Title: Three Parts Dead
Chapter: Ripples
Rating: NC-17 | MA
Pairing/Character/s: Byakuya x Senbonzakura, Byakuya + Renji, Ichigo, Rukia, Inoue, Zabimaru
Word Count: 12,518
Warning/s: Spoilers. Angst. Man Sex.
Summary: Senbonzakura is healed, but the strain on Byakuya is more than anticipated.
A/N: Concubine.
"Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."
- Scott Adams
Byakuya, it seemed, was far more calm - and stable, for that matter - once he'd reached the perfect combination of relaxing activities, sleep, and cleanliness. While the first two appeared to be things he often swapped out of his life, the last was a must. The noble was far too grouchy when dirty - even if it was well earned. Renji supposed it was another in a long list of things they simply saw differently. Even though the redhead couldn't fathom his lover's obsession with remaining clean and fresh, he could relate to the soothing feeling one gained from a long time spent in warm water, especially, he thought with amusement as watched Byakuya finish buttoning up the new shirt they'd found, when said time was spent with another.
It was rather nice, at any rate, to know he could always fall back on something as simple as a bath (or shower, since it'd been rather entertaining seeing the noble's reaction to ice cold water blasting him sharply from a slightly wrong turn of a not so intuitive knob) could so easily re-center the man. "You ready or ya' gonna need another half hour with your hair?" Renji teased with a smirk, rolling up a sleeve of his own dress shirt, this one black like the uniform he was more used to wearing.
A mildly irritated glance was shot in Renji's direction at that comment as the noble closed the last button on his shirt. "I don't take that long," he murmured, raking still-damp strands of ebony back from his face. "Just let me comb it out, and I'll be ready..." Really, he was a bit anxious to get downstairs and check on Senbonzakura (and make sure Orihime hadn't talked an ear off yet), but that was the only worry he possessed at the moment. His nap had done wonders on his mental state, as had the shower, and he felt more relaxed than he had in weeks, despite the fact they were still in the living world.
Waving his hand dismissively, Renji nodded and turned to grab his own hair tie, opting not to fuss with putting it up and simply bind it at the nape of his neck. "Whatever you say..."
With a slight huff of breath, the noble picked up the comb and brushed out his hair, not bothering to put it up. He tucked a few strands behind his ears as he glanced back to Renji. "See? Not a half hour."
Renji grinned and stepped closer to deliver a quick kiss to Byakuya's cheek. "Maybe not, but it's a lot harder not ta jump ya with yer hair down like that." He winked and moved away again, opening the door. "Anyway, it's about time we rescued yer zanpakutou."
"Perhaps it will teach you some self-control, then," Byakuya said with faint amusement as he stepped to follow the redhead. He nodded slightly in regards to 'rescuing' Senbonzakura. "I hope letting him stay out for this long wasn't a mistake..."
"Ah, he probably needed ta' stretch a bit, ya know?" the redhead offered casually as he left the room and continued on down the hall. "Inoue seemed ta like him," he added with a faint smirk, imagining all that meant.
"So did the Shun Shun Rikka," the older man remarked dryly, following at Renji's side. "I don't think Senbonzakura knew what to do with himself… When fairies start tangling themselves into your hair and calling you 'pretty' and 'frilly', I suppose the situation does become a bit awkward."
Renji laughed at the comment, auburn eyes sliding to the profile of the man beside him and sparkling in amusement. "Yeah... can't say I've ever been called either, but Tsubaki's definitely got a mouth on 'im." He turned then, heading down the stairs.
"He wasn't the only one," Byakuya pointed out, amused as well as he went down the stairs after the other man. As they neared the bottom, he could hear Orihime's voice and laughter coming from the other room, as well as Senbonzakura's own calm tones. Visibly relieved that his zanpakutou was still relatively well, the noble's mind was put at ease and he relaxed a fraction.
Auburn eyes rolled at Byakuya's assessment of his vocabulary, but the redhead refrained from commenting. He brushed his hand along Byakuya's in a reassuring gesture and then stepped past, walking into the living room first.
"Here, here, try this one-" Orihime paused halfway through changing a CD and looked up at the newcomers. "Oh! You're up!" she beamed, taking the headset back from Senbonzakura who'd had one half pressed to his left ear. "Good timing; you missed lunch but I sent Chie in for a snack before dinner."
A calm, sanguine gaze landed on Byakuya, followed by a soft smile as the sword spirit rose gracefully from one of the floor cushions they were seated on. "Kuchiki-sama, Abarai," he greeted, bowing formally.
Once in the room, Byakuya gave Orihime a small, but still-visible smile as he acknowledged her presence. His eyes then slid to his zanpakutou, appraising his condition. "Senbonzakura," the noble returned with a slight nod of his head, his gaze turning more affectionate once he was sure the spirit was well. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked, clearly amused.
A faint blush dusted Senbonzakura's already pale complexion despite his efforts to hide it. "... Inoue has been a very pleasant hostess," he answered diplomatically, raising his eyes to meet Byakuya's once formalities were done. Quietly, he moved to the noble's side, and added low enough that only his charge could hear, "It is good to see you well again, Kuchiki-sama."
"I hope ya haven't traumatized 'im with that stuff you call music," Renji half questioned, slipping an askance gaze at Inoue.
The girl laughed lightly and shook her head. "Not everyone has your taste in music, you know," she returned with marked amusement.
A gentle hand brushed across the back of Senbonzakura's in a subtle caress, fingertips lightly resting against the spirit's arm. "I am sorry if you suffered when I was not in the best of minds," Byakuya murmured beneath his breath. After a brief pause, he added quietly, "Your energy still feels weak... Inoue-san?" The noble raised his voice from its low murmur as he requested her attention, interjecting in the conversation she was having with Renji. "If you are still up for healing him, I would appreciate it..."
"Of course, Byakuya-san!" Orihime chirped, leaning over to put away the CD player and associated things. "Sen-chan's been telling me all about zanpakutou - I think it's really possible to do," she offered over her shoulder.
At the sound of the affectionate term, Senbonzakura went nearly scarlet and turned away, using his hair as a veritable shield, completely at a loss of how to react to such a moniker. He could already feel Renji's decidedly surprised gaze, and didn't dare glance at his shinigami.
Byakuya blinked slightly at the address, and then slowly smirked as he watched Senbonzakura's reaction. "Ah. That's encouraging." His eyes followed his zanpakutou, the hand resting on the slender arm tightening gently and pulling him back, his tone deliberately teasing, "I am glad you took the time to educate her... Sen-chan."
With great effort, Senbonzakura managed to gather the remaining scraps of his dignity and use it to straighten and nod lightly, continuing to fight down the blush that sought to take him over. "She is a good study," he answered softly, his gaze slipping from Byakuya to Renji, somewhat pleased to see that despite the obvious sparkle of amusement in auburn eyes, there was nothing else in the man's expression. Perhaps things weren't quite so bad.
Orihime continued picking up everything, oblivious to the reaction her innocent statement had caused. "Your knowledge and understanding could've taught anyone," she returned, finally setting everything back where it had originally come from. "Now then. We can stay in here if you want, or go down the hall to one of the guest bedrooms," she offered.
Amusement still flickering across his expression, the noble gave a slight shrug toward Orihime. "We can just stay in here." His thumb absently brushed Senbonzakura's wrist as a blue gaze focused on him once more. "Unless you would prefer otherwise?" Really, for all of this, Orihime deserved more than just gratitude.
There was far too much attention focused on him, or at least far more than he was used to having, Sen mused absently. Part of his mind was still detached enough to assess his own situation even if the rest of him was overwhelmed by it. "Here is fine," he murmured lightly, feeling a sense of calm he could not determine the source of settle his underused emotions. In that moment he felt something of a hypocrite for having chastised Byakuya - for the man's own good - about suppressing his emotions and not being able to indentify or face some of them. Even if he could do the later, he realized now that in the former he may have been the larger perpetrator.
"You can have the sofa then... Sitting or lying down - whichever's more comfortable," Inoue suggested, gesturing to the furniture in question. "This will probably take a while since I've never done it before," she added.
Nodding again, Senbonzakura moved to the couch and gracefully reclined against it. He glanced at Byakuya, the calm he couldn't place still layering his movements and reactions, yet not dulling to the extent that he wouldn't prefer to have his charge beside him. Catching the spirit's eyes, the noble moved to follow him, taking a seat with similar grace near his zanpakutou's side. A blatantly protective arm slid about Senbonzakura's lithe form, coaxing him to relax against his side and get comfortable.
"Renji - I'm going to stay with him."
"You say that like I'm going somewhere," Renji returned, locking eyes first with Byakuya and then with Senbonzakura. "Inoue - I'm going to help Chie get the usual things for you," he informed her, turning from the group. "I don't mind if ya start without me, but I'll be here for th' rest," he added before disappearing into the hallway.
Orihime smiled a bit, both at Byakuya's obvious protectiveness and then at Renji's words. "Thank you, Renji-kun~" As she turned from him, Shun'ou and Ayame came zipping out of her hairpins, hovering in front of the two on the couch.
Senbonzakura allowed a small smile as he took the offered comfort of Byakuya's side, adjusting so he was comfortable. "I leave it to you," he stated quietly to the two fairies in front of him.
With a nod from Ayame and Shun'ou, Orihime sat down on the table in front of the couch and extended her arms forward. "Souten Kisshun." With the softly spoken phrase, the fairies parted, one high and one low to form a shield around shinigami and sword alike. The now familiar curl of warm energy instantly began to creep around the two, soothing them into a state inactive enough to begin the process.
Slender fingers gently splayed against the spirit's left side as his arm curled around his lower back, threading through the layers of silky white that was Senbonzakura's hair. Byakuya sighed softly as warmth drew him into a lull, his eyes lidding. In the back of his mind, he was surprised that it did not take more for his energy to be settled back so easily, and the idea was almost worrisome. Renji had been rightfully concerned, no doubt, when pointing out the jagged nature of his reiatsu earlier, but he decided that was a worry for another time.
A soft sigh escaped the sword spirit as he carefully yielded control of his reiatsu, his very self, over to the young woman sitting across from them. Her gentle power enfolded the energy with care, laying it out across the slightly sharp edges of the shinigami's reiatsu and worrying the line between the two until they blurred together. Sanguine eyes lidded, gaze focused on Inoue as the zanpakutou's consciousness slowly slipped away.
"Go on... I've got you," Orihime whispered soothingly, all but cradling both spirits in her strange magic until they had fully adjusted.
The care that Orihime executed all of this with was enough to calm Byakuya completely, despite his initial focus elsewhere. He sighed slowly, turning his head to rest it against Senbonzakura's shoulder, the light contact soothing him further into letting Orihime manipulate his reiatsu as needed.
Slowly, the haze that had settled around his mind and energy began to fade, as if it were a fog being blown away by a cooling wind. The noble shifted as he stirred, cracking an eye slowly and becoming increasingly aware of the almost... numb sensation that settled over his reiatsu. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but it was fairly obvious that his reiatsu had been strained, and thus now settled into a slow ache that he knew would not be easily ignored for long. Instinctively, he felt for Senbonzakura's own spiritual energy, and was satisfied as he could feel a steady, considerably stronger thrum. Whatever Orihime had done, she had done well; Byakuya had been honestly concerned about Senbonzakura's condition and now was happy to see him recovering at a faster pace. Blue eyes slid shut again as Byakuya inwardly prompted himself not to move and to simply relax while he could. His cheek was still pressed against the sword's shoulder and he shifted again, enough to nuzzle against the slim arc.
"Rest a moment longer, Kuchiki-sama," Senbonzakura's steady voice gently warned as the sword spirit carefully unwove their reiatsu, making sure to leave everything he could with the shinigami. He knew the entire process had been straining - red eyes shifted to where Renji carefully supported the young woman responsible for all this, watching as the two remaining shinigami went through obviously remembered motions of care to make her rest. It was odd, but the zanpakutou could relate to her state right now; being both completely tired and yet still burning energy as fast as one could. Knowing her state eased his mind and allowed him to keep most of his attention on his charge.
He gently brushed back some of Byakuya's long black hair, facial expression both caring and strong, flush with his energies as he should have been for days. "Be careful of moving... your reiatsu is extremely low, Kuchiki-sama."
No wonder everything is numb, the noble wanted to comment, but couldn't summon the strength to speak. Deciding that was for the best, he stayed where he was, leaning against Senbonzakura's side as he allowed his weakness to control him for the moment. 'Not entirely unpleasant' turned from numbness to a dull, throbbing ache that shot through his body and Byakuya bit back an unhappy sound and turned his face into his zanpakutou's shoulder further. The most disconcerting part of this was that he could only feel Senbonzakura's energy, not Renji's or Orihime's or anyone else's, and it made him feel almost blind.
"I apologize," the sword spirit whispered, physically pulling the noble closer. "It took more energy to maintain my manifestation than we first thought... If you can wait until your reiatsu fully releases me and settles, I will return some energy to you." The promise made, Senbonzakura cast his gaze across the room again, catching auburn eyes and holding them briefly. I will take care of him.
Renji turned away, carefully laying a cold compress to Inoue's forehead, talking quietly to both her and Chie. The action itself relieved Senbonzakura, knowing that somehow he'd managed to gain the man's trust.
Managing a small nod - then regretting it as a shock of pain gripped him - the noble simply waited, wilting into the spirit's arms and staying there. He could, at least, hear Renji's voice, and felt a bit more at ease knowing he was in the room.
Minutes passed slowly in the near silence of the room. Energy flowed about at first ragged, and then dulled and soothed by the gentle caress of ancient reiatsu. When finally the noble released him fully, Senbonzakura carefully coated the jagged edges of the shinigami's energy with the soothingly thick layers of his own, no longer merging the two, but fully transforming one to another. Lightly brushing another tendril of power across the limp form of his charge so as to, as painlessly as he could manage, merge the body and spirit into a healthier connection.
Despite Senbonzakura's attempts to keep his actions painless, the noble's breath hitched harshly as waves of discomfort washed over him, a quiet groan barely bit back. Resisting the urge to move further into the spirit's arms, Byakuya opted for staying still, breathing shallowly as he allowed his reiatsu the time to settle and be gradually soothed by the zanpakutou's careful ministrations. It was extremely irritating to be this weak, but at least Senbonzakura's strength had returned, which had worried him more than his own weakness.
"Focus upon yourself, Kuchiki-sama," the sword spirit chided softly as it ran calming hands over the man to soothe his pained muscles. "It is far easier for me to recover my energy than you." He added more energy to the part transforming to Byakuya's own, rebuilding what little of the man's reiatsu he could.
Knowing the spirit was right, the shinigami let out a slow sigh, eyelashes fluttering as his eyes opened and blinked to clear blurry vision. The added energy almost immediately made a difference, soothing some of the throbbing pain that swept through his system. Senbonzakura's cool touch helped as well, keeping him calm as he carefully shifted against the spirit, nestling closer and steadying his breathing once again. "Is Inoue all right?" he managed in a low murmur, voice slightly hoarse. "I can't sense her."
"She is well," the zanpakutou calmly assured. "It has been many hours since we began; she is tired and seems to have a headache, but is otherwise fine... Would you like some tea, Kuchiki-sama?" he asked quietly, noting the quality of the noble's voice. He continued on with the rebuilding and gentle soothing, determined to bring Byakuya back to some semblance of health now that he could.
Relieved that Inoue was well, the noble relaxed a fraction more against the zanpakutou's form. "Not if you have to move to get it," he answered softly, finally finding some semblance of comfort and not at all interested in moving.
Senbonzakura gave a slight shake of his head and extended a curl of energy over to the redhead lightly teasing the young woman who'd healed him. Renji turned to face him a second later, a somewhat curious expression on his face. The zanpakutou nodded subtly to the tray of tea set on the table, to which the shinigami smirked and returned the nod, waving his hand dismissively before the sword could respond.
Renji turned back, speaking lowly to Chie as he filled a cup of tea from the pot on the table, and then smiled at her, handing Orihime over to her care. He walked the short distance to his captain, taking a seat on the table as he held the cup out. "Tea, Taichou?" he whispered, minding his voice in the small room.
Heavy eyelids opened a bit more, a tiny smile acknowledging Renji before Byakuya forced himself to sit up slightly and raise a shaky hand to take the cup from the other man. "Thank you," he murmured, voice cracking faintly before he gave up on talking and took a sip of tea.
Senbonzakura adjusted accordingly, moving subtly to maintain the support he'd been giving and continue the physical contact for comfort as well as maintaining a better connection with his shinigami charge. He raised a carmine gaze to Renji, somewhat surprised to find an easy smile on the man's lips, even if his eyes reflected worry.
"How're ya both holdin' up?" he asked quietly, auburn gaze straying to Byakuya first.
Thankful for the support, Byakuya relaxed back against Senbonzakura's side and basked in the comfort and the calm that slowly enveloped his reiatsu. Taking another slow drink from his cup, the noble lifted his eyes toward Renji. "I will be fine," he reassured him, catching his eyes with subtle affection. "I just did not expect to be so drained and did not handle it as well as I could have."
The redhead nodded vaguely, turning to look at Senbonzakura for his answer. For his part, the sword spirit seemed surprised the question extended to him, but kept his face calm. "Inoue-san performed wonderfully," he answered quietly.
Renji exhaled into what was almost a sigh, shaking his head lightly and turning back to his captain. "Your reiatsu feels better," he murmured just loud enough for Byakuya to hear.
"Well enough," Byakuya returned just as quietly, and then shifted slightly, leaning a bit more into his zanpakutou's side and gesturing to the empty spot on the couch. "Take a seat and rest for a moment." Of course, the gesture was not only for Renji's benefit, but for his own. Renji's warmth combined with Senbonzakura's care would be more than enough to soothe any raw edges from his reiatsu.
With a light smile Renji easily slid next to the noble, subtly slipping his reiatsu against Byakuya's, which Senbonzakura carefully enveloped with his own. "How's the tea?" he asked softly, gaze across the room but not really watching.
The noble all but purred, curling up between them quite comfortably, his own reiatsu weakly coiling around their own and basking in the warmth and gentleness. "Good," he answered, taking another sip before leaning his head against Renji's shoulder, "if not a little cold."
The movement of Byakuya's reiatsu against Renji's made another presence stir, brushing none-too-subtly against the back of Renji's mind. There was no weakness there, but the reiatsu was still fairly ragged, if not almost tangled around itself. Rather than actually conversing with the presence, Renji sent a curl of curiosity in return, and glanced rather bemusedly at Senbonzakura to emphasize the question. Physically, he adjusted slightly to let Byakuya more comfortably rest against him. A slight wave of jealous irritation fluttered back, especially at the glance Renji gave toward Senbonzakura. Why should he be the only one healed? He was just as bad off! Tugging slightly on the redhead's energy, the spirit sought permission to manifest and hopefully receive some treatment.
"Che - might as well," Renji muttered with a faint grin, glancing at Orihime. "Inoue, you feelin' better?"
The orange haired girl blinked back at him and then smiled vaguely. "I'm fine, just a little tired."
Renji leaned back and closed his eyes, relaxing and opening his reiatsu to the zanpakutou, not sure how much he'd need and as such just offering it all.
Careful not to use too much, the nue only briefly used Renji's energy as a support to manifest, seeing as the living world was quite a different scenario. Zabimaru opted for his human appearance, figuring that would cause a bit less of a fuss, his eyes snapping to Renji once he was settled in. "Bastard," the spirit growled, sitting on the armrest of the couch. "Y'act like you care more about him-" Dark brown eyes briefly jerked towards Senbonzakura, "-more than you do me. I'm not in the best shape either, y'know."
Inoue's eyes snapped open wide at their new arrival. Not only did it seem like they were constantly receiving new guests, but those guests also seemed to be increasingly... well, very good looking to say the least. Minding her gaze, she glanced at Chie, hoping to at least share a gaze with the woman, but found the poor thing staring hard at her hands instead, a faint blush on her cheeks. Well, apparently they were at least thinking similarly.
"I can't fuckin' win with you people," Renji growled, opening his eyes to look back at his zanpakutou. "Would ya' rather I fret and think ya' incapable of healing?" he countered with a frown. Really, this just wasn't fair.
"...No," the nue admitted, then added in a mutter, "but that doesn't mean y'hafta ignore me." His eyes flickered to Orihime, noticing her presence for what seemed like the first time. "Sorry for bargin' in like this," he apologized, softening his tone somewhat. "Th' name's Zabimaru."
"Ke, I wasn' ignorin' ya'," Renji muttered to no one in particular, using his zanpakutou's distraction to sneak in another glance at Byakuya and Sen; the noble for his health and the sword spirit for his reaction.
"Oh no! It's perfectly fine!" Orihime instantly reassured, sitting up straighter and smiling at the sword. "You're always welcome here."
The noble caught Renji's eyes, obviously over most of his initial weakness and feeling much better. Amusement flickered in the blue gaze as it was redirected toward Senbonzakura, an eyebrow rising toward Zabimaru. Really, as uncouth as the nue was, Byakuya found it extremely entertaining that he and Senbonzakura were... somewhat involved.
Oblivious to the silent conversation going on, Zabimaru returned Orihime's smile with a brilliant one of his own. "Well, thanks - I 'preciate it. I don't s'pose there's anyway you could heal me, though? I'm not as bad off as Sen was, but I wouldn't want ya to strain yerself, you still look pretty tired..."
Blushing faintly, Orihime nevertheless shook her head and smiled enthusiastically. "I'm fine, really, perfectly healthy!" She snatched the cold compress from her forehead and sat up quickly, setting it on the table. "I'm sure I can heal you - not a problem, really - ah, just let me warm up this tea a bit first - do you want anything?" she asked suddenly, turning large hazel eyes back to Zabimaru.
Senbonzakura, for the most part, watched the whole hullabaloo with a rather calm facade. He returned both received looks with barely a hint of emotion shown, and that being only mild curiosity. Even had he been certain exactly how things stood between all four of them, Byakuya was his sole concern at the moment and that, at least, allowed him some measure of safe emotions and smooth response. He did not want to let go of the calm he'd only recently found once more.
Gracing her with another smile and meeting her eyes, the nue shook his head. "Take yer time. And nah, I'm fine, don't worry 'bout me." His eyes slid to Senbonzakura, a smirk forming as he regarded the other spirit. It was a bit annoying, really, that the other zanpakutou was artfully ignoring him, but he let it pass for now. Zabimaru figured he'd get a chance to tease Senbonzakura soon enough, when he wasn't fretting so much over that noble of his.
Said noble turned his head a bit more and gently nuzzled at his zanpakutou's shoulder. "I think I am fine now," he said softly, trying to calm Senbonzakura's worries somewhat. "Or will be soon, at least." There is no need to worry so much now.
"Stop that," Renji growled under his breath the moment Orihime left the room, landing a pointed gaze on Zabimaru.
Senbonzakura nodded slightly, accepting Byakuya's statement for what it was and giving no answer in return. He honestly would have much rather used the man as an excuse to keep his attentions away from the new arrival, but instead found his gaze drifting there. If Renji was fire, then Zabimaru was the white base of the flame and himself a fallen petal too frightened to burn. Instinctively, pale hands tightened their hold, keeping his shinigami close even as the zanpakutou regretted turning that which he held most precious into a mere shield. The noble blinked slightly at the tightened hold, but felt the zanpakutou's discomfort and relaxed, allowing him to virtually hide behind him. Byakuya's pale hand moved to rest against Senbonzakura's, giving him a reassuring glance. Perhaps things were more complicated between Zabimaru and his own zanpakutou than Byakuya had thought.
"Stop what?" Zabimaru replied to Renji with a grin, amusement sparkling in pools of dark russet. "I'm jus' bein' polite." His eyes still remained somewhat focused upon Senbonzakura, his grin playful. "What's wrong with you, Sen? You're lookin' awfully uptight; relax a little."
Fully intending to reply, the redhead bit back his commentary when the conversation drifted to the other zanpakutou present. He glanced over to the noble, silently wondering if he knew what exactly was in the look passing between their swords.
For his own part, Senbonzakura took some measure of relief from being able to hold Zabimaru's gaze with the detachment he should have had. "I am at ease," he answered calmly. "I will relax when the situation allows and no sooner."
Zabimaru snorted at the answer he was given before rising and moving to the other side of the couch. He deliberately took a seat on the armrest on Senbonzakura's side, leaning dangerously close to him. "You're not at ease." A strong hand fell upon the other spirit's shoulder, his calloused thumb rubbing a lean shoulder through the silk fabric. "You're really tense. Y'should work on that."
Debating whether or not to pull away and give the two swords their space, Byakuya shifted against Senbonzakura's side, catching the sanguine gaze and holding it briefly, asking silently what the zanpakutou would prefer him to do. After a moment's silence, Sen sighed softly and closed his eyes, releasing his hold on the noble. It was unfair of him to use the shinigami as a wedge between himself and his own... complications. "If you insist on imposing yourself, Zabimaru, you could at least do it in a proper chair," he answered, opening his eyes once more and casting the bloodied gaze up at the other zanpakutou. "It's hardly respectful to our hostess to behave as you are."
Renji bit back a laugh, settling for a rather amused glance at his captain. Saying he'd seen this all before was a bit of an understatement. He could empathize with his zanpakutou, but that didn't mean he couldn't laugh at him at the same time.
Amused as well, Byakuya held back a smirk as he shifted away from Senbonzakura and against Renji's side. It was quite entertaining to see their zanpakutou in an eerily similar situation as their own had been. Casting Senbonzakura a sympathetic glance, the noble relaxed into his lover's side, opting to stay out of the zanpakutou’s' quarrels.
Zabimaru rolled his eyes, not deterred by the ethereal being's detachment. "Then scoot over, there's plenty of room. And besides, Inoue didn't seem to mind too much." He shot Renji and Byakuya a slightly sour look before muttering beneath his breath, "If you two are jus' gonna laugh, I think I'm gonna start preferrin' y'both when you were being mushy earlier."
With a sigh, Senbonzakura sat up and pushed away from the side of the armrest, moving to sit beside Byakuya, fixing his clothing to lay flat once more. Thankfully, he was spared further conversation, at the moment due to Orihime's return with freshly warmed tea. She flashed them all a smile, commenting on how quiet they all were being, and wasn't there something they could talk about? Sen listened up to the offering of tea, which he quickly took, and then folded his hands around, proceeding to ignore the rest of the prattle and focus on the lovely soothing affects of green tea.
Easily ignoring the dark, blue-eyed glare shot in his direction, Zabimaru flopped down quite comfortably next to Senbonzakura. A casual arm was thrown about the other zanpakutou's shoulders as he reclined and returned Orihime's smile. "I think they're jus' tired after everything, Inoue-chan."
Resisting the urge to glower at Renji's zanpakutou, Byakuya accepted his own cup of tea with a nod of thanks. Curling up into Renji's side, the noble gave the redhead a look out of the corner of his eye that all but said ‘You need to teach him some manners.’
Still oblivious to the silent war raging on her couch, Orihime nodded at Zabimaru's proposal, still blushing faintly but smiling and pouring some tea for herself and Chie. It was nice to have someone other than Renji in the house that wasn't so… socially tense. "That's understandable," she offered, handing a cup of tea to the shinigami woman trying to sink into the other furniture in the room and then taking a sip of her own, "it's very straining to sustain."
Renji returned Byakuya's gaze with a rather bemused one - the rest of his expression covered by the cup of tea he held - that clearly said ‘Who, me?’ For his part, Senbonzakura barely resisted the urge to tense beneath Zabimaru's casually slung arm, focusing on his tea and continuing to drink. Noticing the reaction, the redhead subtly jabbed some energy at his zanpakutou, trying, at the very least, to get him to let up a bit.
A little frustrated that Senbonzakura was being so distant (especially when he certainly hadn't been in the past); the nue bit back an exasperated sigh and pulled his arm away, focusing on Orihime. "I'm sure. That's why I was sayin' if you're still tired, ya don't have to bother with me today. No need for a pretty girl like yerself to get hurt over somethin' like this."
Not bothering to hide his own irritation, the noble did bite back several remarks about Zabimaru's character in favor of changing the subject altogether. "Chie," he interrupted, eyeing the other shinigami over his cup of tea. "Is there a reason you haven't returned to Seireitei yet?"
Suddenly finding herself at the center of attention in the worst possible way, Chie clutched tightly at the cup in her hands and tired her best to respectfully meet her captain's gaze. "... I'm afraid that is impossible for me," she answered softly, rather unnerved that the noble had chosen her as a diversionary tactic.
An elegant eyebrow raised, somewhat curious. "Oh?" The question all but demanded an explanation, though Byakuya was well aware he probably would not be happy to hear whatever the reason was.
"Anou-"
Chie shook her head slightly at Orihime, cutting the other woman off. "I have not achieved shikai as of yet," she answered quietly.
The noble paused, frowning slightly as he regarded the girl critically. "Is there a particular reason why you haven't?" he pressed, obviously displeased and ignoring Zabimaru's sigh of what he assumed was pity for Chie.
"I am not aware of the specific reason, although I have tried," she answered honestly, doing her best to maintain eye contact. "I feel as if there is a distance between us I am still overcoming." Grey eyes briefly parted from blue for a moment, catching auburn before slipping back.
"I suggest you continue to work on that, then," Byakuya replied levelly, "this is a little disappointing, after all the praises that have been sung of you."
Unable to keep from interrupting any longer, the nue gave a snort and sent a sideways glance in Byakuya's direction. "Aw, stop badgerin' her. She says she's been tryin'-"
"Trying is not good enough for my Division," the noble stated curtly, becoming increasingly irritated at the zanpakutou. "Inoue-" his gaze snapped to her, softening only fractionally, "- if you are going to heal him, I suggest you do so soon. His incapacitation will be a blessing."
"My deepest apologies, Kuchiki-Taichou," Chie replied quietly, bowing her head, and almost wincing at Zabimaru's remark.
"Some of us do not subscribe to the halfway principle," Senbonzakura interrupted before anyone could get another word in, red eyes resting on the shinigami across the way. "To be able to hold the rank you do without the assistance of your zanpakutou demonstrates strength. When you overcome whatever it is that makes you believe you do not hold this attribute, you will exceed the barrier you have placed between yourself and your zanpakutou and further succeed."
His bloodied gaze slipped momentarily to Zabimaru and then to Byakuya before he turned it forward once more, standing as he set his cup on the tray in the center of the table. "Kuchiki-sama has every right to expect more of you, child; it is obvious that you are the only thing holding yourself back, which will only hinder yourself and your division members. If you cannot handle the position, you should step aside."
Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Orihime. "Inoue-san, I believe it would be best to follow Kuchiki-sama's suggestion now - I am not found of the current state of Zabimaru's reiatsu, and, if you believe yourself capable, would be grateful to have that worry lifted."
Byakuya's eyes slid appreciatively to his zanpakutou, thankful for the defense of his words. He was slightly put off, however, when Zabimaru simply settled back with a smirk. Feathers ruffled by the overwhelming arrogance that the nue always seemed to exude, the noble turned away with a soft exhale of breath, all but burying himself back into Renji's side.
"Glad to know you care, Sen," the nue said teasingly, but sincerity was visible in the dark eyes as they met the other zanpakutou's deep crimson.
Not wanting to point out the rather obvious reasons for the dysfunction between his lover and his sword, Renji merely sighed and allowed the noble his comfort. He turned his attention to Orihime. "How close do I have ta' be for this to work?"
The young woman looked at him thoughtfully, previous arguments momentarily forgotten. "Well, you're better off than Byakuya-san was, so you can probably stay there and still have a strong enough connection," she said after a moment.
Well that was good, since he wasn't particularly fond of the notion of having to dislodge his lover right then. "All right then; start whenever."
~
Though originally reluctant to leave the house at such a late hour, Ichigo couldn't help but be glad that Rukia suggested the trek to Orihime's house now. There was no mistaking how strange the entire area around the home felt and he carefully regarded the girl next to him, gauging her reactions as they approached the front door.
"It's weird," she commented lowly, "if the reiatsu didn't feel so... wispy... I'd think Nii-sama was around."
"Your brother? Here? Kinda doubt that, Rukia. And he ain't 'wispy'," Ichigo brushed off with a roll of his eyes, reaching toward the door and knocking lightly. "We're just gonna see if Inoue's doin' okay, and if she is, we're leavin'. Got it?"
The sounds of many voices quickly conferring followed by Inoue's signature, "Coming!" preceded the actual opening of the door, which in and of itself was accented with a rather stunned blink. "Kurosaki-kun! Rukia-san! Anou... what are you doing out this late?" she asked bluntly, curious because they didn't seem to be harmed and otherwise may have stopped by during the day. "Would you like to come in?" she offered.
"Yes, thank you!" Rukia quickly responded, completely ignoring Ichigo's plan of action and stepping past him. "We felt some weird - well, weirder than usual energy over here," the petite girl explained as she stepped into the house, ignoring Ichigo's scowl behind her, "and wanted to make sure everything was okay."
"And everything is okay... right?" Ichigo pressed, stepping in and glancing about. "D'you have company over, Inoue? 'Cause Rukia and I weren't gonna stick around; we don't wanna interrupt anything."
"Oh, you must have been nearby when I was healing Sen-chan or Zabimaru," Orihime surmised instantly, looking somewhat thoughtful as she closed the door behind Ichigo, completely ignoring his question. "I didn't want to take my attention away from them, so I let the shield drop a bit," she explained as if discussing Tuesday dinner. "Well, anyway, they're better now!" She ended, smiling at the two of them.
"Zabimaru?" Rukia perked up at the mention of the zanpakutou, tilting her head curiously. "Renji's here? And - wait. Sen-chan?" Though Ichigo looked a little exasperated, Rukia couldn't help but slowly grin. "Are you talking about Senbonzakura? Does he actually let you call him that?!" Her amusement made her overlook the fact that if Senbonzakura were around, then Byakuya was as well.
Ichigo, however, did not, and sighed to himself. He inwardly grumbled, wanting to go back to sleep and not bother with this tonight. "What exactly's going on, Inoue?"
"Oh, that's right! It's been a while since you've seen them - come in, come in, I just put out some snacks," Inoue babbled immediately, grabbing both by one arm and urging them farther in. She called out over her shoulder, "Renji-kun! Could you get some more plates from the kitchen? Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-san are staying for a bit~" What could have been a disgruntled affirmative could be heard through the wall.
Thoroughly exasperated, Ichigo gave in and simply let himself be tugged along. Rukia, on the other hand, was far more content with staying for a little while - the prospect of not only snacks but seeing Renji after so long brightening her mood. Pulling free of Orihime's grasp, the girl darted around the corner to the kitchen, grinning as she saw the redhead. "Hey, idiot! You could've told me you were going to be back in the living world!"
Renji couldn't hold back the smirk that naturally came to his lips around Rukia's more exuberant self. "Che, well, I woulda' liked th' warnin' too," he remarked, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "Come're, where've ya been? I've been based here fer ages! Inoue kept tellin' me you were outta town!"
Laughing, Rukia let herself get pulled into the man's arms, grinning as she hugged him back. "Yeah, well - I have been, but I came back a couple of weeks ago. Were you back in Seireitei then, or something? 'Cause I think I would've noticed if you if you weren't."
Letting Rukia reacquaint herself with the redhead, Ichigo turned to Orihime, hoping now he could get some answers out of her. "So, Inoue - who else is here? Seems like you've got a pretty good crowd."
"Well, not too large," she answered a bit calmer than before. "Chie-chan, Renji-kun, Byakuya-san, Sen-chan, and Zabi-kun." Making sure to count out each on her fingers as she went, Inoue began walking back towards the living room. "That's only five - normally it's half the division, you know. Although I am running out of gigai... remind me to return the one I borrowed from your dad, by the way."
"Not like he's ever gonna use it," Ichigo replied, following the girl into the living room before pausing a few steps after the doorway and blinking at the sight. It took practically a double take for him to register that the pale, almost ghost-looking being draped around Byakuya was in fact a person - or something with a resemblance to one. By process of elimination, he figured that had to be the manifestation of the noble's zanpakutou, and decided that the only reason it seemed weird to see a shinigami and zanpakutou so obviously close was that it was Byakuya. The fact that Ichigo was more or less amused by Byakuya being out of uniform and fairly relaxed didn't help.
"Long time no see, Byakuya," the younger man said, breaking the silence of the room and grinning in spite of himself as the noble all but whirled at the sound of his voice. There was really nothing funnier than surprising Kuchiki Byakuya.
Given that Senbonzakura's spirit energy was still a good deal better off than Byakuya's own, the sword spirit wasn't much surprised by the young man's entrance - not that anyone who didn't have healing reiatsu wouldn't have noticed that morass of energy - nor his charge's reaction to it. He moved slightly to avoid any unsightly collisions with the noble and turned to regard the young man in the doorway. If Byakuya was off kilter, he had to compensate to ease the man's nerves.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, it is good to see you ... whole," he replied for them both, calmly intercepting the boy's gaze with his own.
Orihime couldn't help the soft smile that came to her lips at the way in which Sen had instantly taken control of the moment. Those two were made for each other, really. Instead of addressing it, she crossed over to the room's last inhabitant, cheerily asking if he'd tried any of the snacks yet.
Ichigo's grin widened, the cool stare the noble was giving him not affecting him in the least. "Yeah, though I s'pose you'd want to do something about that..."
Clearly irritated by Ichigo's presence - more so his overwhelming reiatsu than anything - Byakuya subtly shifted closer to his zanpakutou, not taking his eyes off of the other man. "Do you need something, boy?" he asked curtly, a headache quickly setting in as Ichigo's spiritual energy settled in over the room and overtook his own still-recovering reiatsu quite easily. It wasn't a pleasant sensation in the slightest and nearly riled a flare of temper in the normally stoic man's already stressed nerves.
Unaware of the affect he was having on the man and figuring the captain was just in a typically sour mood, Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Nice seeing you again, too, Byakuya," he replied dryly, and then added with actual sincerity, "and I guess really meeting you, Senbonzakura."
Across the room, Zabimaru regarded the scene with mild amusement of his own, secretly believing that Byakuya was getting what he deserved and yet still feeling sorry for the man. That had to be Renji's influence, completely. He smiled as Orihime approached him and slowly sat up, still recovering from the healing she had done but mostly well now. "Yeah - thanks, Inoue-chan. You're pretty good in the kitchen, too, it seems." Shifting on the small side-couch he had situated himself on, he made room for the girl and patted to the spot next to him. "Get off yer feet for a minute, you've been goin' non-stop."
Sensing the noble's distress as clearly as if it were his own, Senbonzakura quickly weaved his reiatsu between Byakuya's and Ichigo's, soothing the edges to smoothness once more. "The sentiment is returned," the zanpakutou replied only half formally, inclining his head. "These past years seem to have visited you lightly."
Ichigo was an enigma as far as Sen was concerned. He could see the child who had no real life experience just yet. He could feel the rolling reiatsu curling through the room like a confined serpent waiting for a chance to strike. He knew the blade that had shattered him and hear the hollow buried within him. What he could not do was understand the will that bound it all together. He could respect this one as easily as he could lecture him and it was that dichotomy that his charge found so disconcerting.
Layering more of himself between the nearly overwhelming mass of the boy's reiatsu and the prickled mess of Byakuya's that wanted nothing more than to expand and firmly disallow the rather suffocating touch, Senbonzakura added quietly, "This is a place of healing, Kurosaki-san; it would be appreciated if you would kindly pull in your reiatsu."
Orihime all but fell into the offered spot beside Zabimaru, truly exhausted at this point, and yet still brimming with energy. It was quite a dilemma. However, hearing Senbonzakura's request she couldn't help piping in, "A little's good, but too much will harm people who can't counter-weigh it.” Shifting her attention back to the other zanpakutou, she picked up a plate of food, holding it between them, "Want to share?"
Blinking and not quite understanding at first, Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck. "People who can't counter-weigh it? But who - " A sudden jagged, impatient arc of energy against his own actually startled the younger man, making him quickly pull in his reiatsu and with a sinking feeling, realize exactly whose energy that was and that it was especially weak - and that he had no doubt offended its owner. "Sorry, Byakuya -"
"It is fine," the noble all but snapped, withdrawing from Senbonzakura's presence and brushing past Ichigo without another word on his way out of the room and to the stairs. He was in absolutely no mood to deal with anyone outside of a select few - Renji, Senbonzakura, Orihime if she was tired enough to remain somewhat quiet - Ichigo was most certainly not among them.
"Testy," Zabimaru murmured, raising an eyebrow in Senbonzakura's direction that all but said ‘You better follow him.’ He then turned back to Orihime, a strong arm going around her supportively before he agreed and sampled the food.
The riled, albeit wavering energy caught Rukia's attention, despite being in mid-conversation with Renji. It only took seconds for her to recognize it as Byakuya's and she winced slightly, looking up at Renji with a bit of worry. "I never thought he'd come down here with you," she admitted quietly.
Of all the things that could have soured Senbonzakura's genuinely calm mood, it was the slightest indication that he may not know Byakuya well enough to understand he would be needed upstairs. Of all the possible reactions Zabimaru could have had it had to be the very thing that would strike a nerve no matter the setting. He let little more than a frown show through to the other zanpakutou, but it was prominent enough. Rising from the couch with ethereal grace, he bowed respectfully to Inoue and Ichigo.
"Please excuse me," he intoned formally before straightening and gliding from the room.
When auburn eyes caught sight of the zanpakutou's retreating form, it was all he could do to hold back everything beyond a sigh. "We didn' exactly have a choice," he muttered, picking up the things he'd been sent to the kitchen for and nodding at Rukia to follow him back into the living room. "Thanks fer makin' my tomorra hell, Kurosaki," he growled, setting everything on the table next to the original round of snacks and drinks.
Catching all that was unsaid in that frown, Zabimaru bit back an exasperated sigh and the urge to grab Senbonzakura back and tell him he didn't mean it like that, exactly. Both of those two were really more trouble than they were worth. "It's not just Kurosaki's fault," the zanpakutou grumbled, "yer walkin' on ice with those two no matter what the hell you do, and it's damned thin ice."
"How the hell was I supposed to know he was that bad off?" Ichigo growled back before flopping down on the now-empty couch. "I tried to apologize," he pointed out uselessly.
"And you probably hurt his pride more in the process," Rukia pointed out. Ichigo just groaned.
"Fantastic."
--
All but storming up to the guest room, Byakuya barely retained his composure and ignored the chatter that no doubt focused around him downstairs. Knowing Senbonzakura was behind him, the noble waited until the spirit was inside the bedroom as well before shutting the door and leaning back against it heavily. "I am going to lose what is left of my mind here," he announced, pushed to the limit and fed up with casual social interaction and general lack of propriety. He was a man of routine that did not appreciate the disruption in the flow of things - being stranded in the living world was bad enough, but to have to deal with this sort of thing was enough to drive him mad.
--
Feeling slightly at fault for the situation, Inoue leaned back against the couch with a sigh, "I should have said something beforehand -"
"Ah, stop it, Inoue," Renji interrupted before she could get much farther. "Ain't nothin' ya coulda done. Although he," - the redhead jabbed a thumb in Ichigo's general direction - "should keep a tighter leash on that stuff anyway. ’S not just somethin' ya do when people're restin’, ya know, you walk around the city, must be every 100th person passes out and ya don't even know it. We don't just collapse it all ta be sneaky," he half explained, still rather put out at the thought of waking up to a grouchy, out of place captain.
--
"He does not understand," Sen offered quietly, even knowing the fact was useless against Byakuya's mood. An ethereal hand gently cupped the side of Byakuya's face, trying to calm the man at least partially. "Are you truly so eager to return to that cage?" the sword spirit posed in little more than a whisper.
--
Glowering, the orange-haired boy resisted the urge to drop-kick a pillow in Renji's direction. "I said I was sorry," he grumbled, "I'm not good at yankin' it all in. Usually s'not a problem... but aside from apologizin', if there's anything I can do, just say so." He really did feel bad - he knew how bad it was when his own reiatsu ran low - but he sort of doubted there was anything he could do to make the prickly noble realize he meant no offense.
"Just leave it up to Senbonzakura," Rukia interjected, flicking Ichigo absently on the shoulder. "Nii-sama won't try to tear him to shreds, at least."
--
The cool touch spread through the noble, calming at least his raw irritation and what he recognized as irrational anger. Sighing, Byakuya turned against the spirit's hand, eyes sliding shut and his lips brushing the smooth skin of his zanpakutou's palm. "...No," he admitted softly, sighing slowly as his temper settled, "but that does not mean it is any easier to adapt here."
Pale fingers curled partially in reaction to the lips pressed again his palm, touching the tips of long nails to the surface of Byakuya's pristine skin. "No it does not," he murmured softly, "and could I replenish your reiatsu I would ..." Despite his usually cool exterior, a sense of warmth filed the sword spirit as he watched the noble calm. "It is unfortunate that we haven't the choice in such things... but we can make the most of what choices are ours to make; you can allow yourself this pain and anger or choose to seek a way of overcoming them."
Shivering slightly at the touch, Byakuya instinctively nuzzled against Senbonzakura's palm as his demeanor eased a fraction more. "I am just tired of all of this..." He heaved another sigh, wanting to lean into the spirit's arms but not wanting to remove himself from the gentle touch to his face. "I was fine and 'making the most' of what I could - until Zabimaru and that Kurosaki boy had to get involved..."
"Kurosaki-san was genuinely unaware of the harm he inflicted," Senbonzakura explained soothingly, stepping closer to wrap his free arm around the noble. "I know that means little and that his apology feels like nothing more than an insult - which was a result of my own actions; I should have handled that situation better."
"It is not your fault," the noble murmured, not opening his eyes as he leaned forward and rested his head on top of Senbonzakura's shoulder. "And I know he was not aware, but..." Shaking his head slightly, Byakuya dropped the conversation, not in the mood to continue speaking and simply wanting to bask in the spirit's soothing presence.
Slim fingers slipped back over Byakuya's neck, trailing cool, soothing sensations down the skin. Senbonzakura carefully adjusted the way his energy clung to the noble, allowing it to peacefully settle around him as a balm rather than a shield. "... I am very glad that you mastered me, Kuchiki-sama," he murmured softly, pride and affection heavily weighing his voice. "I never mentioned it before... but you deserve to know it."
Sighing softly, the noble visibly relaxed beneath the touch of the spirit's hands and calming reiatsu. A soft chuckle escaped Byakuya at those words, and he absently nuzzled the side of his zanpakutou's neck. "Thank you, Senbonzakura... but I am very glad I had the opportunity." Pressing a soft kiss to Senbonzakura's jaw, he murmured, "There have been times that I have remained in existence solely because of you... and for that, I thank you."
A jolt of warmth that started with the light touch to his jaw and ended with the fond words shot through Sen and then coalesced with other softer emotions. Sanguine eyes lidded as the sword spirit gently returned the affection with a kiss to Byakuya's neck, fleeting and light as his touches. "I will always fight for you, Kuchiki-sama, it is my will as much as all else that binds us together, and I am honored to hold that position."
The spirit's kiss sent a pleasant, refreshing cool through him, the noble all but purring as he nestled into the sword's embrace. "...Thank you," he sighed out, arms slipping about Senbonzakura's waist. His fingers absently stroked the spirit's lower back as he murmured lowly, "Would you stay manifested for the night? At least until Renji comes up?" As reluctant as he was to admit it, Byakuya did not want to be alone right now.
“Of course.”
"Good." Soft lips brushed the spirit's throat once more before Byakuya slowly pulled away, just enough to move toward the bed. He reached back, pulling Senbonzakura with him as he gracefully fell back onto the mattress. "If nothing else," the noble said with a faint smile, "Renji and I resolved quite a bit earlier."
"You did," the zanpakutou agreed, smiling lightly and following his charge to the bed. "I am glad the two of you finally spoke." Blood red lips descended to paler ones, touching affectionately and seeking no more. "It won't make things perfect, but your bond to each other has strengthened. I am proud."
"You've known for a long time, haven't you?" Byakuya asked softly against the spirit's lips, slim fingers threading through the silky white hair. "And I hardly expect things to be perfect... If they were, it wouldn't be Renji," the noble said wryly, but not without affection obvious in his tone.
"There are many things I've known for a long time, Kuchiki-sama, to which do you refer?" Senbonzakura asked with a slight smirk, laying his head against Byakuya's shoulder as the man's fingers trailed through his hair. Ancient reiatsu shifted again, echoing a rumbling purr against the noble, fully enjoying the sensation.
The noble's eyes slid shut, briefly falling silent as he basked in the purr of Senbonzakura's reiatsu against him, the pleasant sensation outweighing any lingering discomfort. "...My feelings toward Renji are what I refer to." Byakuya's fingers slid down the spirit's spine, absently stroking before adding dryly, "But I am curious to know what else you hold in your infinite knowledge."
Melting into the absent caresses, Senbonzakura fell just short of vocalizing his purr, nuzzling Byakuya's neck, his reiatsu fluttering pleasurably. "Yes I knew you'd fallen in love with him. That is why I pushed you..." He smiled faintly, closing his eyes completely. "As for anything else I know... I can only relate that which you can see on your own. You should know that by now, Kuchiki-sama."
Slim fingers drifted to the spirit's lower back, gently brushing along his spine, his thumb pressing into the last bit of tension remaining in the muscle there. "I know. But it was worth a try." Byakuya tipped his head back, dark hair tumbling back against the pillows as he gave Senbonzakura more access to his neck. "It was nice to finally tell him," he admitted quietly, "thank you for pushing me as you did."
"The release of your emotions when you told him is gratitude enough," the zanpakutou answered sincerely, opening his eyes once more as the noble shifted. Trailing his lips along the length of skin offered to him, Sen placed all the loving care he could into each movement he made. His left hand trailed affectionately down Byakuya's right arm, touching the skin beneath the shirt he wore and carefully soothed the muscles there, while his back muscles obediently relaxed under the shinigami's careful ministrations, making his body all but fall against the man, content and nearly glowing from the attention.
A rumbling sound of pleasure fled the noble's lips, completely relaxed and melting beneath the sword spirit's ministrations. Pleasantly shivering, Byakuya's head rolled to the side a bit more, enjoying himself and encouraging Senbonzakura further. His right hand lifted, curling slender fingers into strands of white that spilled over the spirit's sides. Employing his tongue and even light touches of his teeth, the zanpakutou continued his silent worship of the noble. When the jaw was reached, he sucked gently along its line and then dropped to the neck once more, lapping at Byakuya's Adam’s apple momentarily before focusing attention on the indent between the neck and collarbone, nipping lightly and then soothing the skin.
Eyelashes fluttering slowly, the noble soon retired any effort to reopen his eyes and simply laid back, fully partaking in the pleasure offered. Byakuya's breath caught briefly, escaping as a long, shaky sigh when the zanpakutou's mouth ghosted over an especially sensitive spot already tender from earlier activities. His hands slid further into the silky mane, tangling alabaster strands about his fingers. Taking the cue, Senbonzakura carefully lifted himself just far enough above Byakuya's body to begin undoing the man's shirt, finger nails dusting along the t-shirt beneath in a pleasantly teasing brush. Once the buttons were undone, he carefully removed each sleeve, dragging his fingers along revealed skin as he did, knowing how Byakuya appreciated the touch. His reiatsu shifted once more, this time to brush along the noble's pleasurably as the zanpakutou's quick fingers were more involved in continuing to divest the man of the restraints that bound his skin from sight.
Thoroughly enjoying the caresses, Byakuya let out a low, breathy groan, torn between sinking beneath the pleasant weight of Senbonzakura's reiatsu and lifting himself toward the deliberate touches. He shuddered, a spark of pleasure raking up his spine as the spirit's fingers dragged along his skin, his body quickly becoming more sensitive and responsive to every touch. Making quick work of the pants, the sword spirit returned to the noble's upper body, carefully tugging the man out of his remaining shirt and so finally exposing all of his pure form to the zanpakutou's ethereal caresses. Sen began at the top, pressing his lips to lightly to Byakuya's as his hands gently massaged firm shoulder muscles, and moved down, making sure each patch of skin was given proper attention and gentle stimulation.
A somewhat breathless murmur of pleasure escaped into their kiss, Byakuya's hands threading back through the impossibly long mane of white, his fingers brushing across the back of Senbonzakura's neck and shoulders in the process. Muscles quivered and then relaxed beneath the spirit's gentle massage, soft sounds of pleasure elicited as the pale hands moved further down. "You're... quite good at this," the noble breathed.
"Because it's you," the zanpakutou answered quietly, glancing up to catch Byakuya's eyes with his own however momentarily. He turned back to his ministrations as they trailed lower on the man's body, tracing his hands over strong hips and dipping his mouth and tongue to traverse areas below the navel.
Byakuya's hands tightened in the spirit's hair, any response cut off by a quiet groan, stomach taunt underneath the talented tongue. His eyes slid open half-way, watching the ethereal beauty, slim fingers catching stray strands of hair and keeping them back from Senbonzakura's face.
"Tell me, Kuchiki-sama," the zanpakutou breathed against sensitized skin, fingers brushing along smooth thighs. "What is your pleasure, this night?" Deeply red eyes stared up from beneath the stray strands of impossibly long white hair that the noble continuously pushed back.
Mouth going dry, the noble swallowed slowly and briefly shut his eyes, regaining some semblance of control over himself. For Senbonzakura to be like this, oozing sensuality and completely willing to do anything he asked - well, it was far too tempting, tempting enough that he could not resist the offer. "Your mouth," Byakuya replied, his voice a devastatingly low purr as his right hand slipped from the spirit's hair, cupping his cheek affectionately. "I am sure," the noble added with a small smirk, his fingers grazing the soft skin of the zanpakutou's cheek, "that you can put it to good use."
"As you wish," the spirit murmured, eyelids drooping, the red of his eyes darkening with the command. He brushed his cheek against Byakuya's hand as he pulled back to fulfill the noble's whispered fiat. Descending once more to the shinigami's more sensitive areas, Senbonzakura carefully adjusted his position such that he sat bent over between Byakuya's legs, lips, tongue and cool fingers mapping invisible patterns along the insides of the man's thighs.
Letting his head fall back once more, Byakuya exhaled slowly, the breath shuddering slightly as the spirit teased sensitive skin. The combination of the zanpakutou's warm mouth and cool touch elicited a quiet moan from the noble, his back arcing slightly in an attempt to press closer. He wasn't sure where this rather bold behavior on Senbonzakura's part had come from, but he certainly was not complaining, and was all too willing to wallow in the pleasurable sensations. Pleased that his ministrations were being so well received, Senbonzakura continued up the noble's thigh, lightly adding his teeth to augment the sensation. His right hand came forward, dusting fingertips lightly across Byakuya's erection, trailing all the way to the base and curling them there in a gentle hold as reddened lips ever so lightly brushed the tip, a tongue quickly darting out to lap at the sensitive area. He raised his gaze to watch for the shinigami's reaction.
A deep groan welled from the noble's throat, blue eyes darkening with growing desire as a jolt of pleasure shot through him. His right hand dropped from the spirit's hair, falling to the bed and curling tightly into the sheets, inhaling sharply at the teasing of Senbonzakura's warm, wet tongue. His body tensed in anticipation, but Byakuya forced his hips not to buck up and instead kept his gaze locked on the zanpakutou, licking his lips before growling lowly, "Go on."
The tone of voice sent pleasant shivers down Sen's spine. Without another word or hesitation, he slowly parted his lips and slipped them around the noble's erection, calming his throat and being careful to breathe steadily through his nose. Eventually, he was able to take the entire length into his mouth and throat, a sensation wholly new to him, but to which he quickly adjusted. The sword spirit shifted his weight forward slightly to ease the angle for himself and dropped his hand from the base of the erection to the tender sacs beneath. He moved up with the initial reaction to his touch and then bobbed his head back down, beginning a slow pattern.
Tension almost immediately flooded the noble's body, his hand fisting against the bed sheets as he managed to keep the upward arch of his hips to a minimum. A harsh breath caught in his throat, the heat of the spirit's mouth enough to make Byakuya moan and thread his left hand more firmly into the silky hair. "Good," the man breathed, voice a bit tremulous as pleasure wracked his form, "Just like that..."
Senbonzakura offered a low hum to add vibrations to his oral ministrations and curled his fingers, lightly dusting nails along the delicate skin of the noble's testicles. His free hand came up and pressed firmly against Byakuya's hip to help keep the man more firmly against the bed.
A ragged keen cut through the room and the noble all but writhed, nails clawing against the bed. His head fell back with a gasp of pleasure, eyes clouded as he simply fell prey to sensation, the next vocalization he managed a breathy imploration, "Please -”
Surprised but also proud that he could produce a level of pleasure bordering on incoherency, Senbonzakura finally dropped his gaze and closed his eyes, focusing entirely on bringing his charge to the brink of pleasure, intent on casting him over its edge. He changed his teasing touch to a firm rub of the tender sacs in his hand and slowly stopped bobbing to once more fully envelop Byakuya's erection, this time ceasing his humming in favor of a steady, sucking motion.
Unable to stop himself from tumbling over the edge and unwilling to keep back his voice, Byakuya's breath hitched heavily as his back arched, his head tossing back with a loud groan. "Sen -” another breathless half-whine slipped past his lips as his release wracked through his body, turning him into little more than a trembling pile of limbs and breath. Passion-dark eyes fluttered closed, the noble too spent to continue watching Senbonzakura.
Pulling back just before Byakuya climaxed allowed the otherwise inexperienced sword spirit to keep up well enough to maintain cleanliness. It was a strange new experience and the zanpakutou could honestly do without the taste, but any unpleasant aspects were easily over-looked in favor of the noble's pleasure. Eventually, he was able to pull away and reposition himself at Byakuya's side, laying a cool hand on the side of the man's face.
Slowly calming his breathing, the noble turned his head against the touch of the sword's hand, gaze half-lidded. Lifting his own hand, he caught Senbonzakura's, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it as he steadied himself and his composure. "That... was beyond the call of duty," Byakuya gently teased before slipping his hold to the spirit's wrist, using it as leverage to tug him down and kiss him firmly without another word of warning.
Sanguine eyes slowly drifted shut as the zanpakutou softly returned the kiss, his reiatsu returning to a state of a gentle purr. He laid himself carefully across his charge and all but melted against the man, enjoying his attentions. Sliding an arm about the spirit's waist and another about his shoulders, the noble pulled Senbonzakura close, slowly deepening the kiss as he gently tugged on his lower lip, tongue running over the soft skin. The hand against the sword's waist slid between them, past the silk of his kimono and against the smooth skin of his stomach. Sen's breath hitched at the touch, automatically curling closer to seek further contact. He parted his lips for the noble, passion darkened eyes locked on the man as he once more continued the kiss, thoughtlessly granting full control of it back to Byakuya. With a subtle shift in his position, the sword spirit was able to help open his kimono for the other man to do as he pleased.
Dragging his nails softly over the tender flesh, Byakuya's hand slipped lower, fingertips skimming the spirit's slim hips. His left hand remained tangled within the silken hair, using it as leverage to tip Senbonzakura's head and angle the kiss in his favor as the palm of his hand slid down one pale thigh, deliberately denying the zanpakutou. A faint whimper escaped Senbonzakura, the pleasure granted pleasant yet so teasingly close to a true touch that the one motion was maddening. His hips arched closer, one hand gripping the noble's upper arm tightly in response to the man's tantalizing touches. Breaking the kiss, Byakuya gently nipped the edge of the spirit's jaw, lips trailing down the pale neck. Between soft kisses and occasional light, teasing bites, the noble's nails slid against the sensitive skin of Senbonzakura's inner thigh before sneaking back up. His hand wrapped loosely about his companion's erection, a firm thumb rubbing slowly across the very tip.
Sen moaned harshly, body tensing to keep from instinctively moving against the given caress. He tilted his head back, allowing Byakuya more access while trying to steady his breathy pants, his form already strongly stimulated by the noble's few attentions and aching for more. "Please... Kuchiki-sama-" he gasped out at one particularly potent stroke.
Sharp teeth slowly sunk into the white throat bared to him, suckling on the flesh, borderline roughly. The spirit's pleas made the noble growl and tighten his grip, stroking upward firmly and using the motion to establish a demanding pace. "Don't hold back," Byakuya ordered lowly, tongue tracing the spirit's thudding pulse.
It was the best Senbonzakura could do to hold back the full volume of the appreciative vocalization that followed his submission, his hips arcing forward to feel the noble's touch more completely. His grip on Byakuya's arm loosened as he lost himself to the sensations of the shinigami's experienced hands.
Byakuya's gaze slid along the spirit's form, thoroughly appreciating the flushed tint of pale skin, the way his chest heaved and the way he arched against the shinigami's touch... Finally, the noble’s eyes slid shut to resist indulging further. "You're beautiful," Byakuya murmured as his lips slid against the pale throat, suckling slowly as his hand milked every bit of pleasure he could.
All the attention and care made the sword spirit quiver, but it was the vocalization - the praise - that made him snap, mouth open in a soundless yell as he tumbled over the edge of passion and into the welcoming arms of completion. He rocked against the noble beside him until his energy had faded and he was left breathless and limp against Byakuya, panting softly.
Whispering gentle, soothing words against the spirit's neck, the noble slid a hand down Senbonzakura's spine, absently stroking as he let his companion ride out the pleasure of his release and slowly calm. A soft, affectionate kiss was pressed against the spirit's jaw as Byakuya held him close.
Senbonzakura nuzzled up close, enjoying his charge's warmth and care. "... Did you enjoy yourself, Kuchiki-sama?" he asked softly.
"Of course." Another kiss accompanied the response before the noble shifted slightly, adjusting the beds blankets and pulling them around them. "And you?"
Senbonzakura shifted a bit, looking faintly surprised at Byakuya's actions. "Shouldn't I... let me get you a towel," he offered, not feeling right for in some way causing the noble to be anything but pristine.
Too tired to be concerned, Byakuya tightened his arm around Senbonzakura's waist, not giving him the opportunity to rise. "Later," he murmured, nuzzling wearily at the spirit's shoulder.
An affectionate smile played across Senbonzakura's lips and he relented to Byakuya's insistence, interlocking their legs and curling up against him. "... I enjoyed myself, Kuchiki-sama, thank you."
Almost purring as he relaxed against the spirit, Byakuya brushed his lower back in a clearly tender gesture before allowing his eyes to slide shut completely. "Good..." was the sighed reply as the noble began to doze off, only half-heartedly fighting sleep.
"Sleep well," the zanpakutou murmured, gently pushing back stray locks of black hair, "I will guard your rest."
A mumbled word of thanks escaped Byakuya before relaxing completely, giving into sleep and the comfortable warmth of Senbonzakura's presence.
--
OMAKE:
(on making cosplay equipment)
Gali: 21:36:00
(omg zabimaru is seriously huge. XD;; taller than my friend. it's awesome.)
Gali: 21:36:37
(though i cursed him the entire time for being so goddamned big... [*snort* in more than one way >D])
Kira: 21:37:01
(ROTFL!! XD)
Kira: 21:37:07
(You know I was thinking it too :P)
Gali: 21:37:15
(XDDDD)
Gali: 21:37:31
(i don't know whether to be happy for sen-chan, or feel sorry for him XDD)