Title: Three Parts Dead
Chapter:That Which Is Sacred
Rating: NC-17 | MA
Pairing/Character/s: Byakuya x Renji, Various
Word Count: 17,859
Warning/s: SAAAAAAAP. Spoilers. Language. Mansex. Mild BDSM.
Summary: The exchange of vows, presents, and a little something more.
A/N: OMG ITS A WEDDING. (You will never see another ceremony out of me again). On a side note, this chapter alone qualifies as a novella in terms of size. Gali and I have decided that we are just plain scary.

Chapter 14: That Which Is Sacred
"Ritual is the way you carry the presence of the sacred. Ritual is the spark that must not go out.”
- Christina Baldwin

The silence was starting to get to him. Renji tried not to fidget, but it was getting really hard to just not do anything in the middle of the hallway while the rest of everyone else was arranged against the far wall of a room they weren't even in yet. He wanted to pace, but knew he couldn't, and so stood beside Byakuya, a veritable ball of nervous energy covered by rather convincing official pretense. He chanced a glance back at Zabimaru who was standing just behind him and to his left, but then jerked his gaze forward again when Byakuya began to move forward. Some signal must have been given, and although he'd missed it, following the other man's lead was something he was fairly good at by then.

There was a table to their right when they walked in - in fact everything was to their right; the bottom end of a "u" shaped table arrangement closest and the rest of the family and guests allowed at the morning ceremony gathered farthest away, watching them closely from the far wall. Renji did his best not to let his gaze wander or show any of his nervousness, following Byakuya out to the center of the main table and stopping at the middle. A single piece of parchment was laid across the full width of the table, artful calligraphy displaying the words of the marriage contract. He turned towards it as the noble did, and quickly scanned the document. A slight smirk brushed his lips about halfway through when he noticed the distinct deviation the document held and, more importantly, the way in which it was written. You couldn't work for Kuchiki Byakuya for any good length of time without being able to pick out his individual style of writing.

Brief glances to Renji out of the corner of his eye made Byakuya lift an eyebrow in the redhead's direction, all but saying 'I take it you approve?' He, in reality, was as nervous as Renji was, though for different reasons. The all-over stress of hoping everything went according to plan weighed heavily upon his mind, but for the moment, he brushed the thought away. The cool touch of Senbonzakura's reiatsu close to him soothed his nerves momentarily as he retrieved the thin brush that was placed upon the table for their use, dipped it in ink, and paused only briefly before signing his name. As much as he found this legal process more or less a waste of time, in the end, it would be what forced his family to acknowledge Renji, and that was what was of utmost importance.

Byakuya turned, sharing a brief meeting of eyes with Renji before silently passing him the brush. It certainly didn't feel like it, but as soon as Renji signed his name, they would be, in the eyes of his house, married. Completely and officially - no matter that it wouldn't feel right until after the actual wedding ceremony. It was trying to his nerves that it had to be this way, but there was only so much tradition he could do away with.

For some reason, the light weight of the brush in his hand stilled the redhead's otherwise chattering nerves. He gave Byakuya a warm smile and then leaned down, taking care as he signed his name beside the noble's for the first time since they’d known each other. Setting the brush on the side of the parchment, he unbent, that much closer to Byakuya and used their proximity as an excuse to break some of the overwhelming tension by pressing an affectionate kiss to Byakuya's cheek.

A bright flash of light and the accompanying soft click of a camera accented the gesture, and the redhead couldn't help but grin as he pulled away, glancing immediately towards the newest addition to the room. Yoruichi stood halfway through the doorway at the far end, grinning from ear to ear, camera still in hand. Even with the layers of fine cloth delegating her rank in the upper echelon of society, nothing could diminish the obvious disapproval radiating from the nobles surrounding her. Of course, they wouldn't dare say anything about the Shihouin heir, but they could think it. Renji just smirked at her, surprisingly glad to see that she'd made it, and then turned back to Byakuya and spoke only low enough for him to hear, "Ya know... we really should ask for some a' those."

Tension fled from the noble's body beneath Renji's smile, and he could hardly do anything but return it after warmth spread from Renji's kiss and made him relax even further. He could only imagine what Manami was thinking about Renji already disrupting Tsukiko's hard work, but the thought simply softened his smile. Even the flash of the camera did not disturb him too badly, despite the fact it is Yoruichi, of all people, taking said pictures. He heaved a soft sigh and took his seat as the signal was given, wherein everyone else followed suit. "We should; but it depends on what we have to do to receive them," Byakuya murmured, knowledgeable of Yoruichi's games.

"Ah, I suppose you're right," Renji answered, taking the seat to Byakuya's left. A servant standing between their table and the large table in the center of the room carefully removed the parchment from the table and brought it over to a stately dressed woman some distance away. The redhead cast about for more familiar faces, idly noticing that Senbonzakura had purposely left a space between himself and noble. Just as he was about to question the act, however, he spotted Rukia to his left, walking over to them. He stopped, eyebrows high as he took in her striking ensemble. He'd never seen her so... beautiful. His smile widened as she drew close and he reached out, catching her hand to draw her over. "You look stunning," he stated without preamble, smiling warmly at her. It felt good to have her there with him.

A blush tinted the girl's cheeks before she could suppress the action. "Thank you, Renji," Rukia murmured, smiling as she took in his appearance. "You clean up pretty nicely as well," she teased before her gaze slid to Byakuya and her smile almost automatically brightened. The feeling of giddiness was almost impossible to hold back, but she restrained herself enough to simply place a faint kiss on his cheek. "You look wonderful, Nii-sama."

For once, the noble mused, propriety was a useful thing, and he milked it for all it was worth, simply to gauge Renji's reaction. "As do you, Rukia," he responded before catching her hand from Renji's and bringing it to his lips for a light kiss. Rukia could only blush, murmur her thanks, and flash Renji a quick smile before moving to her seat beside her brother.

Not far off, Ichigo observed the scene with something resembling shock. Only an absent tug on his arm by Orihime guided him to the table, where they were directed to take their seats beside Renji. As artfully as he could, Ichigo peered around Orihime to Renji, his eyes all but asking 'since when do they get along that well?'

Renji, still recovering from his own, rather obvious shock, could only blink, which was only an answer because he still happened to be turned in Ichigo's general direction. He turned, fully straightening himself in his seat and trying his best not to look completely and utterly confused. After a moment, he slid a suspicious glance towards Byakuya and Rukia by proximity, all but demanding an explanation.

The noble in question simply turned his head to Renji, regarding him with an elegantly raised eyebrow and a smirk that held perhaps a bit of smugness to it. "Is something the matter, Renji?" Rukia seemed to have found ample distraction from the conversation in complimenting Senbonzakura.

"... Bastard," Renji muttered and turned away again, passing Ichigo a shrug and leaving it at that.

"Language, Renji," Byakuya chided over his shoulder as he caught the muttered comment, then turning slightly in his seat to address an elder that stopped to speak with him before Renji could say another word in reply.

Seeing the conversation as over, Orihime leaned over, grabbing Renji's arm in a friendly embrace. "You and Byakuya-san look so handsome," she chimed, smiling brilliantly at him. "Green really looks good on you - who decided the color?"

Renji laughed softly, overtaken by the girl's exuberance. "Thank you, Inoue, and 'kuya had it made, so I suppose he chose the color," he answered, casting a glance over her in the meantime. "An' you don't look half bad yerself," he added.

Inoue grinned a bit nervously, pulling away to looked down at herself again. "You think so? I wasn't sure it was formal enough-"

"Really," Renji interrupted, "ya look good."

She smiled again, blushing a bit at the compliment. "Well, certainly nowhere near Byakuya-san and yourself - did you have help getting ready this morning?"

The redhead groaned and rolled his eyes a bit as he sat back. "You could say that," he replied vaguely.

Not satisfied with the shrug but figuring he can just ask Rukia later, Ichigo sighed quietly, somehow managing to relax in his seat but keep a relatively decent posture at the same time. His eyes travelled down the table, noting that Renji did 'clean up pretty well', as he had heard Rukia note - the petite woman looked really nice herself. But, as much as Ichigo hated to admit it, Byakuya and that zanpakutou of his completely stole his attention away from everyone else. The thought that he was so easily swayed to stare at them made him blush and he quickly tore his gaze away, hoping that it wasn't noticed.

Ichigo's wish went unheard, as Renji, having nothing better to do just then, happened to be looking in his direction and caught the blush. He grinned, leaning over slightly as he spoke just loud enough for the human boy to hear him as well, "It looks like Ichigo shares yer sentiments, Inoue..."

The orange haired girl blinked, and looked over at her friend curiously. "Kurosaki-kun... you think they look good, too?" she questioned obliviously.

Resisting the urge to get up and punch the living daylights out of the redhead, Ichigo instead settled for a dark scowl shot in Renji's direction in hopes it would cover up his blush. "Shut up - next time we spar, you can deal with my bankai in your face," he muttered before glancing to Orihime, his blush returning full-force and his threats dying on his lips. "...Yeah, well-" Ichigo swallowed slightly before managing neutrally, "How could ya not?"

"An interesting offer, but I think my husband would object," Renji retorted before Orihime could get a word in edgewise, grinning smugly.

Ichigo blinked. "What's interesting about...? Oh, shut up," the boy groaned, sinking back into his chair slightly as he realized half-way through his sentence exactly how Renji meant that. "You're sick," the human mumbled, blush amplifying tenfold. "Sick."

Inoue quickly covered her mouth with her hands, simultaneously blushing and trying not to laugh at Ichigo's reaction. Renji just snickered, leaning sideways against the back of his chair. "Hey 'm just statin' the truth. Although," he continued, unable to stop just yet, "I s'pose I should be the one upset, considerin' how you were oglin' Kuya - or was it Senbonzakura? You'd have to take that up directly with Zabimaru, though," he added with feigned thoughtfulness.

Willing himself to curl up into his chair and simply disappear, Ichigo simply glowered at Renji. "I wasn't ogling anyone -"

"What about Senbonzakura?" Zabimaru cut in, curious at the mention of his lover's name.

Ichigo blanched, blushed, and forced himself not to sink into his chair.

The grin still plastered to his face, Renji answered simply, "Ichigo thinks he's pretty," quirking an eyebrow at Zabimaru.

"No I don't!" the boy quickly snapped, only to be faced with a slowly raising eyebrow and glare on Zabimaru's part. "Well - I mean - I do, but -"

"But what?" Zabimaru interrupted lowly.

"He'sprettybutthat'sallIwasthinking - "

"Keep it that way."

"I was -"

"Good." The zanpakutou glanced back to Renji. "Might wanna make sure he's not eyeing Byakuya too closely."

Ichigo, this time, willed himself to die instead of disappear.

"Well, before I didn’ know he swung that way, but now that I know, I've got my eye on him," Renji assured, absently slipping his hand around Byakuya's, but providing the noble with no real explanation for his action, and keeping his gaze warily on Ichigo.

"I don't swing that way!" Ichigo hissed, trying to keep his voice down and still get his point across at the same time. "I was just... Oh, forget it," he mumbled, sighing and glancing at Orihime for help. "Make them shut up, will ya?"

Blinking in surprise at the sudden touch, Byakuya nevertheless twined his fingers about Renji's. A last few words with the elder were spoken before he turned back around, eyeing the scene to his left skeptically.

Unable to keep it in any longer, Orihime just leaned forward and started laughing, stifling what she could with her hands and generally trying to remain somewhat quiet. Renji snickered at both Ichigo's reaction and Inoue's loss of control. "Looks like yer all alone in that opinion," he teased, squeezing Byakuya's hand lightly to show he was aware of and appreciated the man's attention.

"Inoue!" Ichigo all but whined, looking extremely frustrated and still trying to glare at Renji through his obvious embarrassment.

"What opinion?" Byakuya interjected, hardly able to resist any conversation that seemed to make Ichigo uncomfortable.

"Don't you dare tell him," the boy hissed toward Renji.

"Why not? If it's really not like that, ya’ve got nothing ta be embarrassed about," Renji pointed out, mercilessly.

Gaping at him like a fish out of water, Ichigo struggled for a comeback only to realize he had none. "I - "

"Now I'm quite curious," Byakuya drawled, glancing to Renji as his thumb absently grazed across the back of his hand. "Do tell."

Snickering again, Renji turned back to the noble and said quite simply, "You look so good, it's confusing him."

The noble blinked, and then almost immediately turned a wary eye to Ichigo. "...What?"

"Same thing with Senbonzakura," Zabimaru noted idly.

Ichigo almost twitched in his seat, turning his head to glare at Renji darkly once more. "I swear, you are going to be so-"

"I know you are not threatening my husband," Byakuya interrupted, the level tone of his voice almost pleasant. At that little detail, finding it more than slightly terrifying, Ichigo balked and shut up.

His grin deepening smugly, Renji allowed the protective statement to pass by without commenting on any real or perceived slights towards his pride or combat ability. Just hearing Byakuya say the word "husband" was enough to satisfy him just then. As such, he slid a bit closer and returned the gentle brush of thumb to hand. Slowly, the smugness of his grin faded to something warmer and for a moment, the redhead didn't really care about perceived positions, equality or being overly sappy. It was his wedding day. Ichigo all but forgotten, Renji leaned against the arm whose hand he held, careful to mind the material and smudge-able parts of his face, and sighed contently.

A soft smile found its way to Byakuya's face, suddenly unable to sigh about what was proper or not. The stress eased in his mind somewhat at the weight of Renji against his arm as he decided that, regardless of what went wrong, it was fine; he and Renji were already official; the ink dry on the paper, and that was quite enough. On an afterthought, the noble tipped his head, unconsciously careful of kohl and powder as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of Renji's head and found it surprisingly easy to ignore the looks some of the house was shooting him. They were probably just jealous, anyway.

Another conspicuous flash of light and whirring noise blinked over the couple, but other than that, they were left alone.

A soft smile dusted Renji's lips as his reiatsu coiled up against the noble's, brushing it affectionately. So what if Yoruichi and Urahara would poke fun (good naturedly, of course) at the happy couple in the picture, or if everyone in that damn room saw him as "Kuchiki-sama's wife"? Right then, he couldn't care less. He was happy, and Byakuya was actually being affectionate in public. The warmth that thrummed inside him from that particular thought was enough to balance out any and all negative or resentful actions or labels.

As his reiatsu all but nuzzled back against the redhead's, Byakuya shifted, moving his chair a bit closer in turn and readjusting so that his arm subtly draped around Renji and drew the other man close, offering him his shoulder to lean upon. It seemed as if his family had given up with the exasperated glances and he couldn't help but allow a small smirk of victory. At least they realized when they had lost. "Don't get too comfortable;" he warned lowly, "they should start serving breakfast soon, once everyone's completely settled in."

"Too late," Renji happily informed his husband, smiling completely now and opening his eyes slightly to watch the servants scurry about. "I'll just have ta enjoy it while I can," he murmured, having absolutely no will to sit up just then, even if it meant food.

Certainly not able to protest, Byakuya only let out a quiet chuckle, his fingers absently running over Renji's side with obvious affection. "By all means, do. You have a few minutes yet." Quite content and unwilling to move himself, the noble settled back comfortably, his free hand seeking out Renji's and gently tangling around it.

"I wonder how many people just had conniptions," Renji murmured, keeping his voice low so that only Byakuya heard him, although the content smirk on his face spoke volumes.

"At least half the room," the noble replied, seeming almost happy about the observation. "Maybe more - ah, sit up, Renji. They're serving..." Gently - and rather reluctantly - pushing the redhead away, Byakuya regained his poise in a matter of seconds. He wouldn't have cared about breakfast, especially with Renji warm and comfortable against his side, if it weren't part of the traditions his family insisted upon. He had to make them at least somewhat happy.

After deliberately avoiding glances in the couple's direction, Ichigo found the distraction of food a welcome one. As glad as he was to see Renji was clearly happy, he couldn't help but find the entire situation... strange. Six years had apparently changed quite a bit between the Sixth Division officers that, last he knew, were trying to kill each other. Literally. He was almost afraid to ask how in the hell Renji had managed to win Byakuya over as much as he had.

"Ah-" Renji sat up, trailing his hand down Byakuya's arm as he did, happy to have gotten at least a glimpse of the noble's more rebellious attitude before breakfast was served. He'd been a little worried - considering how nervous he was, Byakuya had to be at least twice as stressed - but hearing the light tone of voice and feeling the easy enjoyment of his presence eased the redhead's mind enough that he could switch his attention to the delicious meal being served with little regret. He didn't, however, move from his now closer proximity to the man.

Pulling her eyes from the pair, Orihime smiled at the servant currently filling her plate, commenting on how good it all looked and asking if they didn't have some leek to go with it, perhaps? The servant gave her a strange look, caught himself, and then mumbled something about checking the kitchen as he continued on down the table. She glanced to her left, noting that Yoruichi's speedy picture taking slowed down with the arrival of food, and then moved her gaze closer to the boy beside her. It was a little strange, even after all they'd been through, to be seated at a wedding with the guy she'd had a rather large crush on for quite some time. She noticed, though, that he too seemed to be a bit off kilter, although considering his earlier reactions, she very much doubted it had anything at all to do with her.

"Is everything all right, Kurosaki-kun?" She ventured quietly, trying a piece of the fish platter added to her plate and finding it quite good.

The food was quite a good distraction and Ichigo was loathe to pause from its intake. "Hm?" Glancing up from his plate, he blinked at the girl next to him, his gaze only briefly darting down the steal a glimpse of Renji and Byakuya's actions. Still practically cuddling as they ate - Byakuya's family really had to be flipping out, he thought, somewhat amused and yet entirely perplexed at the same time. Whatever Renji had done to loosen the noble up, he had done it well. "Uh... Yeah. Everything's fine, Inoue." Ichigo smiled slightly, allowing a small admittance of his thoughts. "Just, y'know... wondering how the hell they came to this."

"I suppose the barriers had to come down at some point," Inoue pondered aloud, looking somewhat thoughtfully at the new piece of meat between her chopsticks. "... War changes people, you know? I mean... more than you'd think." She laughed a bit nervously and offered her friend a light smile, "Although I suppose that'd be hard for you to understand, since you're always just yourself." Orihime looked quickly back to her plate, feeling a bit embarrassed about her words, but not wishing to take them back. Ichigo was Ichigo, as vast and complex as that statement was, he'd never change. Perhaps that was one of the things that made him so attractive.

Frowning slightly, Ichigo spared the girl too much prodding about why she seemed so embarrassed, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "...Yeah, it is hard for me to understand. But... I can see how war changes people. Just... not to this extent, ya know?" The boy snickered, shaking his head as he poked absently at the food on his plate with a chopstick. "Like I told Renji, I still thought he had a thing for Rukia. I just... never saw this coming. At all." He paused briefly before shifting the subject and lowering his voice somewhat. "Speaking of Rukia, when the hell did she and Byakuya start getting along so well?" A quick glance in their direction only made him more curious, seeing as they seemed to be carrying on a relatively amiable conversation over their meal.

"Since today," Orihime answered quietly, drinking a sip of tea. "When I saw her this morning, she said Byakuya-san stopped by to give her that kimono," she added by way of explanation. After another moment of staring at her food, she glanced back at Ichigo. "Don't you think it's time they started acting like brother and sister?"

After eyeing the two for a moment longer, Ichigo nodded and turned back to his meal. "Yeah," he agreed with a smile, "I do. She deserves a family. Jus' hope she doesn't get too comfy here and never visits us again - it'd be weird without her around, y'know?" he added, only half-teasing. Sure, he wanted her to be comfortable and happy, but there was no doubt in his mind that if she settled back into Seireitei permanently, she'd be sorely missed, around both his household and Orihime's. "If nothing else, she'd stay for the food," Ichigo muttered between bites. "No wonder Renji's marrying into nobility."

Laughing lightly at Ichigo's commentary, Inoue immediately answered with, "I think there's more to it than that, Kurosaki-kun." She quickly glanced at the girl in question to take in the new scene presented; a relaxed Byakuya speaking with an animated Rukia. "I'm sure if we asked," she murmured, turning back to Ichigo and smiling reassuringly, "she'd visit for at least another eighty years or so. And after that we can visit her."  Despite the implied topic, her voice held a cheery note to it, as if merely planning a group vacation.

Ichigo paused in mid-bite, staring at the girl next to him. "...No wonder you and Renji get along so well," he sighed crossly, poking her with a chopstick. "You're both sick. Different ways, but still." The slight grin accompanying the words showed he was teasing - about Orihime, at least. For Renji's earlier remarks, he'd have to get some revenge, and of course, that thought prompted a sort of sulky glare in aforementioned redhead's direction.

Turning away from Rukia, Byakuya caught the glare directed in Renji's direction. A slight shift closer to his husband gave him ample opportunity to murmur against his ear, "Perhaps you are the one confusing him this time, ne?"

"Eh?" The redhead blinked and straightened in his seat, catching Byakuya's eye and then following the gaze to his left, to find he had somehow acquired Ichigo's attention again. As Byakuya's words settled in, a grin tugged at his features. "Never seen ya' pout before, Kurosaki - keep it up and I might be convinced yer jealous," he teased smugly.

Blinking as Renji caught his attention, Ichigo's 'pout' turned to a scowl. "I'm not poutin'!" he hissed, forcibly restraining himself from throwing something at Renji. "And I'm not jealous either-" though the words did make him blush. Fuming, Ichigo returned to glaring down at his plate, and stabbing a piece of meat with a chopstick. "I swear, I'm gettin' ya back for this, Renji."

"Che, get me back fer what? Draggin' ya ta the nicest wedding you've ever been to?" The redhead shot back, smile still firmly in place. "Ain't my fault ya don't know yer own preferences."

"No - for bein' on my case like this!" Ichigo growled and considered brandishing his chopsticks in replace of his zanpakutou temporarily. "I know my own preferences just fine, thank you - as well as you do, anyway. Kuchiki family all the way, hm?"

Understanding that statement well, Rukia instantly blushed and quickly jumped back into her plate of food. Byakuya paused, noting the reaction as he glanced back to Renji and lifted an eyebrow.

Renji rolled his eyes carelessly at the statement. "Byakuya and Rukia hardly make up the entire clan, ya' know," he pointed out and then added, "and even if they did, saying ya' know a thing about my tastes just because I've gotten farther with 'em both than you've gotten with anyone is just stupid. If ya' had any idea what my tastes were, you'd be stutterin' too much ta say anythin'."

Before Ichigo could even consider stuttering out a comeback, Byakuya cast a frown in Renji's direction. "Just how far is 'far'?"

"Nii-sama, really, it was nothing -"

"Really?" Byakuya interrupted his sister, eyeing the redhead skeptically. The urge to ask about exactly what 'tastes' Renji was referring to was strong as well, but he resisted out of caution, simply because of the company they were in. Knowing Renji, he'd find out later, anyway.

Surprised auburn eyes swung back around to meet Byakuya's skeptic gaze with an open confusion. "Why does it matter?" he asked, honestly wondering why in the world it would. The noble should have known him well enough by now to know that he'd never once considered the notion of cheating on the man, let alone with his sister. And even had he actually progressed anywhere with Rukia it would have been long before there was any involvement between them, and thus of no consequence.

The noble's brow furrowed as his frown deepened. "Because she's my sister," he stated, as if that explained everything. "And obviously, if Kurosaki-san can bring it up so easily, it was something relatively recent."

At that, Ichigo sunk into his chair slightly and cast Renji an apologetic glance. He didn't want the redhead in trouble with Byakuya, despite his urge to get him back for his teasings.

Renji sighed. Perhaps he'd been hoping for too much in expecting the noble to fully understand his loyalty. "Just a kiss," he answered quietly, "open, on the mouth." He didn't bother saying 'it didn't mean anything' or otherwise trying to justify it. It didn't need to be justified as far as he was concerned. He loved Rukia, sure, but it was nothing like how he loved Byakuya and the noble would just have to realize that on his own or 'the next eternity', as Ichigo put, would be one hell of a nightmare.

Still frowning, Byakuya glanced away with a careful nod. As he picked at the remainder of his meal, he fought back the recognition of the word 'jealousy' in his mind, outright refusing that he was. It was just a kiss - yet, it was Rukia, and though he held nothing against her for it, he knew Renji had feelings for her. He quickly decided that they were nothing like what Renji felt for him, but... he was still jealous, the noble admitted to himself with a quiet sigh.

Auburn gaze softening somewhat, Renji returned to his own breakfast as well, allowing Byakuya whatever time he needed. He did, however, resettle his reiatsu against the man as if encasing him completely. Really, Byakuya thought far too much when it came to things between them. Normally, the redhead could let it go, but on today of all days he sorely wished the noble would just stop and accept, relax and enjoy himself. Still, it would do him no good to pursue the issue right now, and as such he merely finished his tea and returned to scanning the room with a somewhat disinterested stare.

The warmth of Renji's reiatsu was a much-needed balm to his nerves and he visibly sunk beneath the soothing weight. A brief lapse of judgment, or perhaps the fact that Byakuya simply did not care at the moment, prompted him to abandon what was left of his breakfast and settle back with his head carefully placed against Renji's shoulder. Frown still in place, the noble nevertheless leaned against his husband's side, not oblivious to the scantily-hid shock directed towards him from members of his family and other nobles in the room but certainly not of the mind to be concerned.

The urge to pull Byakuya into his lap and soothe the off-kilter noble was strong enough that Renji had to actively keep himself from doing so; even with Byakuya's recent actions, he knew that such a gesture would be over and beyond what the man wanted or could even handle just then. Thus, he simply adjusted to the most accommodating position he could manage and subtly looped an arm around as Byakuya had before done to him. His reiatsu shifted, brushing affectionately against the other man.

Another soft sigh fled the noble as he relaxed quietly against Renji's side, his reiatsu automatically curling and holding firmly to the other man's. The soothing gestures calmed him, reassured him that Renji was, no doubt, loyal to him and that he really had no reason to be jealous. Of course, Byakuya knew that already. It was probably a matter of nerves, nothing more, but the noble still couldn't shake his frown and could find no reason to withdraw from Renji's embrace. "...I'm overreacting, aren't I?" the older man murmured, choosing to acknowledge his realizations out loud for Renji's sake more than his own.

"Yes," the redhead answered just as quietly. His hand sought Byakuya's and entwined their fingers between them. "Just forget about it, 'kuya," he added lowly, giving the noble's hand a light squeeze. "And try ta' relax a bit? You should be enjoying yerself."

Shifting slightly with a lightly heaved exhale, the noble gently returned the soft squeeze to his hand. "I am enjoying myself, I am only... concerned." Byakuya allowed his eyes to slide half-shut as he took in the scene of the room, gradually calming beneath the warm curl of Renji's reiatsu. Knowing his family would allow a considerable time for breakfast and chatter, Byakuya was content to milk his comfortable position for as long as he possibly could. For once, his family did have useful traditions.

"Concerned?" Renji questioned lowly, glancing over at Byakuya as he spoke.

Byakuya, despite not looking at the redhead, shifted a fraction closer to him. "...After all of this, and all that we've been through prior... I want everything today to be perfect." Allowing the completely honest admittance to hang on the air for a moment, the noble shut his eyes before adding even more quietly, "You deserve it."

Despite everything, Renji's immediate reaction was a deep blush that seemed to well up from a strong warmth building inside him from the noble's words. His reiatsu shifted again, wrapping more completely around the other man and then stilling completely. "The marriage contract was perfect," he said abruptly, the first thing that came to mind when thinking off all the little things Byakuya had done to alter and otherwise better the ceremony.

Warming beneath Renji's words, Byakuya allowed a faint smile to ghost across his features once again. "I am glad you approve, then," he sincerely returned, lifting his eyes to catch sight of his husband's blush and smirk softly as he all but curled up beneath the pleasant weight of the younger man's reiatsu. "I only hope the rest of the day is as perfect."

"With all the attention you've given it, I'm sure it will be," the redhead easily reassured, blush slowly coming under control as they spoke. Byakuya was a calming weight against his shoulder, and one that was more than welcomed just then, not only because of the action itself, but also that the noble seemed more than content to ignore all conspicuous flashes of light and scandalized stares sent in their general direction simply because of the small show of affection.

The hope that Renji was right and all of his work was going to pay off rested in Byakuya's mind as he slid his eyes carefully about the room, silently taking in the inhabitants' reactions. The most amusing stares came from what Rukia had dubbed the 'porcelain dolls' of the other noble houses: the women his family had been pushing on him for ages, before and after Hisana's death. Their snobbish glances of absolute jealousy were extremely amusing to him, and to gauge their reaction more than anything, he all but nestled into Renji's side and pressed a light kiss to his cheek.

A simultaneous reaction of outraged faces and sulky pouts following made him bite back a laugh, still amused even as he turned to the elder that had approached his chair and leaned over to warn him that the next ceremonies were beginning shortly. With a nod as a response, Byakuya still made no attempt to move from his comfortable position, trying not to be too stressed over matters that his family was otherwise handling according to his plans.

Somewhat surprised by Byakuya's show of affection Renji glanced down at the other man, and then across the way to where he was looking. Laughing softly once he understood exactly what had prompted the normally reserved man to the open display of fondness, Renji leaned over to return the gesture, minding both hair and makeup as he pressed a kiss to Byakuya's forehead. "If I didn't know any better," he murmured under his breath as the elder took his leave, "I'd say you were purposely egging ‘em on..." Amusement heavily layered his tone, complimenting the rather played down smirk he was trying to keep under control.

The noble only blinked in an astonishingly accurate imitation of the innocence Senbonzakura pulled often with Zabimaru. "And why would I do that?"

It was all Renji could do not to crack up just then. "No offense, Kuya, but if you ever make that face again, I might have ta' run away screamin'... Shit, ya been around Senbonzakura too much."

"Most likely," Byakuya agreed with a low chuckle, shifting slightly to get a better view of the room again. "I feel I should warn you that those women will, most likely, act somewhat vindictively to you if they see the chance."

"Che, I think I can handle myself," the redhead answered casually, patting Byakuya on the side. "And anyway, nothin' they could do is gonna take you away..." Auburn eyes dropped to meet blue grey ones.

"I am sure you can," he murmured, meeting Renji's eyes easily before continuing with a rare statement, one that represented his thoughts with utter sincerity. "...And I do not believe anything would be able to take me away from you without a difficult fight on both of our parts."

The room itself was quite a bit larger than he'd expected. It was towards the middle of the estate, which meant little to no outside light could filter through to the interior; to combat this, candles had been placed just above head level in a line that stretched around the entirety of the room's perimeter. It provided the room with a soft, earthy light, accented by a very thin layer of incense. The walls were lined with murals whose paint was faded by years unknown, yet shown from the polished care obviously bestowed on the room. Instead of the tatami mats that lined most of the other rooms of the grand demesne, the floor remained bare say for the floor cushions that lined each wall in three rows.

Renji's gaze skipped over the cushions along the walls to the arrangement in the very center of the room. A low table squatted with elaborately embroidered white cushions on each side of it except the end nearest the back wall. Its wood glowed warmly, glinting with the light of the golden thread lacing the pillows. The redhead took a deep breath, attempting to still his nerves, before dragging his gaze from his left to the end of the wall directly opposite him and the entrance there that framed Byakuya in the brighter light of the hallway. It was ridiculous to be so nervous - they were already married, technically, this was just another ceremony.

It wasn't just another ceremony. He could have cared less about the legal contract, but this - this was nothing less than an oath between the two of them. That was personal. That would weigh on him more than any piece of paper ever would. Ripping his gaze from the man occupying his thoughts so strongly was harder than he'd expected, but eventually his gaze settled on the older woman conducting the ceremony as she walked down the center of the room. The outer layer of her many robes slid across the wooden floors with a soft hiss Renji had come to associate with silk. The deep red layers against brilliantly white cloth shot images of blood splattered across the white stone of the inner court. The golden bangles in her hair twinkled with the callous disregard of deceptive energy that crept into your eyes and muddled your mind. The matching silver gleamed like metal's edge before being driven through their ultimately fragile forms.

Renji blinked forcibly and took a shuddering breath to draw himself back from the stark images. It was getting hard to focus; the best he could do was to keep the tremor isolated to his reiatsu. Some rational part of his mind was trying to explain the sudden flash backs, as if it would help his nerves at all, but he clamped down on that too, trying to center himself by listening to the woman's words.

"- to join two souls together in the most sacred of covenants, unbreakable as the cycle itself." She was on the far side of the table, now, facing them and the redhead absently wondered exactly how much he'd missed. Her hands raised, palm up, one in the direction of each entrance. "Enter those who commit to such a pact."

Enter. The word echoed in Byakuya's mind, his reiatsu held tight to his form lest it wisp about to seek out Renji's almost instinctively as a ripple of nervousness prompted a slow breath to escape him. That it was not shaky and all-together tremulous was a miracle that he could scarcely understand. Every nerve and sense known to him burned, yet shivered simultaneously, but somehow, Byakuya managed to restrain it with practiced care. Despite being already legally bound, this ceremony was the core of his union to Renji in every respect. It had to be perfect.

The first step was, and had been before, the most nerve-wracking sensation he had ever experienced. No mistakes could be made once he was in the eyes of his family and guests. After that initial step out of his entrance-way, however, Byakuya found it challenging, but still manageable, to maintain nothing but a cool, calm appearance as he crossed the floor to the table. Once Renji had approached the table as well, a silent nod from the woman was their cue, and Byakuya sunk with an easy elegance to the cushion in front of him.

How the hell can he be so calm? It was taking all of Renji's willpower not to let his distraught and rather confused frame of mind leak out, but even his reiatsu was showing the strain. Peripherally, he could see two identical looking women walking towards them with two identical black boxes, two identical mon on the top, glistening over the lacquer. He moved his gaze forcibly to the man across from him, drowning out the woman's words, and drawing on Byakuya's calm gaze to calm himself.

As they sat unmoving, the conductor of ceremonies motioned for the rest of the household and guests to join them. "Leave all but the best of you at the door, and let this union be blessed eternally in the hearts of all who would bear it witness."

Catching Renji's eyes, the noble allowed his own gaze to soften, and attempt to somewhat soothe the redhead when he currently could no other way. Byakuya knew exactly the jumble of nerves that Renji must be at the moment; he was in the same state, though even more tensely held despite the grace of movement that he still managed. Breathing somewhat shallowly to keep the shakiness from his form, Byakuya knew that his anxiety must have been flickering through his gaze, especially as he watched, from the corner of his eye, the movements of the women carrying the source of most of his stress. His reiatsu shifted, but he was numb to the reaction and red-clad woman's words as he struggled to keep his composure.

Waiting until everyone who would join them had, the woman looked once to the left and the right before signaling for the doors to be closed. A soft swish accompanied the movement, sealing off the outside light so that the warm light of candles permeated everything. Regarding both men before her, she remained silent a moment longer and then allowed her formal mask to break and a warm, welcoming smile slip through.

"I don't need to tell you the importance of this day - that it marks a new beginning in your lives, or that from now and on into eternity you are one together. I would tell you of the great challenges which await you, of the joy and the pain you will share with each other and of the resolve needed to embrace and protect this covenant above all things. I would tell you all this, if you did not already know such and know it intimately. The bond you already hold dear, the obstacles you have already overcome, the tenacity with which you fought to see this through - all this already strengthens you.

"Yet such strength does not maintain itself. You sit before me human souls, and you will leave the same; marriage will not change this. You both have weaknesses and will forever - you will probably discover weaknesses in each other which you do not now know. Marriage does not defend one against weakness, nor does it rid you of faults. There will be times when it seems as though weakness and fault are all you have - when you face one another as if across a divide. When these times come - and they will - do not shield yourself with this covenant. It is the bond you form now that will bridge whatever lays between you. It is your diligence to maintaining the strength if it that will keep that bridge strong. It is your love that will allow you to embrace each other and forgive.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, Abarai Renji," she nodded to each in turn. "Today you give your word to each other; to remain forever loyal to one another, to stand side by side in suffering as you would in prosperity, to support one another and to welcome that support when it is given. But most of all, your vow will be one of love, the words of which can only be spoken by you, the meaning of which can only be understood by you, this pledge, a weight to be borne and a wind to uplift you. Speak of it now, that it may be honored by all who have gathered here this day."

As the woman presiding paused and glanced between them, Byakuya inclined his head slightly, signaling he would speak first. Hopefully, his words would calm Renji and bring him a bit more confidence when it was his turn. He was just as nervous, if not more so, but for Renji, he could overcome this... for the most part. Speaking his mind in front of so many, and even being completely honest with Renji himself was no easy task.

"...If I am the night," he began softly, meeting Renji's eyes with a strength he did not know he had left, "then you are the day. If I am a distant star, you are the sun. And if I am the moon... You are the sun's rays that give it light. I have no doubts that you and I are utterly different in countless ways, complete opposites, perhaps; but I also have no doubts that you and I come together and complete each other. There is no light without dark, after all.

"Despite everything... you have stayed by my side. Despite war, sacrifice, and my own efforts - conscious or unconscious - to avoid you... you have stayed. You have made more sacrifice for me than I daresay anyone else has... and for that, I both commend you, and admire you, Renji."

Byakuya paused, hesitating slightly and briefly dropping his gaze, only to meet auburn eyes once more shortly. "You brought warmth to my life that I had forgotten existed... and for that, I love you. For that, I will remain by your side... despite everything." He paused once more, glancing to the woman that held the box that in turn held his gift. At the glance, she stepped over, kneeling and placing the box upon the table in front of him. The slow inhalation of breath the noble took was a nervous one, for this, despite the stark honesty in his words that he rarely allowed himself to speak with, was the most stressful part of the ceremony to him.

"My gift may be accepted one of two ways - a simple wine glass, to be the cup that we share our first drink in true marriage with - or as a symbol that reflects the heart of life. In my eyes... that is you. This goblet is everything you are to me: the supportive base I rely upon, the garden I can shelter myself in, the night I can bask in, and the greater whole that I seek to merge myself with." Byakuya shut his eyes before quietly adding, "This gift can in no way express all that I feel for you, Renji... but please consider it at least a meager start." The box was slid across the table and placed in front of Renji. "And with this... I be wed."

Taking in the entirety of Byakuya's words was hard in a way Renji had not yet encountered with the man. The words themselves were honest, and rather than covering his meaning, were chosen to accentuate it. And while the sincerity of those words and the subdued nature of the chosen gift calmed him somewhat, it also made it incredibly hard to reply. He dropped his gaze for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. A soft laugh broke his lips into a warm smile and auburn eyes rose once more, catching and holding grayish blue. Opposites indeed.

"That's... a really hard speech ta' follow," he admitted amiably. "You always were better at speakin' than I'll ever be... I remember that bein' one of the greatest challenges when first met. 'Hello' could've been anything from a greeting to a death threat, heh; it took me a while to figure that out." An affectionately amused look shifted his visage as he spoke. "That's one of the things I ended up likin' about you, though - I think you said it best the first time you compared us; you are the moon... although I guess I never really took the rest ta heart."

Another soft laugh and Renji's gaze slipped to the gift presented on the table. "... Unraveling you is gonna take a lifetime," he began again, looking up so that their eyes met once more, "and I'm thankful ta be given that chance. The more I understand you, the more I want ta have that honor of standing at your side. You've been... so much ta me in so many things - I can't even begin ta list everything. But I can say this much: if it weren't for the moon, I wouldn't have any light to guide me. I never really appreciated that until recently, so thank you for that and everything else I'm missin'."

His gaze shifted left, indicating for the second woman to step forward. She kneeled exactly as the other had and carefully placed the box on the table. With careful, practiced motions, she removed the lid, revealing a simple, silver key about the length of a man's hand. The only garnishes on it were the carefully pronged head and the decorative loops that made the end of the key, through which a thin chain had been strung. Renji returned his gaze from the gift to the man receiving it, once more having to forcibly calm his nerves.

"Hopefully, you're as good at picking up what I'm not going to say as you are at not saying things," he joked lightly, mostly for his own sake. "You can accept this gift in any way you like, so long as you understand that it's incomplete. There's... really very little ya don't already have, let alone anything that's actually worth you. And I've already given you just about everything I can... but there was one more thing: one thing you deserve and I could provide you with. This key is intended to both represent that gift and be a constant reminder of it. It also has a more practical use... In time, I think you'll be able to figure out." He took a steadying breath. "... With this gift, I be wed."

Automatically, Renji's words made him smile. He allowed the expression to show without any fight, simply feeling for the moment as he relaxed visibly beneath the other man's words. A somewhat calmed blue gaze slid to the key, regarding it with curiosity and perhaps a bit of confusion. For once, Renji was being more cryptic than he, but Byakuya could find no reason to question him. The intrigue was part of the gift, and strangely, perfectly, Renji. The reiatsu the noble had held so tightly about himself slowly began to unwind, several filament stretching across and coiling about Renji's as it had before.

A wave of relief relaxed the redhead's otherwise tense muscles both from Byakuya's reaction and the missed feeling of his reiatsu interwoven with his own. It was somewhat disturbing how addictive the feeling was, but with the amazing feeling of calm it spread through him, he really couldn't bring himself to care. He returned the gesture easily and with affection.

Waiting until it was clear both parties were settled, the woman conducting the ceremony inclined her head, drawing attention back to her. "These tokens and the words spoken today bind you together as one from this day forward. Care for and protect this vow, as it is not only a covenant between you, but to yourselves as well." After a weighted pause, her smile returned bright and joyous. "Retrieve these gifts and keep them always. Rise together, for now you are wed." Her gaze shifted around the room as she rose with them, arms wide in proclamation. "Let us rejoice, for on this day what were once two has become one!"

As the noble climbed to his feet, box in hand, a feeling of easy happiness fell over him for the first time in decades. In his mind, Renji and he were finally and completely bound to each other - a tie that no one, not even his family, could break.

Byakuya turned, the applause of the room in the back of his mind as he stepped toward Renji, grasping his hand in his own and gently entwining their fingers. "And now, the rest of the day is relaxing," he murmured lowly as they left the room together, his own reiatsu a calm, purring force against Renji's, clear and almost more audible than the congratulatory response of the room they left behind.

The walk to their next destination that Byakuya led Renji to was a short one; outside of the main ceremony room, there was a short hallway that led away from the center of the estate and to the side. Large, open windows poured in sunlight and the scent of the garden that was only yards away, reflecting nothing but brightness and what felt like a sense of good will into the room. The noble guided Renji to the back wall of the room where an array of cushions had been artfully piled, obviously in mind for comfort as well as aesthetics. He gracefully took a seat, a gentle tug coaxing Renji down with him, carefully placing the box that held his gift next to him on a particularly raised cushion as guests and family alike filed into the room behind them.

The sunlit room acted like the last bit of balm Renji's nerves had needed. He thrived on the atmosphere Byakuya drew him into as much as the noble's remarkably soothing reiatsu - instinctively, his own pressed back, warm and affectionate in its touch. As he took his seat, the redhead carefully placed Byakuya's gift to him at his side, relaxing into a sitting position on the surprisingly comfortable group of cushions, his thumb rubbing absently at the back of Byakuya's hand.

"You know..." he murmured, lips nearly against Byakuya's ear, "I was kind of hopin' ya’d wear my gift... especially since we'll be makin' use of yours." He pulled back just enough to see how the man reacted; finding it markedly easier to ignore sudden, bright flashes of light that otherwise would have drawn his attention in the natural light of the room.

Settling against the redhead's side, Byakuya couldn't keep back the slight shiver from the promise of Renji's words. "...Of course," he responded softly, pulling away only slightly to open the box and carefully remove the key. The sensation of the kidou that saturated the key made him blink in slight surprise, but he only gave Renji an arched eyebrow before slipping the chain over his head and carefully situating the key so it laid against his chest.

Relaxed and content, Byakuya could see no real reason to care what the hell his family was regarding him as for the rest of the day. He intended to be comfortable while they had to stay here, and sitting up was currently not taking care of that objective. With a murmur for Renji to hold still, the older man shifted and stretched out carefully, readjusting into a reclined position on his side, practically half-draped across his husband's lap as Byakuya rested his head against his thigh. "You make a comfortable pillow," he offered by way of explanation as he absently toyed with the key now around his neck.

Laughing softly at his husband's sudden disregard for propriety, Renji simply held still until the noble was comfortable and then gently laid a hand at the base of Byakuya's hair. "I'm glad to see my talents put to good use," he joked lightly, and then added, "but if you intend ta stay like that, I will pet you."

"Oh, go ahead," Byakuya sighed, shutting his eyes half-way and enjoying the gentle breeze that fluttered in from one of the open windows. "My family is already appalled enough - I see no reason not to make them choke a bit more. It's entertainment."

"Yer one sadistic bastard, 'kuya," the redhead snickered, allowing his fingers to thread through the man's silken black hair. "... S’pose that's just another reason ta love ya, though," he murmured, leaning down to place a fond kiss against the noble's temple. "How's the kidou? I thought it was subtle enough not ta bother, but, well, ya' know it's not exactly my strong point..." he questioned lowly, all of his attention on the man in his lap.

Almost purring beneath the touch, the noble shifted slightly, his fingers tracing the key as he held it in his palm. "It's fine," the older man reassured Renji, "though I am curious as to why it is there... I suppose I shall have to figure that out on my own as well, hm?" Byakuya tipped his head back slightly, catching the redhead's eyes as he rested it against his hip.

"Mmn, not on your own, but not right now," Renji answered cryptically, flashing the other man a teasing smile as he continued stroking the black hair in a soothing gesture.

 Byakuya couldn't help but roll his eyes before shutting them completely and relaxing beneath the gentle touch. His fingers absently curled about the key, warming the cool metal with the touch of his hand as he visibly calmed beneath the redhead's ministrations. "That feels good," he murmured lowly so the words would only reach Renji's ears, knowing his family was shooting him 'I can't believe you're acting like that' glances, but could really find no reason to be concerned.

"Ah, Nii-sama, Renji~" Rukia's voice made him shift slightly and crack open an eye half-way. The girl stood in front of them, smiling somewhat shyly but nevertheless clearly happy. Such a sight was another warmth to his state of being and Byakuya wondered how much better this day could possible get. "It was a beautiful ceremony," she said, blushing lightly. "I just wanted to congratulate you again-"

"Oi, Rukia!" Ichigo's voice interrupted the girl, cutting in as he stepped closer and tried not to blush at the obvious affection between the two men. "Inoue wants to know if you've seen Senbonzakura."

Rukia blinked, glanced about, and then shrugged, not noticing that Byakuya bit back a laugh. "No, I haven't... Come to think about it, I haven't seen him since the last ceremony. Zabimaru, too..."

At that, Byakuya couldn't help but snicker. "Wherever Senbonzakura is, Zabimaru is." The look upon Ichigo's face was certainly worth relaying that bit of information.

Having both Rukia's presence and seeing that it actually relaxed Byakuya to be in it was like witnessing a triumph he'd never expected to see. Renji's grin widened, continuing the gentle stroking motion as Ichigo interrupted and then promptly blushed at the noble's blunt statement. Really, that kid had so much growing up to do. Not that he minded, of course, since Ichigo was so much fun to tease. He noticed Orihime come over, no doubt wondering at the cluster that had grown. She made it close enough to hear Byakuya's comment and then frowned at the loss.

"Sorry, Inoue," Renji grinned, pulling her into the conversation, "It's probably best not ta go lookin' for 'em."

"Mou..." she sighed, clearly getting the point and clearly ruing it. "That's so unfair."

The redhead just shrugged. "Maybe they'll come back later."

"Doubt it," Inoue sighed, but then brightened and leaned over, giving Renji a tight hug. "The ceremony was very touching." She smiled and pulled away, "I'm so happy for the both of you~"

Fighting back a blush, Renji just continued to smile, curling his reiatsu a bit closer to Byakuya's as he thanked the young woman for her words.

"I really didn't need to know your zanpakutou were doing that..." Ichigo mumbled mostly to himself as he continued blushing.

Ignoring Ichigo and all but purring, Byakuya's own reiatsu slid against Renji's, cool and relaxed and completely content. He flashed Orihime a small smile, murmuring his own thanks before turning his head against Renji's hand that had slowed with the distraction of conversation. "You stopped," he accused, nudging his palm lightly.

"Not intentionally," Renji soothed, actively returning to his previous motions.

"Ne, Byakuya-san, this is the reception, right?" Inoue interjected, peering around thoughtfully. "Is there some sort of entertainment or something? I know... in the living world, there's usually dancing and food and stories being passed around... what's it like here?" She knelt down so he wouldn't have to look up at her, and grinned, rapt with attention. Given the question, Renji was inclined to, this one time, let Ichigo's embarrassed commentary go un-teased.

With a murmur of approval, Byakuya closed his eyes briefly, his reiatsu settling into a rumbling purr beneath the touch of Renji's hand. At being addressed, he opened his eyes half-way again and glanced at Inoue. "It is, actually, fairly similar - I'm sure the servants are arranging the food as we speak, and I give Yoruichi another five minutes before she stops taking pictures and starts going into stories about our... childhood together." The thought made him visibly wince.

"Okay, now I'm curious," Ichigo cut in, somewhat over his blushing. Food and Yoruichi torturing Byakuya was a nice mix.

"Should be interestin', at least," the redhead added, caught somewhere between possible amusement and the instinctual need to protect Byakuya's pride.

"Childhood?" Inoue echoed thoughtfully. After a moment she laughed and straightened into a standing position, "It's weird to think of you as a child, Byakuya-san"

"I wonder if I could get away with leaving before she starts up," the noble sighed, tipping his head back a bit more so that it rested against Renji's hip. "Some of this really does not need to be brought up."

"I'll go find her!" Ichigo crowed, seeming quite happy at the prospect as he dashed through the crowds.

"Maybe they'll bring out the food to distract him before he finds her," Rukia suggested hopefully.

"Ya realize that food couldn't possibly come fast enough to stop Ichigo when he's using shunpo to find the self proclaimed God of Flash for the sole purpose of embarrassing Byakuya, right?" Renji answered dryly.

"Byakuya-bou~"

The call over the entire crowd in the room made Byakuya nearly cringe. "We're leaving," he announced, sitting up and only pausing briefly to straighten his clothes before standing and holding out his hand to Renji. "My apologies," the noble directed towards Inoue and Rukia, "but I cannot find any reason to stay when the threat of Yoruichi is about."

Inoue laughed lightly and nodded, waving lightly. "Well, enjoy yourselves, then."

Unsure exactly how he could get this lucky but going with it anyway, Renji snatched up the goblet and used Byakuya's hand to hoist himself to his feet. "We will," he assured with a wink and a grin, moving closer to his husband. "Lead the way - and you better make it fast," he quipped, glancing over his shoulder to gauge Yoruichi's distance.

All but dragging Renji from the room, the noble darted out of the back entrance, finding himself lucky enough to avoid any of his family that would be wondering why they were leaving so early. Shutting the door behind them, Byakuya led the way down the hallway at a calmer pace and breathed a slow sigh of relief. He glanced up at Renji, arching an eyebrow. "You seem quite eager to leave," he quipped, a small smirk tugging on his lips.

"There a reason I shouldn't be?" the redhead answered cheekily, "'cuz you seem pretty 'eager' yerself."

"I never said I wasn't," Byakuya shot back, sparing a seemingly absent glance about the hall. When he was sure the hallway was empty, he stopped and grasped Renji's arm, and all but dragged him over and down into a deep, heated kiss. "You've been wanting," he breathed against Renji's lips, "to do that all day, haven't you?"

"... You have no idea, 'kuya," the redhead all but growled, grabbing the front of Byakuya's outfit and shoving him against the nearest wall. His lips covered the noble's aggressively, kissing him hotly until finally parting for air. "That is what I've been wantin’ ta do all day," he smirked.

Compulsively, the noble grabbed at Renji's upper arms, holding tightly as he poured a groan into the kiss. Flushed and out of breath, Byakuya did not loosen his hold when Renji pulled back, lips parted as he sucked in a somewhat calming breath. "We need... to get to my room," he all but panted out, giving up on restraining his own lust. "Now."

"Yeah," Renji agreed, smirking a bit smugly as he stepped away and continued on down the hall, glancing over at Byakuya as he did. "'sides, I still have ta give ya' my real gift, eh?" he added cryptically.

Byakuya briefly closed his eyes before straightening from the wall and following Renji with at least some semblance of composure. "...Real gift?" he echoed, lifting an eyebrow in question.

"You don't seriously think I'd just give you some key, no explanation, and not have it actually work for anything, do you?" the redhead joked, mirth and affection obvious in both his tone of voice and visage.

"Well, I suppose that would be a little strange, even for you," the noble teased back, though his curiosity was clearly peaked again. His hand lifted and curled lightly about the key around his neck, finding the subtle thrum of kidou steadying to his on-fire nerves.

Renji just laughed lightly and shook his head, opening the door when they reached Byakuya's- their chambers and walking in. "First, though, I need a washcloth or somethin' ta get all this stuff off my face," he muttered, glancing around for one, but really not having any idea of where such a thing would be.

Rolling his eyes, Byakuya stepped past him and across the room, stepping through a side door that led to a washroom. "I apologize if this morning was entirely unbearable," the older man replied over his shoulder before stepping from the washroom and handing Renji a dampened cloth.

"Eh, it wasn't too bad." Snatching the cloth, Renji quickly scrubbed his face clean of the powdery, colorful mess. "But I don't think I'll ever understand how prudish nobles can be when they're fuckin' jumped and stripped like that."

"You weren't 'jumped'," the noble sighed, watching the redhead for a moment before stilling his hand and taking the cloth from him. "You're only going to smear the kohl if you keep that up," Byakuya muttered, grasping Renji's chin to steady himself as he carefully traced beneath each eye to remove the blurry black shadow left from the decoration. "There." Releasing his husband's chin, Byakuya stepped back to examine him. "...I think I prefer you without makeup." With a smirk, he added, "Though Tsukiko agreed with me that you are quite handsome, regardless."

"Che, well..." Renji trailed off as his chin was taken and held firmly in hand and the damp cloth pressed carefully to his face. There was something far too casual and easy about Byakuya's movements just then, the familiarity of it inexplicably soothing. When the noble pulled back it was if a trance state broke, and the redhead had to blink to bring hid immediate surrounding back into focus. "Does that mean I won't have to deal with makeup again?" he asked hopefully.

"It will be a long while if you ever have to again," Byakuya gently assured him as he turned away and set the cloth on the vanity. "Now... what was this about your 'real gift'?"

With a grin, Renji stepped back and turned, walking quickly to the bed and then dropping down beside it, reaching underneath and dragging out a moderately sized, wooden chest. He turned back towards the noble then, and sat on the chest. "This ain't it either, but it is what that key's for," he explained, looking up at the noble so their eyes caught. "Now just let me say this, 'cuz I know yer gonna try to rationalize this or try ta play it down, but, well, just don't, 'cuz I'm giving this to ya' willingly, not 'cuz I think I have ta or anything like that, got it?"

The noble blinked in surprise, but decided to heed Renji's advice not to try and rationalize the situation. "...You're already hiding things underneath the bed?" he questioned lightly, amused despite his confusion and allowing his good humor to reflect clearly in blue-grey. "All right, Renji... If your intention is not to simply clutter my room, then what is the real gift?"

Smiling easily at the noble's response, the redhead straightened on the chest and replied, "My real gift ta you is control. It's the one thing I have left ta give ya'... and I know it's something you can't always have, even though ya' always want it." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts and finally stood. "Even if it feels like everythin' is just fallin' ta pieces... you can always have control between us - over me. That's what the key is for - that's what the chest is for... You can use them, or not, that's up to you, but the real gift is always there, always yours to take, whenever you want for whatever reason." He smiled faintly, casting his gaze back at Byakuya. "That's really what I wanted to give you..."

"Renji-" Byakuya began, frowning slightly as he caught the redhead's gaze once again. "You don't..." Don't try to rationalize he reminded himself, and heaved out a soft sigh. He never imagined Renji, of all people, to simply offer surrender like this. This was the same man that he could see struggling to swallow his pride, and yet... Renji would do that for him in a heartbeat. As usual, Renji was far more considerate, and had far more depth and understanding than he could ever give him credit for. After a small pause, the noble simply nodded, offering him a small smile. "...Thank you. That is... a far greater gift than anyone else could give me." Stepping toward him, Byakuya eyed the chest and pulled the chain the key dangled upon over his head. "Here-" he passed the key to the younger man. "Open it for me, I'm curious."

Relaxing a bit once he was sure his gift had actually been accepted, Renji nodded and took the key and crouched down next to the box. "'m not sure how much of this you know," he prefaced, sliding the key into the lock and turning it, resulting in a slight shift of power as the kidou reacted and allowed the mechanism to unlock, "so if ya don't know... just ask." That said, he pushed the lid back on its hinges, and then partially turned back towards the noble, glancing up at him.

His eyebrows shot up, a mix of faint surprise (though that didn't last long, as he thought about all of this) and amusement slowly filtering through his senses as he recalled certain things the redhead had alluded to, even earlier that day. "'Preferences' indeed, Renji," the noble drawled, knowing that Renji could certainly be intrigued as to why he wasn't exactly... completely taken aback by what was in the chest. He supposed explaining to Renji that when one had associated with persons like Yoruichi and Kaien, well - that was enough 'corruption', as his family would call it, for a lifetime. There was also no doubt in Byakuya's mind that Renji was far more experienced than he, judging by the fact he had never seen some of the contents before, but perhaps that would be half the fun. "...I know enough," Byakuya stated lowly before dropping down next to the redhead and absently brushing a hand over his cheek. "I suppose I should put a kidou on the room, hm?"

A red eyebrow rose at Byakuya's initial and then later responses, Renji noting to himself that there seemed to be quite a bit about the noble he still had yet to find out. Not that he minded in the least; if anything, the man's reaction was a promising one. Lidding his eyes partially, the redhead followed Byakuya's hand, brushing his lips along the palm as it dropped. "Unless ya want to take your chances with one of mine," he answered blithely, smirking back at the older man.

A shiver travelled through the noble, starting at the touch of Renji's lips and making its way down his spine. "That's actually an intriguing idea," Byakuya all but purred as he leaned forward, one hand bracing on the ground as his lips ghosted over the edge of Renji's ear. "You could use some practice at maintaining kidou under... distraction." The word was accented with a sharp nip of the redhead's ear lobe.

Renji exhaled softly, letting his eyes fall shut if only momentarily. "Whichever you prefer; I am yours ta command," he murmured lowly, resisting the urge to reciprocate and allowing the situation to unfold as it would.

Byakuya's eyes lidded, blue slowly clouding with growing desire. "You do it," he murmured against his ear before his lips drifted down, teasingly soft against Renji's neck as he lifted a hand and began carefully peeling away the layers of his outfit. "And make sure it's strong... I don't want any interruptions." Once Renji's haori was slipped off and at least pushed out of the way, slim fingers dove towards the area of bare chest visible despite the under kimono, a thumb firmly brushing over his collarbone.

Renji shivered both at the noble's touch and his words, his eyes slitting open as he tried to collect himself enough to follow his orders. The next few hours, it seemed, would be a difficult test of his restraint and ability. He looked forward to it. Tilting his head back to allow Byakuya better access, Renji began running through a mental list of kidou that would not only perform as asked, but were also something he could cast reasonably well. Finally selecting one of the higher level containment spells, he dropped his hand to the ground to help clear his mind and center the energies. He mumbled the words under his breath, trying to focus; not trusting himself with skipping the incantation just then.

Briefly pausing, the noble gauged the strength of the kidou that layered about the room and found it to be satisfactory. His lips fastened to the same spot on Renji's collar bone that his thumb had worried previously, sucking and scraping his teeth slowly over the small mark he left. "Care to tell me what some of your favorites are in this box?" Byakuya queried, his tone light and almost teasing as his fingers slid further down Renji's chest, pushing aside cloth and, after hooking his fingers into the knot, jerking the tie that secured the kimono to Renji's body undone.

Curling his hands against the floorboards, Renji took a moment to settle his heart rate a bit, knowing this would probably be long and not wanting to burn himself out too early. "Anything that would have me at your mercy," he finally answered, trying to be honest with a reply that was hard to explain. "Not... individual things; combinations," he attempted to further clarify, fingers twitching slightly as he kept himself from returning Byakuya's affections until the noble made it clear that such actions were permitted.

"Show me," he breathed, lips pressing against Renji's throat, breath hot against his skin. "Because I know, just from looking in there, quite a few ways to have you at my mercy right now... but I want the best. It is our wedding night, after all; let me spoil you a little." A brief, downcast glance caught how Renji's hands strained to touch him, and Byakuya couldn't help but smirk. His tongue trailed lightly beneath the redhead's chin as he murmured as if with an afterthought, "And you can touch me... for the moment."

"Restrain me," Renji answered, finding his throat had gone dry, the mere prospect of describing how he could be brought to full submission having a strong effect on him when they had only just begun. "Use the collar," he continued, dropping his eyes even as hands rose to gently caress the exposed skin at the noble's throat, "so I am constantly aware... of who is my master." He took a shuddering breath, trying to reign in his fluttering pulse. "Use one of the harnesses to keep me from climax, and either keep me stimulated or leave me at the edge and enjoy yourself... And whatever ya do, don't be afraid of hurting me."

Byakuya struggled to keep a firm grip on his self-control and to not simply sink into the touch of Renji's hands. "All right," he murmured, all but purring beneath Renji's caress, and turning his head to lightly kiss the inside of his wrist. "But first - " the noble pulled back and slowly climbed to his feet. "Undress me. And I like that... 'Master'." He smirked faintly, catching Renji's chin in hand, tipping his head up to meet his eyes as Byakuya brushed his thumb slowly over the redhead's lower lip. "Call me that."

Unable to pull his eyes away from Byakuya's piercing gaze, Renji's hands rose blindly to the ties for the noble's hakama and made quick work of them. "As you wish... Master," he replied softly, rising as the hakama slid to the floor, and carefully removing the noble's haori. Once done, he moved to the ties of the kimono and it's under layers, making sure to pay the proper respect to both the cloth itself and the body it hid without overstepping his bounds.

The noble's own hands wandered, resting on Renji's hips before sliding inward, grazing over the hard muscle. Dropping down, his fingers caught the ties of the redhead's hakama, tugging Renji closer with that hold as Byakuya slowly undid the knot. "I could get used to you calling me that." His voice was a low rumble against Renji's neck as his lips brushed over the thudding pulse there.

It was so very simple, yet such exquisite torture; touching lightly but wanting more, being touched yet not enough - all at Byakuya's will. Renji drew a shuddering breath and willed himself to continue on as he had been, sliding the material off the noble's shoulders as far as the man's arms would allow. "That is my hope," he finally replied, eyes on the beautiful body he was unwrapping.

Another tug brought Renji's hakama down, and Byakuya pulled his arms away enough to allow his own kimono to be peeled off. Silently, he pushed away the kimono that still clung to Renji's form, the tie already loosened from his previous ministrations. The noble turned away then, toward the box, where he knelt and retrieved the first few items he would need. "On your knees," he commanded softly but firmly as he turned back to Renji, eyes following the lines of the redhead's body in clear appreciation.

Renji's knees buckled as if on their own accord, dropping him to the hard floor. He kept his back straight and eyes forward, consciously making an effort not to look away or, conversely, seek out Byakuya's gaze. He could feel the weight of the noble's eyes as they traced his form, and couldn't but help the pleasure the simple gaze triggered within him. Remaining still, he waited for whatever came next, the anticipation gnawing at his nerves.

Byakuya bent slightly at the waist, securing a leather collar about Renji's neck, his fingers carefully pulling crimson hair out of the way in the process. A leash was attached to the collar, and the noble wrapped it about his hand, pulling it taunt as he kept a hand tangled firmly in Renji's hair. Effectively baring the younger man's throat, he leaned down further, grazing his teeth over the arc before biting roughly where neck met shoulder, just below the collar, leaving a dark, possessive mark.

A harsh groan bore itself up from Renji's throat, erupting loudly into the otherwise silent room. His eyes closed involuntarily as he savored the feel of being marked. It was all he could do to keep from leaning up into the older man's affections, keeping his body still until he knew exactly what was wished of him.

His tongue ran hot and wet over the darkening bruise, both soothing and stimulating as the noble loosened his hold on Renji's hair. He straightened, murmuring a soft sound of approval as the other man remained still. "On the bed," Byakuya instructed, dropping the leash and sliding his fingers back through Renji's hair, pushing it back from his face and twisting strands of it about his fingers before slowly withdrawing the touch. "And on your back - lean against the backboard."

"H-Hai," Renji managed, his breath hitching from the gentle caresses he fought against leaning into. He waited until Byakuya fully withdrew the torturous touch to move, but was quick to his feet soon after. As he slid on to the bed, he contemplated the noble's directions, finding them somewhat unclear. Doing his best with what he had, the redhead turned to his back, and leaned only his shoulders against the headboard. "... Like this, Master?" he hazarded a glance at Byakuya, trying to gauge the man's reaction.

Casting a quick glance over the redhead, Byakuya spared a small nod. "Yes." He followed Renji onto the bed, settling to his left side as he caught one of his wrists in his own hand, and secured one of the leather restraints about it. The action was followed by looping it about the bedpost, tying it tightly, but with enough slack that Renji could still move, yet not touch him. Byakuya did the same for the other arm, and after tugging to make sure the restraints were, in fact, secure, leaned down, brushing his lips teasingly over Renji's as he murmured, "I know they're looser than you want... but I want to watch you be within inches of touching me and yet not being able to." His fingers slid down the tattooed chest, nails slowly dragging over a nipple.

Instinctively tugging at the restraints, Renji found them exactly as Byakuya intended; just enough leeway to give the illusion of freedom. For someone who only knew "enough", the noble seemed more than apt at exploiting his every weakness. "Yer torturin’ me..." He moaned softly, distracted enough by then to arc up against the teasing touch at his chest.

A slim hand pushed Renji back down, his thumb rubbing slow, firm circles around the same nipple. "Mm, yes..." Byakuya's lips slid to his throat, trailing kisses until he reached the top of the collar, his teeth nipping skin before teasingly tugging on the leather. "But you wouldn't enjoy yourself as much if I didn't."

Gasping at the dual, light stimulation, Renji's eyes fluttered against his will to keep them open. He strained against his new restraints, pulling them taunt as a counter measure to keep from reacting further the attention paid to his nipple. "This is... for yer enjoyment," he reminded breathlessly.

"I know," the noble murmured, giving the collar a last, teasing tug before pulling back completely. "You can't tell me you aren't enjoying this as well, though." His fingers skimmed down from the nipple, trailing down Renji's stomach and tracing slow patterns as it went lower. "And I enjoy myself more when I see you..." Sliding his hand down, Byakuya's fingers traced along the younger man's desire, slow and deliberate. "... desperate for more." His thumb swiped up and over the very tip of his desire.

Firm muscles trembled from the task of keeping his hips still and otherwise unreactive to the noble's touch. Renji groaned and pulled at his restraints, his whole body tensing, a gasp of breath turning swiftly to harsh pants as he found himself unable to keep from watching what Byakuya was doing to him. He clenched his teeth, trying to keep the words in his throat at bay.

Byakuya shifted again, reaching back with his free hand for the other piece of leather he had brought onto the bed with him. His fingers curled about Renji's length, giving a firm, long stroke before his fingers slid lower, cupping and massaging the tender sacs as the leather of the harness was secured with his other hand. Buckling it tightly, Byakuya continued on with tightening the other loop of the harness in front of Renji's testicles. The noble changed positions to admire his handiwork, his right hand moving to hold down one of Renji's hips as he bent, trailing a slow, teasing tongue around the head of his lover's desire.

A low, almost pained keening erupted from the redhead at the hot, wet touch of his husband's tongue. He jerked in his restraints, closing his eyes and turning his head as he panted to catch his breath and hopefully retain control over his body's reactions. It was all he could do not to thrust up against the teasing touch.

Blue eyes lifted, watching the redhead through dark eyelashes. He dipped his head again; tongue running flat over the tip before his lips parted, wrapping around and engulfing Renji briefly in the wet heat of his mouth. Pulling back with a slow sucking motion, Byakuya kept his gaze upon Renji, taking in his reactions while he was bound and collared and subject to his every whim - the older man shivered slightly, his nails digging into the skin above his lover's hip. "Is there something you want, Renji?" Byakuya purred, half-breathless but not caring. "Give me a good answer and maybe I'll consider granting it," he added with a smirk.

Renji arched off the headboard with a loud moan, unable to control his reaction to Byakuya's pleasures. He took a shuddering breath and opened his eyes once more to catch the noble's gaze and read the intent in it, only to find such a task impossible. Byakuya was making this as hard as possible on him. Hands fisting, Renji forced himself to fall back and calm his muscles at least somewhat. Another, steadying breath passed his lips before he whispered, "My only wish is my master's desire."

The noble simply watched Renji for a moment, taking pleasure in his struggles to take part in more sensation and yet calm himself back into submission. "Good answer," he murmured after a short pause, approval in his tone as he leaned up and over the younger man and braced his left hand next to Renji's right side. "Do you have any idea," Byakuya breathed, kissing the side of Renji's parted lips, "how good you look like this?" His hand snaked down, skimming beneath the redhead's right thigh and pushing it back, coaxing his leg to bend at the knee. "The only thing that could make this better... is hearing you scream... and beg for more when I take you." Two fingers slid lower, grazing over his entrance. "Understand?"

Breathing slowly despite the shudder that slid through him, Renji clenched his stomach muscles tightly to keep his hips from reacting to the noble's wandering hands. "Understood," he answered quietly and then added, "Am I permitted to move?" auburn eyes trailed down Byakuya's face and then dropped their gaze submissively to the side.

"Yes," Byakuya murmured in answer, nipping the redhead's lower lip as he moved, pushing Renji's legs further apart and settling between them. He pulled the already-bent leg over his shoulder and leaned forward, forcing him to stretch as his lips slid down his lover's bared throat. "The more you please me... the more I'll be willing to help you with this." At that, his fingers slid down, wrapping loosely about Renji's erection. Any response that could have been given was quickly stifled with a rough, hot kiss pressed to Renji's lips, Byakuya's tongue prying past and kissing him deeply. That, and the tightening hand around his length was the only distraction Byakuya gave before arcing his hips forward, filling him to the hilt in one long thrust.

Renji's hips bucked up instinctively, his initial cry swallowed by the lips all but devouring him. His muscles clamped down around the intrusion, blurring his sight with the mix of biting pain and stunted pleasure. His free leg cinched Byakuya's waist as he pulled them closer together, gasping and moaning into the kiss.

A low groan tore from the noble's throat, sharp sparks of pleasure flooding his body at the sensation of tight heat around him. His arm hooked more tightly about Renji's leg, nails digging into his thigh as he drove forward again, hitting hard and deep, angle sharpened and rougher than the last. Pulling back from the kiss for the sake of a ragged breath, Byakuya's lips fastened instead on Renji's throat, littering more marks in his wake.

Once released from the kiss, Renji threw his head back, bearing it to Byakuya's onslaught as he screamed in pained pleasure. He thrust back, impaling himself on Byakuya's length hard enough to wrench another cry from his own lips, dry throat aching as his wrists burned beneath the leather restraints. "Harder!" he gasped, arcing up harshly beneath the older man. "Please- harder!"

Snapping his hips forward, Byakuya granted Renji's request with a harder, deeper thrust to answer the cant of the redhead's own hips. He growled, his free hand grasping roughly at one hip, dragging the other man against him with each thrust that followed.

A last, especially deep thrust threw the noble into an abyss of pleasure, and he found himself gasping for breath, chest heaving as his nails raked across skin and held tightly to the prone body beneath him. His eyes fell half-lidded, blurred and unseeing as waves of sensation washed over him, reiatsu somehow contained to a low, but violently churning whirlpool of heated energy. Even as he continued to shiver and settle from his release, Byakuya was quite aware of the trembling form beneath him. He smirked lazily, lips brushing Renji's sweaty temple as he slowly separated their lower bodies. "I think you deserve a reward," he murmured, a hand slipping down and undoing the first buckle on the harness.

Gasping and quaking beneath the noble, it was all Renji could manage to keep his dizzying mind focused. "Please," he pleaded softly, unable to form any other words just then.

The last strap was loosened and the harness pulled away before Byakuya bent, thumbs lightly pressing into Renji's hips. A warm, wet tongue swirled around the head of his desire before the noble's lips parted, slowly taking him into his mouth as his throat gradually relaxed. Not teasing his lover this time, Byakuya began a sucking motion, firm and slow.

Already stimulated to the point that he would have climaxed if not for the harness Byakuya had applied earlier, all it took was the noble's warm coaxing to bring him to release. Renji did his best to keep his hips down, but couldn't tell if he'd managed to, his body overcome by the sudden wave of pleasure that crashed over him, tearing Byakuya's name from his lips before he could even think to change it.

The noble relaxed his throat a fraction more, swallowing as his hands remained firm on Renji's hips to counteract the arc of them. Slowly, he pulled away, absently trailing his tongue down to clean up anything he had missed. Byakuya then slid back against the redhead's left side, stretching a hand over and untying the right restraint from Renji's wrist before doing the same on the left. He nestled a bit further against his side, nuzzling at Renji's neck where his teeth teasingly bit at the collar that still remained. "That looks good on you," Byakuya idly remarked.

"Glad you like it," Renji murmured, sagging down into the bed gratefully, and slowly bringing his arms around to embrace his husband.

Snuggling into the warmth of Renji's arms, the noble lifted his hand to undo the collar and move it out of the way, mostly to give himself the familiar comfortable position of tucking his head beneath his husband's chin. His reiatsu weaved around the other man's languidly, cooling and steady.

Renji's hand automatically came up to stroke the noble's silken hair, trailing his fingers along the man's scalp as he did. With a content sigh, the redhead relaxed into the covers of their bed. "... I love you," he whispered, kissing the top of the man's head affectionately.

All but melting beneath the soothing touch, Byakuya's eyes slid shut, his arm draping lightly across Renji's chest. "I love you, too, Renji," he sighed, more relaxed and content with those words than he had ever been.

Glancing down the bed, Renji momentarily considered asking if that statement covered not getting upset over white covers getting stained red, but decided it was probably best not to inform the other man that he was bleeding. At least, not just yet. A relaxed Byakuya was not something that happened very often, after all.

Feeling the younger man's slight movements, Byakuya cracked open an eye and absently nuzzled at his neck. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing, 'kuya," Renji reassured, not wanting to break the lull that had settled over them just yet.

"Must be something if you keep moving," he murmured, pushing himself up on an elbow. Red across white silk that wasn't Renji's hair caught his eye and Byakuya balked, first at the thought that Renji was bleeding, and second that it was on his white silk sheets. "...Please tell me that comes out easily?" he managed weakly.

Heaving a sigh, Renji shifted out from beneath the other man, managing to hold back a wince as he did so. "No," he explained as he moved to get off the bed and thus remove the source of the stain, "it doesn't. Get up, I'll go soak these and clean up."

Frowning, Byakuya slid off the bed, eyeing the covers a last time before glancing to Renji and focusing his concern on him. "Are you sure you're all right?" He compulsively brushed hair from his eyes, and was reminded of the kenseikan that were still in his hair. The noble carefully began unwinding them from his hair as he added, "If you want, while that soaks, we could slip out to the hot springs. That might help you a bit..."

Halfway through collecting the sheets off the bed by the time Byakuya made his offer, Renji paused mid tug, staring up at the man across from him with the most incredulous look he could make. After a moment he tugged the sheets the rest of the way off and shook his head, a smirk slowly forming as he chuckled, walking around the bed towards the washroom. "Let me clean up a bit before I get internally cauterized, okay?" he offered bemusedly.

A twinge of guilt went through the noble. "All right... I'm sorry - but I did tell you before today that you should let me be gentle," he sighed, tugging the last piece of kenseikan from his hair. He set them on the vanity before moving to his closet, pulling out a pale blue kimono and dressing.

"I didn't ask for an apology, Kuya, and I don't want one," the redhead answered, pausing outside the entrance to the washroom with an easy smile. "I enjoyed myself quite a bit... so don't feel bad about it. I told you that already, didn't I? Not to feel bad if you hurt me?"

"Yes," Byakuya sighed, tying the kimono about his waist. "You did. And as long as you enjoyed yourself..." The noble relaxed again beneath Renji's smile, returning it with a small one of his own. "Go on. I'll clean up out here."

"There's cleaning stuff in the chest," Renji answered and disappeared through the washroom door. Minutes later he reappeared, running a hand through his hair as he moved it away from his face. He paused a moment, looking around the room. "Ya' know... it just occurred ta' me... I don't have anythin' like a house kimono."

Using a cloth taken from his nightstand, Byakuya cleaned and repacked everything away. He bent and relocked the chest as Renji walked back in, and glanced up briefly toward his closet before pushing the box to the foot of his bed bemusedly. "I will see to that later - but for now, look in the far right of the closet, there are some looser kimono there."

"Good thing I got you ta look out for me," Renji joked lightly, walking over to the closet and searching through it for a plainer kimono. Eventually, he found one that could most closely resemble a plain kimono - a deep blue kimono with no design. He stepped back, sighing and slipping it on. "You don't have a thing in there that's made outta anythin' I've ever worn before," he announced somewhat dryly, feeling rather awkward and therefore careful in the expensive material.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it," Byakuya reassured him as he straightened and put the key back around his neck. "But if it really bothers you that much, I can have a few made for you that are, at least, not silk." Stepping over to Renji, he leaned up and kissed him lightly. "Just relax," he murmured, catching the redhead's eye. "I am sure you will get used to all of this... especially since I hardly mind if you make my family's life a living hell."

Renji laughed softly and returned the kiss. "Thanks, Kuya... but I do plan to give them a chance at least," he joked lightly.

"Well, if your efforts grow tiresome, be sure to alert me. I want to sit back and watch while you make them slowly kill themselves." With a smirk, the noble looped his arms about Renji's neck, fingers lightly stroking the top of his spine. "...Care to put my gift to use? We could have a glass of wine before we go to the springs - that is, if you're still interested."

"You have alcohol in here and I didn't know?" Renji grinned back, "Let's have some then, but outside - it's beautiful out today, and it's almost sunset."

"You were not informed because you are too easily encouraged," the noble quipped, pulling away from Renji and crossing the room to a small, wooden cabinet. He withdrew an unopened bottle of plum wine before shutting the cabinet door again and turning back to his husband. "Shall we, then?"

Taking a moment to retrieve the goblet from its box, Renji joined Byakuya by the door. "Let's." Sliding the door open with a smile, the redhead stepped out into the warm sunlight, demeanor brightening instantly with the new surroundings. He glanced back towards his companion, querying, "Where to?"

The noble relaxed as he took a breath of fresh air and settled next to Renji's side. "Remember where I took you walking once, all the way back to the main grove of sakura? Let's go back there - we can see the sunset best."

"I think I can remember the way," Renji answered, casting a glance back towards the rest of the garden. He didn't mind walking all that way even if he did get lost. Byakuya and sakura trees just naturally went together, and so, naturally, being able to stare at the man in such a backdrop was a welcome pastime.

"If you get lost, that is perfectly fine, too," Byakuya replied lightly, quite happy to spend time out in the gardens with Renji regardless of the activity. Holding onto the bottle of wine with his right hand, his left grasped for Renji's as he nuzzled his cheek against his shoulder.

A soft laugh bubbled up from Renji and he interlocked his fingers with the other man. "You've been doin' that a lot lately..." he noted quietly, glancing down at his husband.

"Doing what?" His eyes lifted, catching auburn in question.

"Leanin' against me," the redhead clarified, dropping his gaze only long enough to make sure they were still on the right path before returning it.

Byakuya tensed against his side briefly before remaining as he was. "Does it bother you?"

Pressing his lips gently to the top of Byakuya's hair to reassure the noble, Renji answered, "Na, it's just... ya' never used to show any affection, an' now yer leanin' on me all the time: takes some gettin' used ta."

Relaxing beneath the gentle affection, the noble nevertheless frowned as he thought over Renji's explanation. "...I apologize," he began quietly, "that I did not feel... adequate enough to return your affections previously."

"It's fine," Renji breathed easily, squeezing Byakuya's hand lightly as he raised his head to look forward once more. "I don' really mind what things were like before so long as things're like this now."

He allowed a faint smile, returning the gentle squeeze and turning his head to press a kiss to Renji's shoulder. Falling into an amiable silence, Byakuya settled beneath the warmth of the sun and the scenery that always seemed to soothe any frayed nerves he may have.

After many rows of bushes, flowers, and trees, back tracking on several paths and few lucky guesses, Renji finally found his way to their chosen destination. Laughing good naturedly at his own mess ups, he drew Byakuya into the grove by the hand, glancing back once fully inside. "Sorry 'bout that - have ta admit it wasn' exactly the bushes I was payin' attention ta last time."

Offering no advice along the way, Byakuya simply allowed Renji to pull him about aimlessly through the garden, enjoying the time he had to quietly admire the way the almost-setting sun caught the brilliant red of Renji's hair and amplified its already vivid coloration. He chuckled softly once they reached the familiar corner of the garden, giving Renji a small smirk. "Then I suppose we're even, because I was hardly paying attention this time."

Grinning at the light banter, Renji pulled Byakuya over to the edge of the copse and down against the trunk of a sakura tree. "Here," he announced needlessly.

Relenting to Renji's pull, the noble slid down gracefully, sitting the bottle of wine between them. "A good choice," he noted bemusedly, then offered in explanation, "this was my favorite spot in the gardens, while you were in the living world."

The redhead reached for the wine, placing a kiss affectionately on the noble's cheek as he did. "Why’s that?" Opening the bottle with one hand, he poured the wine with absent finesse, and gently swished it in the goblet, glancing over at the noble.

Byakuya slid a bit closer to his husband's side, establishing body contact and a better view of the sky as the sun sunk further down the horizon. "For some reason, it is easier to think out here," he murmured, and briefly caught the redhead's gaze before looking away again. "It is the same when I am around you."

"Really?" Renji cast his gaze out over their surroundings and took a thoughtful sip of the wine before passing the goblet over to Byakuya. "It's th' opposite fer me," he grinned lightly, leaning back against the other man. "Well, not too bad any more, but before... "

Taking the goblet, the noble took a delicate sip, letting the liquid slowly swirl about the glass before he offered it back to Renji. "I am very glad things have... improved."

"'m sure," the younger man returned lightly, taking another slow sip of the wine. "... And this is really good stuff," he added, glancing down at the alcohol in question. "How is it you have this kind a wine layin' around and no tolerance ta speak of?" A red eyebrow arched back at the noble, accentuating the question.

"I rarely found time or reason to drink before you came along," Byakuya dryly replied, pulling the goblet away to have another sip before surrendering it back to the other man. "Feel free to help yourself any time you like, however."

"Fair 'nough," Renji quipped, taking a large gulp of the wine and slowly swallowing to savor the taste a bit.

Rolling his eyes, the noble took the glass from him and carefully topped it off before handing it back. "You're going to drink all of that on your own if you aren't careful. And before you offer any more to me," he quickly added, "I do not need another hang over."

"I've got th' rest of th' night ta' counter a bottle of wine," the redhead easily rationalized, rather enjoying the way Byakuya refilled the glass for him. "And since I'm enjoyin' myself right now, I see no reason ta stop before then," he added, smirking back at the other man before setting his gaze on the warm horizon.

"Agreed," Byakuya sighed, tipping his head against Renji's shoulder and basking in his presence. "You've tomorrow, as well; I spoke to Ukitake Taichou, and he is handling the Division so that we may have a day off to enjoy ourselves."

"Wonderful..." Renji leaned his head back, partially against the tree and partially against the noble. "... It really was an amazing ceremony, Kuya," he murmured, eyes lidding as he watched the sun set.

His own eyes sliding half-shut, the older man almost purred as he shifted his weight against Renji a bit more and sunk against his side. "I am glad you think so," he softly replied, content and comfortable. I only hope I can live up to everything I said and promised.

 

 

 

OMAKE:
~
Kira: 20:34:21
    (Daaaamn, here Renji's having mind rattling flash backs he's so goddamn nervous, and yet he'll look at Byakuya and see nothing but "eh, no sweat" ... poor thing XP pets him)
Gali: 20:34:48
    (and i thought my headache was bad, rofl~ XD;;)
Gali: 20:35:26
    (and of course renji's not going to be logical and think 'byakuya's USED to being calm and composed 247' right now)
Gali: 20:35:48
    (even though byakuya's inwardly 'LDKFJA;WELNDLKNKLNA;Lkjsld;kja;lfwkj;elakuf;o2i3uwljfs;ldfjas *sizzle*')
Kira: 20:36:11
    (LOL! I love the sizzle XP)
Gali: 20:36:51
    (XD;;)
Kira: 20:36:51
    (It's probably a good thing Sen and Zabi aren't in the inner world right now. It's probably like "FIRE, BRIMSTONE, HAPPINESS AND ICE OMG" )
Gali: 20:37:07
    (they'd cower underneath some sakura tree together, rofl~)
Gali: 20:37:12
    (until it blew up)
---
Kira: 21:30:07
    (Yeah XP I find it rather amusing that out of ALL THE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH... their wedding is the one thing that has them scared. shitless.)
Gali: 21:30:26
    (rofl, yeah XD)
Gali: 21:30:29
    (it's sooo cute)
Kira: 21:31:15
    (They're like "Hollows? pfft. Arrancar? Meh. Saving two worlds at once? All in a day's work. ... Wedding? OMGIMGONNADIE ;-;" )
Gali: 21:31:32
    (ROFL)
Kira: 21:31:47
    (Xd;; )
Gali: 21:32:05
    (all i can visualize with that is chibi bya and chibi ren clinging to each other with lots of crying and patheticness)
Kira: 21:32:42
    (omg, that is faaaaaar too cute for my mind to deal with right now XP)