to mask any discomfort their constant movement was causing and lean in close enough to steal a kiss.
The noble returned the kiss gently, his hands slipping around Renji's waist as they took a seat on the bed. The tension of muscle beneath his hands made him break from the kiss, frowning slightly and slowly digging his thumb into the redhead's lower back, rubbing it in languid but firm circles. "You probably should have rested another day if you were this sore," Byakuya commented in a barely audible murmur.
Renji melted into the caress instantly, laying his head on Byakuya's shoulder as he leaned against the other man. "It's my own fault," he replied and then added softly, "No one else gets days off because of damn good sex; why should I? 'Sides... it's a good soreness."
"You are not the only one at fault," Byakuya pointed out, somewhat amused as his fingers slowly pulled from Renji's back. "Lie down on your stomach. Even if it's a 'good soreness', your back is tied up in knots and needs to be fixed."
"Damn straight I'm not!" Renji shot back cheekily, but pulled away and began removing his gi so Byakuya could effectively massage rather than merely rub the sore muscles. "And don't you dare think about regretting it either," he added cautionarilly. "You get that look sometimes when you think you hurt me," he further explained, dumping the top half of his outfit beside his bed and eyeing the noble for a moment before turning and laying down on the bed.
"I'm not regretting it," the noble muttered, moving to straddle the back of Renji's thighs once he had lain down. "I'm just concerned about hurting you too much in instances like that." Starting at the redhead's lower back, his fingers worked into the hard muscle there, digging his thumbs into the spot just above his hakama especially.
A soft, appreciative groan escaped Renji's lips from the attentions. "That's good... 'n don't be worried. I'd tell ya'... ah - right there."
As he massaged firmly into the spot, Byakuya bent forward enough to brush a light kiss across the back of Renji's shoulder. "You can tell me right now where else your back is sore," he breathed softly against the redhead's neck, an absent nuzzle accompanying his words.
"Little lower," the redhead murmured, relaxing completely beneath Byakuya's strong fingers.
Obediently dragging his fingers down further, the noble dug his thumbs into the base of his spine and started there, working outward.
" 's perfect..." Renji confirmed, melting into the bed.
~~~
"You sure this is it, Taichou?" Renji asked, leafing through the papers in his arms with a slight frown. Really, he'd thought there'd be more to handle considering the sheer amount of operatives on the field instead of managing the paper trail. He squinted a bit and turned more towards Byakuya's desk, avoiding the light of the rising sun pouring through a window across the way. He'd been up for too long already, leaving his eyes unaccustomed to the morning light that'd snuck in while he worked. "I'm almost positive there should be fourteen more reports here.... from th’ team that came back with me."
With a sigh, the captain turned back to the large stack of papers on the corner of his desk. He picked them up and dropped them again on the other side with an audible thud before glancing up at Renji. "If you're almost positive, you can look through all of this." Byakuya jabbed the stack with the end of his brush. "Otherwise, I am certain what you have in your hands is everything." An irritated glance was cast in the direction of the window as the noble found the light far too intrusive for his vision that was still accustomed to the dim light before full sunrise. Standing, he moved across the room to pull the screen over the window and keep out at least some of the light.
Renji sighed and made to set his own papers down when there was a loud, almost frantic sounding knock at the door. He glanced at Byakuya with a slight frown, silently questioning if whoever was there would be let in.
After pulling the screen shut with a snap, Byakuya's frown redirected toward the loud knocking. Giving an absent shrug, the noble waved Renji toward the door. "Let them in."
Setting the papers momentarily on Byakuya's desk, Renji nodded and walked over somewhat quickly, sliding the door open. "What-"
"Abarai-fukutaichou! Good, they said you'd be here," a smaller shinigami exclaimed with far more relief than one should have at finding their vice captain this early in the morning.
The frown returned to Renji's face as he stepped aside and nodded for the smaller man to step inside. "What is it?"
"We found them! An hour ago," the squad member panted, stepping in and passing the redhead a piece of paper.
"Take a breath" Renji muttered, tossing Byakuya a glance before scanning the paper.
As if just noticing the captain, the squad member made a sort of strangled sound and abruptly turned and snapped a low bow to the noble. "My deepest apologies for disturbing you, Kuchiki Taichou."
The noble's response was a disinterested nod of acknowledgement as he stepped near Renji. "What is the situation?" he asked quietly, eyes sliding to the paper Renji held.
Renji opened his mouth to reply but made a noise of surprise instead. "Six?! There are six an' you're just-" He stopped short making a noise of frustration. "I need ta' go back. The squad's down there with six arrancar-" he passed the paper back over to Byakuya, grabbing the smaller shinigami and pulling him into a standing position. "Did they fall back? Did you get 'em back? Who's there?"
"I-I j-just us. The team for eleventh had to report to fourth s-so we went back to base - it's just us and two of the humans."
Eyes narrowing, Byakuya took the paper and scanned it quickly. Great - just great. What a wonderful way to start the day, he thought dryly, shifting his gaze back towards Renji and the other shinigami. "I will accompany you," the captain stated. "Our Division has dealt with enough without my intervention." A quick sideways glance toward Renji warned him not to argue. The redhead had only recently come back and Byakuya did not trust him to be entirely well-rested, let alone fully competent to take on six arrancar with that in mind.
Two pairs of rather startled eyes turned on Byakuya the moment he declared his intent to join them. Renji instinctively wanted to argue the point, half on pride and half on previously dubbed useless protective urges, but instead just sighed at the look he was given and turned back to the other poor bastard still recovering from shock. "All right, ya' - OI MAJIRO!" At the sound of his name, the younger shinigami snapped around, attention fully on his vice captain once more. "'s better," Renji approved. "Now, get over ta' eleventh and tell 'em to redeploy. Don't go through anyone but Zaraki-Taichou got it?"
Majiro paled but nodded dutifully, "Y-yes sir."
"Good, then when yer done, report ta' the main offices an’ tell 'em what happened and how we're taken care of it. Got it?" A short, nervous nod was his only answer. The redhead growled in frustration. "You'll take down a couple a hollows and ya' can't even stammer a yes? What are you, Fourth Division?!" he snapped.
The other shinigami blanched and then quickly recovered with a hasty, "No sir! On my way, fukutaichou!" before turning and bolting back down the corridors.
Renji sighed and glanced back at Byakuya. "We better hurry," he announced somewhat grimly, "there's only a couple a' seats left on the away team, th' rest came back with me."
"This should be pleasant, based on your reports," the noble remarked dryly, tightening his zanpakutou about his waist. Hopefully, all six of these arrancar would not be the captain-level ones mentioned several times. "Lead the way."
"Just..." the redhead trailed off into an exhale and laid his hand on the hilt of his zanpakutou, still at his waist in Seireitei five years since the official 'war' had ended. "I'll brief ya' on the way," he amended, turning and flash-stepping towards the nearest gate.
With a nod, the captain followed him, noting absently that Renji's shunpo technique had improved. Those five years of constant fighting had obviously done quite a bit for his lieutenant. "I should have entered this conflict sooner," he commented, slightly bitter over the fact his Division had often been the one most often pushed headfirst into conflict for these past few years, and was the one with highest casualties because of it.
Renji shook his head. "Captains need ta' be used sparingly, we know that. An' anyway... most of the fights we didn't need anyone higher than a seated squad member." Most. He didn't mention the fights he'd had to step in for... probably wouldn't be a good idea to at this point. Auburn eyes slid to the side, watching Byakuya's profile for a moment. "It's just recently we've come closer to findin' the rest... they're gettin' backed into a wall, so half of 'em run and half try to take down as many as they can with 'em. Have ta' kill 'em fast, mostly, 'cuz the damn things'll scurry away otherwise... that's why I've been steppin' in so much lately."
He looked forward again as they neared the gate. "They were tracking two lower level arrancar when I came back. We've got some good seats left down there... if things went bad they shoulda' been able ta' handle it... but six -" he made a disgusted noise, "Wasn' expectin' it. Che- I shoulda' known better."
"You were not expecting it," Byakuya reminded him; slowing once they neared the gate and taking the chance to push his hair out of his face. "You would not have been much use, anyway, considering the condition you were in. It is better than you came back, and I am sure we will be able to deal with the present situation all the better for it."
On some level, he'd already known that was true, but hearing his captain say it eased his worries somewhat. Renji nodded and came to a stop outside the gate, directing the guardian to open it for them so he could create the portal needed to take them to the living world. "If they fell back," he continued lowly as the guardian complied, "it should be easy to find them, at least."
"Yes," the noble agreed quietly, hoping that everything else would be just as easy. The living world was not something he particularly appreciated for any length of time, so he was in favor of a quick kill and departure back home.
The gate now open, Renji stepped beyond the threshold and unsheathed his sword, going through the motions of opening a portal to the living world with little thought. "I think it would be best," he spoke, resheathing his sword as the doors opened, "if we requested to lift our power restrictions immediately after arrival."
An eyebrow shot up at that, the suggestion making him frown. Having his power restriction lifted was not something he had yet requested, but deciding to take Renji's advice, the noble nodded and stepped toward the portal. "All right."
Glad that his advice had been taken seriously, Renji nodded in return, and then stepped through the portal.
--
The resounding call of the arrancar's death still echoed through the air as Renji turned to survey the field of battle. It was field by name only, of course, being truly some lawns and streets at the edge of a city. There was some pretty substantial damage to the area and buildings, but the redhead was more interested in the spirits wandering about than the land itself. Unable to find any more enemies, as he'd expected, he let Zabimaru disappear, silently thanking the zanpakutou as he sheathed it once more. "Chie!" One the few remaining squad members looked over at him, a slight frown on her face. "Fall back and check on the rest - get healed up an' let eleventh take care a' any stragglers!" She nodded and signaled the other two, taking a moment to test a wounded leg before setting off. Renji took a deep breath, trying to rush the adrenaline and battle lust from his system, finding his hands a bit too shaky for his liking.
Icy eyes spared a quick glance about as well, narrowing in irritation at the blood that trickled down the side of his face and threatened to obscure his vision. A pale hand reached up and wiped the blood away, noting with irritation that the blood was his own and coming from a cut just above his left eye. After allowing his gaze to linger on the remaining squad members and make sure they were at least functioning, Byakuya slid his eyes back to Renji.
"You did not need to step in," he stated a bit snappishly, his pride slightly wounded by the prospect of being 'saved' by his lieutenant.
"The hell I didn't," Renji answered with mirrored irritation. He turned to face the other man, feeling a little dizzy from the movement but ignoring it for as long as adrenaline would allow. "What were you thinking?! Three on one?!"
"I am perfectly capable of taking on three at once," the captain all but hissed, eyes flashing angrily at what he perceived as a challenge to his ability. "And I would have succeeded had you not stepped in and intervened. You took enough damage; you should have let me finish the task." Of course, Byakuya refused to acknowledge how shaky he himself was, thanks to blood loss from a rather deep slash across his right side. Annoyed, he turned away from Renji, sheathing Senbonzakura with an absent glance of appreciation.
"And I was perfectly capable of two!" Renji countered, stepping past the captain and then turning around, intercepting the man before he could move to far. "And I took that damage managing the other three until the rest of the team could get away. So you just step in and pick up three opponents - two of which are captain class arrancar because I took a few hits? Don't be ridiculous, Taichou! Have you SEEN the fuckin' gash in yer side?!"'
"I am still standing," Byakuya sharply sent back, "so obviously it is not beyond repair. And you did not 'just take a few hits', Abarai-fukutaichou - have you noticed the amount of blood you have lost?" The noble gave a soft snort. "You were handling the majority of the squad; I was trying to take some of the hassle out of it for you. You should have allowed me to do so."
"You weren't 'taking the hassle out', you purposely took an extra one because you thought I couldn't handle it!" the redhead nearly screamed in anger. He couldn't decide which hurt more: his pride or his body which was now starting to sway on him. "You took the initiative to enter battle before our team had finished retreating exactly for that purpose and you know it! You don't even trust me to know what I can handle!"
"Perhaps I do not know what you can handle!" the noble snarled back, his voice rising for the first time in the argument. "I thought it better to be safe than sorry and possibly risk your life and the team's. It has been five years, Renji - I have not seen you fight in that span of time and did not know of how much you had improved! Regardless, I do not appreciate your challenge of my decisions that I thought were best for the Division!"
"I'm not questioning what you think is best for the Division, I'm questioning what you think is best for you and what you think is best for me!" the redhead all but raged, moving into Byakuya's personal space. "It's not a matter of skill; it's a matter of trust! If you don't fucking trust my ability to assess a situation, how am I supposed to trust yours?! The only thing that kept me from intervening earlier was trusting that assessment! How the hell can I now?!"
"Obviously I have a better understanding of what you are capable of now!" Byakuya snapped, standing his ground firmly despite the sway in his legs and forced himself not to return the challenge and step forward toward the redhead. "I reiterate: it. has. been. five. years. I trusted what I knew from before that time period and I need to reevaluate that after what I saw here, I understand that! Forgive me for not being able to completely and utterly read your ability simply from assessing the horrible shape you and your zanpakutou were in over the past few days!"
"... You're not even fucking listenin' ta me, are ya?" Renji snapped, angry beyond screaming on top of the splitting headache that had decided to show itself the moment the adrenaline wore off. "Why the hell am I even bothering?" He growled in frustration, "You just say something and expect it ta' be done - you can't even see the damn problem!" He spun around, fully intending to stalk back after the rest of the division, only to see the world tilt on its axis. Briefly, he recognized that the headache and dizziness, rather than being due to arguing with his captain, was in fact caused by a lack of blood. However, the moment the weakness in his muscles became that apparent, he had already crumpled into the dirt, rather nauseously attempting to catch his breath.
Anger immediately dissipating, the noble darted to Renji's side as quickly as propriety - and his own wounds - would allow. A quick glance over the redhead's body allowed Byakuya to see that his wounds were more serious than he previously thought, and the noble had thought them serious then. Cursing inwardly, the captain wished the division hadn't been sent back yet, so they could at least send for a healer. "Renji," Byakuya tried, slipping his arm underneath his lieutenant and carefully pulling him up, "you need the nearest healer now. Fourth Division's going to be too far."
Moving from standing, to the ground, to mostly standing with a headache and much less blood than he should have had was reeking havoc on Renji's internal axis, causing him to drape limply across the support Byakuya offered until his frame of reference stopped spinning. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, exhaling shakily as the nausea rose, but his vision, or lack there of, calmed his dizzy spell. So, he noted dryly, his wounds were pretty bad. That had been the original reason he'd been trying to relax and let the adrenaline leave his system - so he could accurately take stock - but, of course, he had to get into an argument instead. With effort, he dragged his mind back to the immediate issue at hand - Byakuya not knowing where the nearest healer was - and decided to work from there.
Slowly, he cracked an eye open, spotting one of the nearby houses... he could vaguely recall the road they had passed coming out here, but as to which end of the street... "What's th' number of that house?" he sighed, closing his eyes again to maintain focus.
Supporting the other man wasn't doing much good for his own wounds, but Byakuya managed to carefully tug the redhead up the rest of the way. He secured an arm firmly about Renji's waist as he glanced quickly to the number. "1399."
Rifling through directions in his head as fast as his headache would allow, Renji finally answered. "Southeast, 'bout 5 kilometers... hard ta' sense 'til yer on top 'a it, but you'll know when yer there. Everyone else should be too."
"...All right." With a deepening frown, Byakuya quickly ran his options through his head. Leaving Renji here while he went for help was out of the question, but he doubted his lieutenant could go that far on his own. Sighing, Byakuya decided Renji's pride would just have to suffer for once. As he shifted to keep his weight off of his bad side, the noble promptly turned Renji in his arms and without too much effort, tossed the redhead over his shoulder as gently as he could manage. "Do me a favor and don't complain," the captain dryly said before tightening his hold on Renji and gathering what was left of his strength to flash-step the necessary distance.
He wasn't blushing - ah hell who was he kidding? The intense amount of mortification would be radiating off him if his reiatsu wasn't at a low simmer already. It was the best he could do not to throw up, although, as far as he was concerned, Byakuya would have more than deserved being the recipient of such actions at this point. "Why the fuck-" he began just before the flash step and then quickly closed his eyes again, trying not to let the motion jar him too badly. "- I have any pride left is a goddamn mystery," he finished after a shaky breath. Really, having someone's shoulder through your lower regions wasn't the best state for trying to breathe.
"Would you rather I left you there?" Byakuya shot back mildly, trying to bite back anything else so he wouldn't rile the redhead too badly. His next step faltered and he almost stumbled, biting back a curse as he steadied himself. He went the last few meters at a fast, almost shunpo pace but not quite, as his body refused to allow any more strength toward that purpose. The sudden sensation of energy made the captain wince visibly in his weakness and he slowed, eyeing the house that the energy radiated from. "Here?" the noble questioned needlessly, but still wanting confirmation because he didn't trust his own ability to sense properly at the moment.
Renji's own reaction to the spirit energy was entirely different; relaxing the moment he felt the warm reiatsu. "Yeah, 's the place," he confirmed, and then tugged at his captain's haori. "Could ya' at least set me against th' wall?" he murmured tiredly, not having the energy to be upset with the other man any longer but also wanting to save whatever scrap of his pride was masochistic enough to stay around.
Not in the state of mind to argue, Byakuya carefully lifted the redhead from his shoulder as he stepped closer to the house and helped him lean against the wall. "Stay here," he said quietly before turning toward the door and knocking lightly, trying not to sway on his feet too noticeably.
There was a loud noise and a few voices calling out before the door finally opened to reveal a somewhat rumpled looking young woman in rather tight fitting t-shirt and similar pair of jeans. She blinked owlishly at him. "... Byakuya-san?" A moment later the rest of his state seemed to register and she stepped back from the door. "Come in-! Oh, that looks bad -" she turned towards the living room visible from the entranceway. "Chie-chan! You didn't say there were more! Can you make a bed quick?" Turning back to the rather bloodied captain standing on her front steps, she made as if to ask another question and then gasped suddenly and darted out past him. "Renji-kun!"
The red head managed a half smirk at her. "Oi, watcha lookin' so scared for, Inoue?"
Shaking her head, she quickly pulled one of Renji's arms over her shoulder. "I can barely sense you, that's why! You just went back a few days ago and Ayame was so tired afterwards I had to let her sleep the rest of the day," she admonished, trying her best to support Renji enough to at least drag him inside before some neighbors started wondering why she was hunched over and straining against an invisible force.
Instead of coming in right away, the noble turned his attention back to Renji, carefully hooking an arm back around his waist to steady him and take the majority of the weight from Orihime. "Don't worry about me; he needs more immediate attention than I," the captain managed quietly, albeit breathlessly as he helped the redhead into the house.
Renji would've rolled his eyes were it not for the dizzy spell he was still trying to avoid, and was interrupted before he could even really speak. "You both need immediate attention," Inoue answered, dragging the redhead and captain (by proxy) through the door. "What happened? Chie-chan thought you were heading back..." she asked worriedly, directing them down a short hallway to the living room.
It took considerable effort to bite back the yelp of pain that came from being literally dragged into the house. Byakuya gritted his teeth, breath coming out in a slow hiss as he fought to regain his composure and not heave out a very sharp, heavy breath as pain shot from his side to other parts of his body that were also injured. "We got sidetracked," he muttered through the pain, loosening his hold on Renji slightly to keep from digging his nails into the redhead and causing further injury.
"Sit down," Renji growled half-heartedly and pushed away a bit, moving with the vibrant woman supporting him over to a couch he was rather familiar with by now. Inoue tried to be gentle laying him down, but, as usual, was still too awkward with his weight and almost fell on top of the heavily injured shinigami. She squawked, pin wheeling before she caught herself on the back on the couch. Renji snickered; amused at how she could still be so surprised at an action that occurred so often it should have been avoidable by now. It was a faint laugh, though, and his eyes drifted shut soon after.
"Ayame, Shunou!" Orihime called out hurriedly, the two fairies zooming out of her hairclip. "Take care of him for me?"
"Of course!" Ayame chimed, smiling at the young woman before flitting into position with Shunou, quickly bringing a yellow shield into being over the battered shinigami. Orihime whirled back around to see where Byakuya had ended up, now more worried for the shinigami she couldn't immediately help and instinctively feeling out his reiatsu.
Despite the urge the noble had to keep an eye on Renji, he was prompted by both the redhead's snarl and a rather uncouth snap of Sit down and shut up, fool! from Senbonzakura to tumble back into the nearest seat. With his vision blurring from the movement, Byakuya couldn't keep back the sharp intake of breath and the shaky release of it, and he dimly thought that perhaps this was more serious than he previously expected. His reiatsu flickered madly, like a candle's flame caught in a vicious wind and threatening to go out any minute as his eyes slid shut on their own accord.
Quickly crossing to the other side of the room, Orihime sat down on the arm of the chair Byakuya was sitting in, more than worried now that she'd taken a good look at him. "I know it's hard, but if you could calm your reiatsu a bit... I'm not very good at this yet," she warned, laying her hand just over the large gash in Byakuya's side and concentrating hard to summon up a healing energy similar to fourth division's methods, though it spread warmly over the wound.
A faint nod was the only response he could manage as the captain clamped down his reiatsu, forcefully dragging it back in before it could rage any further out of control. Absently, Byakuya noted that for a human, Orihime seemed quite capable - at least, more than she claimed herself to be - and made another note to express at least a bit of gratitude over this later. Especially, he thought drowsily, since the pain already faded slightly when she began her healing.
Slowly, the torn 'flesh' knitted itself together, the warm energy spreading out from the newly pristine skin, calming screaming nerves as it continued to search for areas. Orihime's brow creased from the amount of concentration this method of healing took. "You can... relax it now..." she murmured distractedly once the worst was either taken care of or patched up enough.
Gradually, Byakuya did relax, trusting his body not to collapse from pain with the motion now. His reiatsu calmed as well, still shaky but most certainly not the quaver that it had been moments before. "...Thank you," he managed in a barely audible murmur, cracking open his eyes and sliding them in Renji's direction. At least his spirit energy seemed a bit steadier now, as well.
Catching a few of the smaller cuts, such as the one above Byakuya's eye, before letting the energy dissipate, Orihime stood up slowly, trying to catch her balance. It always messed up her frame of reference to heal like that. "That's the best I can do without Ayame and Shunou," she offered, glancing over Byakuya once more before following his gaze back to the redhead. "You don't have to worry, though, they'll take care of him," she added with a reassuring smile. "You should eat something, Byakuya-san... you'd need to get into a gigai, though..." Frowning slightly, she turned towards another hallway. "I think I still have one in the closet - that's wear Renji-kun likes to keep them, you know, no matter how many times I try to tell him that keeping bodies in my closets frightens the neighbors. One time, the police even came over..." her voice became muffled for a few moments as she disappeared down the hallway, reappearing a minute later, dragging a gigai with her, "-but Ishida-kun just gave him a dress and everything worked out!" she finished, smiling again as she offered the human shaped contraption to the captain.
Deciding even attempting a reply to that was out of the question, the captain stood somewhat stiffly and gingerly took the gigai with an absent nod of thanks to the girl. For the sake of being polite, Byakuya did manage a small reply after slipping into the gigai. "I am not hungry, Orihime-san," he stated softly, still-cloudy grey eyes giving Renji a worried sideways glance, "but some tea would be appreciated."
"Don't be like that," Orihime huffed lightly, "You can stay and watch over him if you want, but you need to eat. You lost a lot of blood, your energy's low and it’s the only way I have available to help with that."
Byakuya blinked, snapping his gaze quickly away from Renji. A bit irritated with himself that he had been caught staring and frankly, unused to anyone outside of Renji bothering to argue with him, let alone be this... informal, he couldn't help but be unsettled. "...All right," he reluctantly agreed, trying to decide how incriminating it would be if he did stay in the room with his lieutenant.
"I'll go make something then," Orihime began, glanced over at Renji and then frowned lightly. "Will you keep an eye on him, Byakuya-san? I'm sure Ayame and Shunou can handle everything, but if not I'll need to help directly."
"I will," the noble responded after a moment's pause, carefully guarding his reactions as to not seem too eager. Thankful that he was not nearly as stiff and sore in this gigai as he had been previously, Byakuya sunk back into the chair, his eyes lingering on Renji's form.
Sometime later, Orihime returned from the kitchen with two large bowls on a tray and set it on the table. "Here we go! I was hungry too, so I made enough for both of us -" she glanced around the room, blinking lightly. "Did Chie-chan come down while I was cooking?" It looked like nothing had moved in the at least twenty minutes it had taken her to get the food together.
Byakuya jumped slightly as she entered the room and quickly slid his fingertips away from the top of Renji's hand. Not looking at Orihime, he settled back a bit more comfortably into the chair. "No." The noble said nothing after the monotone reply, and tried to ignore the insistent hunger that had been bothering him since he had been healed thanks to a rather abysmally low reiatsu.
Frowning lightly, Inoue stood up and went over to check on Renji, touching the shield lightly. "... He'll be fine," she announced with a somewhat relieved sigh, stepping back. "Go ahead and eat, I'm going to find Chie-chan."
Biting down on his own relief, the noble gave a small nod and decided he might as well eat, at least to make himself feel slightly better. Taking a bowl and a pair of chopsticks, the older man settled back to eat, too distracted by other thoughts to really give much notice to the food. It would help his energy level, and for that, he was thankful; otherwise, this situation was far too awkward for him and he, honestly, wished he had enough energy to rip a portal open right here so he could head back and drag Renji with him. The living world was not something he generally appreciated.
Orihime was only gone a few short minutes before coming back down the staircase and into the living room. "Looks like it's just you and me for the night, Byakuya-san." She smiled lightly and sat down at the foot of the low table, grabbing her own bowl. "Chie-chan managed to get your room together before she fell asleep, though, so when the Ayame and Shunou are done, and they take a look at you we can move you both upstairs." Taking a sip of her tea, she seemed to space out for a full minute before continuing as if it had only been a short pause, "Ah, I'll go ask Kurosaki-san for a spare gigai! It'll be a few days before you can go home, and that's the last one I have so I'll have to." That decided, she began eating the thickly spiced ramen, clearly enjoying the heavy flavor.
Allow me to repress my joy Byakuya thought dryly, heaving a quiet sigh and biting back a wince as Orihime mentioned it would just be the two of them. He was quite thankful, really, that she had done so much and was going out of her way to help, but... he simply was not used to situations like this, let alone her, and it was all he could do not to leave the room and lock himself away elsewhere, anywhere that he could be alone. His thoughts were roughly interrupted by the last remark made and the noble could not help but blink at her, surprised. "A few days?" he repeated, not bothering to hide his displeasure.
She blinked back at him, over chopsticks and then swallowed. "Yes, of course. None of you have enough energy and there's no one else around that can get you there... well unless you want to ask Urahara-san," she offered.
Still obviously not pleased, the noble gave a resigned nod before turning back to his meal. He muttered a soft "I'll pass, but thank you" in regards to Urahara before falling silent again.
"I didn't think so," she laughed, "no one ever wants to ask him. I'm surprised no one else stayed, though! Everyone else just reported in and went back... you both took out that entire group, didn't you?" With a sigh, Inoue glanced over at Renji again, keeping an eye on him now that she was in the room. "You were almost as bad as him, you know... I'm surprised you made it back in that condition."
Orihime's chatter was starting to grate on his nerves, but Byakuya managed to ignore it, for the most part. At least Renji had conditioned him in that sense. "If I had not made it back, he would not have," he responded carefully, sitting his bowl aside. "...And thank you for the meal, Inoue-san."
"You're welcome." Despite being more or less oblivious to the noble's acute social discomfort, Orihime did manage to pick up on his overall demeanor and decided to not attempt further small talk. Renji had mentioned that Byakuya liked quiet places, now that she thought about it. There was just something about him that made her want to drag him out into the sunlight and make him smile, though, and it clashed horribly with trying to make the man comfortable. "I'm glad you made it, then," she answered finally, meaning it fully. Seeing the redhead in that state was frightening even after all the times she'd healed him before. Exhaling lightly, she stood and began gathering the plates back on to the tray.
Another slight nod was the captain's response before he sunk back into the chair as far as etiquette would allow - and, as far as he trusted himself to relax without dozing off out of sheer exhaustion. Byakuya absolutely refused his mind and body the right to rest until he saw Renji would be completely fine. Honestly, though, he hoped that wouldn't take too long, as he had to continually blink to keep his eyes open against the pull of weariness.
The soft flutter of tiny wings announced the movement of the fairy-like creatures, along with the light in the room dimming as the shield dropped. The blond one, apparently a female... though of what race was anyone's guess, appeared not a foot from the noble's face, peering at him thoughtfully. "Ayame and I can heal the rest if you hold still," she offered in a strange, electric sounding voice.
Byakuya closed his eyes just for a moment, catching perhaps half a minute of sleep before he slowly cracked one eye and sat up with a jolt. He blinked several times, trying to maintain some dignity despite being woken by this... thing of Inoue's. "... All... right..." the noble responded hesitantly, giving the fairy-like creature a wary glance before focusing past them to Renji now that the shield had dropped away.
"We returned him already, Byakuya-san," the second creature added, fluttering up to get into the noble's line of sight. This one seemed to have a strange red hood that extended down to its feet and became... wings? "We'll have you back to a good state in no time," she added with a smile. Both disappeared from view afterwards, the blonde diving down as the other swooped up. Seconds later, a warmly colored shield shimmered into existence over him, a gentle, stirring sensation washing over him.
The unexpected appearance of the second thing in his vision made the noble all but bolt backwards, his nerves shot enough as is and these little fairy-things of Inoue's not helping in the slightest. Settling back with a faint sigh, Byakuya tried his best not to argue and simply let them do as they would. Surprisingly, it did seem to help, so he couldn't think of a reason to complain outside of the fact he had no idea what they were and that was enough to disconcert him.
Returning from her self appointed task of cleaning the dishes, Inoue smiled upon seeing that Shunou and Ayame had moved on to the captain. She was very lucky to have such helpful sprites, she thought to herself and went over to see exactly what condition they'd left Renji in. The last two years had been particularly strenuous on the red haired shinigami and the teams sent out with him - it had been no decision at all to help them out in any way she could. Even seeing as much of the battle as she had, it was still hard watching him come back again and again... sometimes not even with the whole team he'd left with. She knew he hated to lose anyone - it only led to more dangerous and proliferous wounds gained from protecting them again and again. She understood... in a way, she was the same, but staying back and waiting was almost harder that being in the field and watching.
"Come on... wake up..." she whispered, pushing a stray flock of hair from his face. She knew he wouldn't, of course, it always took him a while afterwards to wake up, but this time she wouldn't have the luxury of waiting for him. Standing, Inoue extended her hand towards the shield surrounding the noble, sensing the completion of his healing before it had truly ended. "Shunou, Ayame, that's enough, thank you." The two fairy-like creatures held the shield a moment longer before dismissing it and swirling over to Orihime, turning to energy and landing in her hair once more. "I'm going to get a gigai from Kurosaki-san, do you want to come?" She offered, smiling lightly.
Shaking off the sensation of the shield with a quiet shiver, the noble lifted eyes that were a bit clearer than their previous blurred grey. The extra healing had helped quite a bit and he murmured an absent "thank you" to the... things before they dissipated. Despite feeling quite a bit better, Byakuya still had a difficult time simply dealing with the girl. "I -" the captain hesitated, looking increasingly uncomfortable as he had a much more difficult time hiding it now that Renji was going to be fine and that worry was somewhat lifted from his mind. "...If it is all right, Inoue-san," he managed, "I would like to stay here." Kurosaki was, honestly, the last person he wanted to see today.
"Of course," she turned to leave, but then, having second thoughts, she half turned back. "You should be safe... but if something happens, please, go to the middle of the house - the shield's strongest there." With a light smile and a wave, she walked out, pausing at the doorway to put on shoes before leaving entirely.
Another nod signified a response as he waited for Orihime to leave. Once she was out of the door, the noble immediately stood from his seat and moved to the available space on the couch, managing to find a seat and fit on the edge near Renji's hip. Still-concerned eyes looked the redhead over, satisfied that the healing had been done well before Byakuya reached out a slender hand and traced it across the other man's cheek. His energy was only a low thrum still, but he allowed that to settle over Renji, hoping that it would coax the redhead to waking at least a bit sooner.
The dulling, warm sensation muddling his senses pealed away slowly at the gentle touch of a more intimately known reiatsu. Sluggishly, the redhead fought his way to consciousness, instinctively seeking to know and respond to the energy slowly pushing back the remnants of power that remained inside his healed form. It was a good few minutes before auburn eyes managed to slide open. Renji's right hand curled slightly, tugging at the new outfit his captain wore, a bit of mirth showing when it registered.
"Stuck here, 'eh?" He managed tiredly.
"Hello to you, too," Byakuya returned with just as much weariness, along with a heavy sigh of relief that he did not bother to bite back. He also didn't bother to keep back the low admonishment of, "Thank the gods you're awake, I was going to hang myself if you weren't soon -" Reaching down, the noble caught Renji's hand and slid his own around it, gripping gently. "Do you think you can get up with my help? Apparently there's a room prepared for us and I'd much prefer that to down here." Not caring if his words were a bit rapid-fire, Byakuya simply wanted to get out of view as quickly as possible and into a room with a bit of privacy.
Testing his muscle strength, Renji slowly gripped the offered hand and eventually pulled himself into a sitting position. After a moment, he nodded. "Yeah... 'm tired but everything works." Tired was an understatement; he was fucking exhausted, which really should have been apparent if Byakuya was at all listening to him, but the noble seemed rather... perturbed by something. The redhead frowned slightly and nudges the other man so he could swing his legs over the side of the couch. "And hanging yerself's a bit drastic, don't ya' think?" He commented.
The noble noted the other man's exhaustion, but really couldn't get past how far his own feathers had been ruffled for the evening. Honestly. That girl and her faerie things were enough to give him a headache despite all the healing they had supplied. Chatter and general activity was not something he appreciated on top of being in the living world. Standing once he was satisfied Renji was well enough to be sitting up, Byakuya gave a soft snort and readied himself to steady the redhead if need be. "No," was his reply, without any explanation given otherwise.
Arching an eyebrow, Renji carefully moved to his feet, laying a hand on Byakuya's arm just in case, but managing to stand on his own. "I'd prefer it if you didn't," he answered finally, and carefully began to walk towards the stairs.
Following close at Renji's side just to make sure, Byakuya let out a sigh. "For your sake, then, I won't - but the sooner we return home, the better."
"I appreciate the sacrifice, Taichou," the redhead answered dryly, quickly grabbing on to the railing as a means of support. He eyed the noble askance, this time taking in more of the man's rather frazzled demeanor. Orihime could be energetic at times, but she wasn't that annoying, he thought with a frown. "You really don' like it here, do ya?" He asked, mostly sure but wanting confirmation.
Heaving another sigh, the noble almost immediately confirmed Renji's question. "I hate the living world." His hand absently slid to Renji's lower back, both seeking to steady him and find at least a bit of comfort through physical contact.
Recognizing the gesture for what it was, the redhead draped an arm across Byakuya's shoulders; not really leaning on the man but making it appear so. Since the man wasn't a rigid block of ice, he assumed there wasn't anyone else in the immediate vicinity, but chose to be careful just in case - it was Inoue's house after all. "Why?"
The addition of Renji's arm made the older man feel a bit more at ease, and he would have been the one leaning into Renji were they not still in the open. "...I just prefer Seireitei," Byakuya answered vaguely. After a moment, he managed to add - as politely as he could - another comment, "The people I've met from here... are not the easiest to deal with. And are too numerous, aside from that. I doubt I could ever find any peace or quiet around this house for very long."
"Che-" Renji scoffed, unable to keep back the obvious rebuttal and too tired to care. "You just don't know how ta' 'deal with 'em' because they don't give a damn bout your family or position. Give 'em a chance, for once. Just because they aren't part a' yer little circle doesn't mean they aren't good people - 'fact it usually means they're better," he defended, feeling a bit put down from the other man's comment.
"I am not saying they aren't good people," the noble replied, trying to keep back his own irritable mood and becoming a little defensive himself. "In fact, I am very grateful to them, especially Inoue-san, for all that they have done. That doesn't mean I have any easier time dealing with them." After a small pause, Byakuya added bitterly, "And I have no doubt that they are better than my family or my ‘circle’, as you choose to call it. I am not that close-minded, Renji."
The redhead sighed and glanced to the side. It seemed like lately everything was an argument between them. Things hadn't been this bad even back when they'd first started a relationship. Torn between the urge to mend things and the instinct to oppose, he remained silent. Not saying anything wouldn't fix anything between them, but it also wouldn't make it any worse, which seemed to be the only thing he was capable of doing at this point.
Averting his own eyes, the older man settled back into his usual brooding countenance, falling silent for the sake of not arguing until they reached the top of the stairs. Automatically, he slid his arm a bit more securely about the redhead's waist, helping him up the last step once the railing wasn't there to support Renji any longer. Turning a corner hid them from view - at least, from anyone that was downstairs - and compulsively, Byakuya slid closer to Renji, half-leaning, half-burying his face into the other man's shoulder.
A surprised noise slipped from Renji's lips before he could stop it, the action drawing his startled attention immediately. He blinked slightly, completely shocked that Byakuya was so off kilter as to chance such a dramatic change in dynamic between them when they weren't technically 'safe' yet. Sighing lightly, he wrapped his arms around the noble, supporting them more by will then any real strength. It was hard to stay upset with him when the man acted like this, Renji wryly noted.
A quiet sigh escaped Byakuya and he resisted the urge to shut his eyes for fear of falling asleep on his feet. The thought occurred to him that apologizing for - well - everything he had said in the past few hours would be the appropriate action to take now, but he could barely muster the energy to stay standing, let alone speak. He just felt drained, mentally and physically, and though he considered himself the better off of the two shinigami at the moment, he couldn't bring himself to pull away and help Renji down the hall. It was too easy to lose himself, at least temporarily, in the other man's warmth.
"We should get ta' bed," Renji suggested quietly, not wanting to break the silence, but also knowing he wouldn't be able to stand much longer. "She usually puts me in th' next room over... 's not far," he added just as softly, rubbing Byakuya's back slightly.
Nodding slightly, the noble withdrew from Renji's arms enough that they could both walk. He reached the bedroom before Renji and opened up the door, holding it open for the redhead as he leaned back against it with a tired sigh.
"The next time I'm this tired," Renji muttered as he dragged himself into room, "I expect ta' be naked or drunk." That stated, he collapsed on to the bed with a muffled thud and resolved not to move under his own will for at least 12 hours.
Shutting the door, Byakuya couldn't help but mutter an agreement. Considering his weariness, it took a bit of effort to tug off the shirt he had inherited from the gigai before flopping rather ungracefully onto the bed next to Renji and all but curling up around him. He buried his face into the redhead's shoulder and abandoned thinking completely as he almost immediately began to doze off.
~~~
omake
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Kira: 16:11:55
(Rofl... Renji's totally just like "...wtf is up your ass and why isn't it attached to me?" >>; )
Gali: 16:12:10
(rofl XDD)
Gali: 16:13:04
(and byakuya's got his mantra of "i hate chatty women, i hate spastic faerie things, i hate dealing with normal people because i suck at it, and i COMPLETELY HATE this place. REPEAT.")
Kira: 16:13:22
(*so frickin' amused* )
Kira: 16:14:11
(The next time those "spastic fairie things" come out, Sen-chan is so popping out to investigate. XP;; )
Gali: 16:14:56
(lmao that'd be so funny! and watch them dote on him like "AAAH OMG PRETTY!! *tangle themselves deliberately in his hair* XDD!!" and byakuya will just be like ".__. my own zanpakutou is against me.")
Kira: 16:15:24
(And Sen-chan would be all "what?" *bambi eyes* )
Kira: 16:15:40
(And Renji would just be cracking up in a corner)
Gali: 16:15:54
(and byakuya would seriously consider hanging himself with his own scarf XD)
Gali: 16:16:03
(Or at least blindfolding sen-chan with it)
Kira: 16:16:16
( ... *bad BDSM thoughts* >>;; )