Title: Three Parts Dead
Chapter: Prologue I
Rating: NC-17 | M
Pairing/Character/s: Byakuya x Renji
Word Count: 12,373
Warning/s: Spoilers. Man Sex. Angst.
Summary: The walk home can be the most difficult part.
A/N: And so it begins... This is the first half of the prologue portion of the Role Play between myself and Gali. I have no idea how many chapters this will be other than to say this is really, really long. There are many characters involved in this story other than Byakuya and Renji, but for the most part the story is from their view, so there may be times when a scene ends solely because one or both of them leave it.

This story has no overarching goal we're trying to reach, or one fixed plot that's being followed. Although the plot is steady, it's mostly due to 2am bursts of inspiration rather than the methodically planned and contemplated stuff I usually write. That said, this was totally more fun than writing my own stuff. Get about halfway through and you'll understand why.

As for who has who... well, the only permanent assignments are that I play Renji and Senbonzakura and she plays Byakuya and Zabimaru. Other than that we pretty much switch off characters. For the curious ones out there, I'll mention who's playing whom when that character appears in the story.

Prologue I
"It's not that some people have willpower and some don't.
It's that some people are ready to change and others are not."
- James Gordon, M.D.

It had been a day - or so Byakuya had been told - since Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends had left Soul Society to return to the living world. Such a thing did not affect him, but Byakuya did notice the subtle changes in Rukia's, and some of the other captain's moods when they would come to visit him. Perhaps he should have been concerned, but the noble's current interests rested upon him and becoming well enough to lead his division once more. There were other things, but it was difficult to think of them.

Byakuya did think of the most pressing of them, however, as he prepared himself to leave the small fourth division recovery room for his own home. The ache in his chest where Gin's zanpakutou had pierced him reminded him of the situation to which the injury had led, and Byakuya allowed a brief lapse of composure, sinking back onto the edge of the bed and raking a hand back through kenseikan-free hair.

Hisana.

The noble let out a long, shuddering sigh before shutting his eyes and forcing his usual demeanor back into place. There was no need for weakness like this - not now, not later, not any time.

Renji sighed and readjusted the sash holding his badge firmly in place for perhaps the fifth time in as many minutes. He didn't really know what had possessed him to see his captain home - perhaps some twisted form of expected loyalty he wasn't entirely sure he held for the stoic man. Part of him almost felt worried - part of himself which he quickly told to shut it, because there was very little doubt in his mind that Kuchiki Byakuya was the last person in Seireitei that required such attention. A little doubt was still doubt, however, and damned if that doubt hadn't been bothering him since Ichigo's interruption days ago.

He swiped a hand down his face disgruntledly and quickly knocked on the door before he could convince himself into another round of belated action.

Byakuya started slightly at the sound, allowing a small wince as the movement tore at wounds still not completely healed. Regardless, he straightened where he was seated, frowning as he sensed the familiar reiatsu of his fukutaichou. The dark-haired man hardly expected Renji's presence, and in fact, a part of Byakuya's mind dreaded seeing him again. Renji was, most decidedly, one of those "other things" digging at his mind and refusing to allow him peace.

"You may enter," the noble murmured, just loud enough to acknowledge Renji's presence before turning his gaze toward the half-open window in the room and focusing on the cloudy evening sky.

After a moment, the door opened slightly and Renji quietly stepped through, cautious of the heavy silence that had settled in the small space. It was a strangely suffocating pressure not entirely unlike powerful reiatsu, and yet something he couldn't fight and therefore even more disconcerting. He cleared his throat a bit in an attempt to breach the air and breathe again. It worked about half as well as he would have liked.

"... Morning, Taichou." Well, technically it was about midday, but as he hadn't seen the man for a while, the greeting was close enough.

Managing to easily fall into old habits, Byakuya's eyes focused on the sky for only another brief moment before he turned his head just slightly, enough to watch Renji coolly. Though he betrayed no desire to simply leave the presence of the other man, he quickly picked up a similar sort of anxiety from Renji. It was quite irritating for the two of them to be acting like this, Byakuya thought, but took no actual initiative to resolve anything.

"Did you need something?" Byakuya queried as he stood, stretching carefully as to not loosen the bandages around his chest. "I was readying myself to leave soon."

This was ridiculous and they both knew it. Yet try as he might, Renji simply couldn't summon the words needed to get back to where he'd been just a few short days ago. It was beyond frustrating for the redhead. "Well I..." he rubbed the back of his neck in a self conscious gesture, "I'm still yer Vice Captain… so I came ta see ya home. I mean, unless you don't want..." he trailed off uncomfortably.

"You already came out all this way; it would be impolite for me not to accept your assistance." The response was automatically spoken, and mechanically, Byakuya met Renji's eyes. The noble had already decided it was best to keep his emotions guarded around the redhead; it would do no good to encourage any sort of personal conversation between them like before. Somewhat stiffly, Byakuya stepped away from the bed and toward the door, doing a fairly decent job of hiding the days of disuse his body had suffered.

Renji smirked a bit, feeling like he was on more familiar ground suddenly. "You don't have ta' be polite all the time, Taichou... 's just me." He turned to follow, noting the familiar stiffness of unused muscles but also familiar enough with such conditions not to say anything about it.

Once out of the room, Byakuya felt as if he could breathe again as well. A sense of ease washed over him as he turned down the hallway and made his way out of the front of the building, enjoying the fresh air and sunlight perhaps more than he should after being cooped up for a few days.

"And what am I supposed to be if not polite, Renji?" The remark was tossed over his shoulder easily as Byakuya found himself relaxing further. He speculated that it must have been a temporary thing, that awkwardness between them.

Renji allowed his smirk to slip into a smile and relaxed a bit, feeling more at ease when his captain returned the remark as it had been given. "I don't know, Taichou... but I think it'd be worth seeing."

Byakuya cast a sideways glance at Renji, clearly amused. "Perhaps I'll consider it." With that, he turned and stepped carefully off of the wooden walkway and began the short distance to his home. A slight headache nagged, reminding him that he should not be so active quite so soon, but he brushed it off.

Some part of Renji realized he shouldn't have been quite as happy to hear the amusement in his captain's tone, but the rest was simply relieved. It was good to see the noble up and walking again... as good as it had been unnerving to see him bedridden. However, you didn't watch someone so closely for as many years as he had and not notice the slight roughness to the joints or the ever so subtle change in the pattern of his captain's silent footfalls. There was a bit more weight to them now, he noted and knew he was watching closer than he should, but couldn't convince himself to stop. Even injured, the noble held an ethereal aura around himself that did anything but allow Renji to leave his side.

He looked up ahead and was suddenly reminded of yet another item on the long list of things he needed to say to the man in front of him. This, however, was thankfully much easier than the rest. "Your zanpakutou should be in your quarters. Had to save it from the Fourth Division – they’ve no idea how ta handle them properly. I couldn't really get it there myself, though, so I had to give it to ... one of your servants - I figured they'd at least respect it enough to treat it right."

Renji's words blurred temporarily in Byakuya's mind as his headache settled into a terrific ache, causing the noble to lift a pale hand and press it to one of his temples in an irritated gesture. It was extremely distracting - and a blow to his pride - to think that even after nearly a week of recovery, he was still not completely well. At a time of crisis in Soul Society, he could not afford to be in such a state.

"I am sure they handled it appropriately," the ebony-haired shinigami managed, voice a tad bit fainter than before. It wasn't much further to his home and the absence of people along the path they walked should have done some good for his nerves, but the prospect of his legs possibly giving out on him before even reaching his doorstep made Byakuya as anxious as he was before. Showing weakness in front of Renji was not something he preferred to do.

Renji frowned a bit at the obvious gesture of pain, knowing instinctively that it had to be fairly intense if his captain was willing to show it. He eyed the man closely, closing the distance between them a bit more just in case. Phrases came to mind: things he would have said had it been anyone else but his pride-bound captain. Which would be worse, though? Admitting the pain, or outright collapsing? "... Taichou?" he tried tentatively, hoping the noble was as good at deciphering what wasn't said as he was at not saying things.

In spite of himself, Byakuya allowed his pace to slow, favoring that display of weakness to other possibilities. Renji's voice, now closer, seemed overly loud and made him flinch visibly as his head throbbed. Perhaps Unohana-Taichou was correct in that he should have allowed himself a few more days of rest.

"I am fine," Byakuya muttered, speaking mostly for the sake of Renji as he sensed the concern in his voice. How obviously wrong his words were quickly was shown as he stumbled from a wave of dizziness and compulsively reached out for the nearest support, slim fingers finding and grasping tightly at Renji's shoulder.

Instinctively, the redhead stepped in closer, using his left arm to catch the noble and keep him from losing his balance completely. The second this action was over, however, he was faced with the immediate and daunting task of figuring out exactly how to keep his captain upright and simultaneously maintain his prickly pride. The tasks seemed mutually exclusive at best. Well, one thing at a time, he supposed, and hoped desperately he'd find some middle road along the way.

"... Let's just... stop for a moment, Taichou."

If Byakuya's head had been any clearer, he would have been extremely offended that Renji was suggesting he was not capable of continuing and walking on his own. Byakuya's head, however, was far from clear and another wave of dizziness prompted him to lean into the support Renji provided, despite finding the situation frustrating beyond belief. He supposed that, in the long run, accepting help was much better than collapsing onto the ground.

"Mm." The response was not entirely positive, but Byakuya relented enough to allow a momentary pause. It was apparent even to himself that if he tried to continue currently, he'd simply make a bigger fool of himself.

Renji held back a sigh, knowing Kuchiki Taichou well enough by now to understand that he'd still managed to offend the man. He lifted his gaze to the surrounding area, checking to make sure there was no one else around to make the situation any worse and remained silent for a long moment. Eventually, though, he looked back to the man he was supporting. He did sigh then, recognizing the look and actions; for not being blood related, it certainly seemed as though Byakuya and Rukia were remarkably similar.

"You're not weak, you know," he stated rather bluntly, "and I don't know why you'd even think it."

Byakuya stiffened slightly against Renji's side and frowned. "If I am not capable of walking on my own, Renji, then that is weak." The noble's voice held a hint of his irritation, but mostly sounded tired, which was something Byakuya struggled to suppress at the moment. A part of him wanted to pull away and dismiss Renji for the day so that he might possibly have some peace of mind, but yet another part refused. Blaming his actions on weariness and injury, Byakuya shut his eyes and shifted his weight against Renji, asking for further support. He was both relieved and dismayed that the action immediately cleared up some of the pain and dizziness - to the noble; it proved his uselessness at the moment.

"Give me a little credit here, Taichou; ya really think I'd be chasing after someone weak?" The redhead sighed, trying not to think too much about how, despite his words, Kuchiki Taichou had chosen to take more of his offered support. "It's just recuperation, not weakness. You survived three battles in the same day - well, two and a half I guess..." he looked down again, hoping he could lighten the mood a bit. "I get at least half, right?"

"If I tell you that it was three, and that you obviously received more than at least half, will you be quiet?" Byakuya asked dryly, not bothering to open his eyes and glance at Renji as he spoke. "I have a headache." Despite the situation Byakuya felt as if he had boxed himself into, he was able to remind himself that it was just Renji, and not a less trustworthy subordinate. It should be easier to - well - rely upon him. With that in mind, the noble leaned his head against his vice captain's shoulder with a tired sigh, giving into a brief lapse in pride.

Renji felt a relieved smile tug at his lips. "Yeah..." he breathed, lowering his voice appropriately, "I'll be quiet." Without thinking, he adjusted his hold to a more comfortable position for them both and silently resumed watching for anyone else. He wasn't quite sure what to make of his captain's sudden show of trust in him - if anything he was certain the man would have been more wary of him now - but he was loathe to bring up the topic.

If anything, Byakuya had convinced himself that this was "recuperation" as Renji had stated moments before and accepted that, for once, help was a necessity. That, at least, was what he repeated to himself as he settled more comfortably against the redhead and firmly restricted himself from relaxing into Renji's warmth. That idea made him wince visibly, and a surge of guilt flooded Byakuya; it was only by luck that he kept his emotions from blatantly causing his reiatsu to shift.

Trust - this was hardly trust, Byakuya bitterly thought. This was trying to replace something that he could not. How he could even consider anything like that made him feel as if his honor had truly been breached and destroyed, as well as Hisana's.

Renji blinked in confusion at his captain's sudden decision to act like a normal person. Not only that, but why had the man decided to do so around... him? He looked down, more than a little surprised to see that not only was his captain resting against him, but that the noble also seemed to be hiding a rather melancholy expression. That there was any expression at all was enough to worry him, but this one more so than most. Suddenly, that small doubt in the back of his mind began to churn and writhe into something more substantiated. He raised his arms to encircle Byakuya; if he was yelled at so be it, but he wasn't a man who could just turn away from someone so obviously in pain. Least of all, his own captain.

Every muscle in Byakuya's body screamed to be allowed to relax, give in and fully appreciate what Renji was doing, but Byakuya did nothing of the sort. Instead, he stiffened; his eyes snapped open as he felt Renji's arms around him and briefly, something akin to fear flashed across his face before he carefully composed it and collected himself back to stoicism.

"Don't." It was the only protest Byakuya could manage, and even then he was positive his voice wasn't firm, convincing enough. He was positive he was betraying her.

Well, it was better than being yelled at, Renji decided. Although the tone of voice made him worry a bit more than the former would have. His captain had too many layers to understand just by watching from a distance, and though he wanted to be allowed to see more of the layers, he knew that the choice was Byakuya's alone and it more than seemed like that decision had already been made. Without a sound, Renji undid his makeshift embrace and remained where he was, unsure and somewhat confused.

"We should continue now," Byakuya immediately stated as soon as Renji's embrace was no longer a factor. The noble seemed to do a rather effective job of pretending that nothing had happened, and even shifted away from Renji with, what seemed at a quick glance, natural dignity. This image could be easily shattered by the slight shake of Byakuya's fingers as he untangled them from the material of Renji's robes, the still-present frown, and most of all, the distant glaze that seemed to obscure Byakuya's eyes, even as he refused to look in Renji's direction.

Renji made to step back and allow his captain some space, but the action only highlighted the man’s continuing strange actions. He was officially worried now. Kuchiki Byakuya did not cling, moreover his hands did not shake and his eyes were always clear and sharp - a gaze to silently and yet completely subdue anyone it landed on. Perhaps this whole fiasco had taken a larger toll than he’d originally thought. It shouldn’t really surprise him, he noted, since the noble was usually quite good at masking any and all emotion. What did surprise him, though, was the degree to which that mask was slipping. In the end, seeing Byakuya home was probably one of the better decisions he’d made that week if one considered that neither of them was mortally wounded (yet) and that the man seemed willing to accept his aid however momentarily.

There was, however, the matter of letting the rest of the Kuchiki household see their esteemed leader walk through the front door like zombie. Renji was certain that allowing it to happen would result in some rather… unpleasant repercussions once his captain was fully recovered. He quickly stepped forward, so the space between them had no time to grow and, mindful of the elder’s strong headache, quietly suggested, “Why don’t we skip the front gate? Do you have a back entrance? We could head that way instead… I’m sure it’s much quieter that way.”

One thing was certain; Byakuya out of sorts was giving him a crash course in societal platitudes he’d much rather leave to the noble himself. It never ceased to confound him that for people supposedly so confident and proud, the gentry were the most easily offended by perceived slights, no matter how small.

Byakuya began to turn and step away from the redhead, but he realized rather quickly that his legs were going to have more trouble with this than he expected, so he paused in an effort to steady himself. Shutting his eyes again briefly, the noble allowed a deep, slow sigh to escape and he nodded in agreement. For anyone in his household to see him in such a state would be more than deplorable. The only problem he now faced was the fact that it was a much longer walk to the back entrance of his home, and he did not doubt it would be a challenge for him currently.

Feeling this weak - this dependent - only depressed Byakuya's mental state further. He managed to bite back the bulk of his emotions, but it was only becoming more detrimental to his health as the pressing issue of guilt, and anger at himself, worsened his headache to a point his vision blurred if he moved too quickly. The dark-haired man would have cursed out loud from his irritation if he did not find it entirely uncouth to do so. Renji might have been a better, more trustworthy person to be like this around than most, but it was all damaging to his pride just the same.

"It is a longer walk. We'll have to turn around..." he muttered faintly, swaying slightly on his feet despite his struggles to not openly display how his mental turmoil continued to worsen his physical state.

Renji cast about mentally for the least damaging way to essentially pick up the stubborn man and simply carry him to their destination. Of course, it was a short lived thought, as there was no real way of accomplishing that while maintaining the patrician's prickly pride. Silently, and as subtlely as the normally exuberant man could manage, Renji gently caught Byakuya by the arm and then slipped his own arm closer so the elder could lean on him without obviously appearing to do so. The redhead knew he'd be lucky to maintain this for a few minutes, let alone the full walk back, but hoped he could continue on at least until they were actually on Kuchiki property.

Something else was bothering him now, though. Byakuya had been pretty slashed up by the time Fourth Division had taken command of the battlefield, but none of those wounds could account for the man's current and prominent headache. Renji was more known for action than thought, a reputation he did not mind in the least, however that did not mean he couldn't recognize the bowing of his captain's normally straight lines as something not injury related. If anything, he was a connoisseur of battlefield injuries - if you could think of it, he'd probably felt it. That experience more than anything else was what drew his attention to focus more on his captain's disconcerting mood than his still healing wounds.

It occurred to him that this only made things that much harder for them. One thing he had been able to figure out throughout all this was that Kuchiki Byakuya was convinced that there were things he just could not do, say, or even feel. It had taken the near collapse of Seireitei to make the man step out of those bindings. Renji hoped it would take far less to bring back the captain he knew and respected. Still... even knowing that much, he hadn't a clue how to begin to address these new problems.

Hesitating for a moment with a deepening frown, Byakuya reluctantly accepted Renji's help, allowing the small assistance. He still struggled for balance, let alone the ability to stay on his feet, but decided this was more acceptable than practically clinging to Renji as he had only moments before. The recollection of that made the slender man stiffen and, ashamed, avoid any further glances in Renji's direction as they slowly headed back in the direction they came, and around the outskirts of the Kuchiki family's land.

Byakuya's mind wandered in the silence, his eyes shutting half-way as he admitted to himself that he was tired - mentally. The recent events that had taken place in Soul Society forced him to break too many habits, too many vows, too many barriers in general. Hisana's memory, even after fifty years, had still managed to shake him in such a prominent way; to the point that his mind and body tried to seek solace in another. The breach of his normally controlled sense of being worried him. Exactly how far would he go if this continued? The question terrified Byakuya; the thought of losing his position, and most obviously, his pride and honor, not a pleasant one at all.

Renji exhaled quietly and let his gaze wander. He hated silence, and he hated more that his captain had repeatedly refused to look at him. This game, he decided, was getting old fast. Constantly guessing Byakuya's train of thought was not something he wanted to or could easily do. On top of that, he had the distinct feeling that he was a large part of the noble's despondent behavior. It irked him that the man wouldn't just tell him... he didn't know what. Tell him to stop doing something or start doing something or ... just ... something at all.

With a real sigh, and a look back to the man at his side and decided that, at the very least, some talk was better than silence... even if it put him in an equally uncomfortable position. "... Sorry, Taichou," he ventured finally, assuming it was the safest thing he could say.

The older man's eyes snapped open, surprised out of his thoughts by Renji's words. He shifted beneath Renji's gaze, feeling obligated to glance back at him and doing so with still-hazy eyes that were currently more grey than blue. "You are not the one at fault here, Renji." As quickly as he spared Renji a glance, Byakuya looked away again. He, Kuchiki Byakuya, was the problem. A lapse in his emotional control should not bring about something like this, despite the fact it pertained to the woman he had once loved - yet it did bring about a large problem that he was desperately trying not to think on. It was much better not to think on certain things, Byakuya decided; thinking in terms of appreciating affection and comfort never got him anywhere before. He scarcely believed it would now.

Renji gave short, disbelieving snort, but said only, "I kinda seem ta' be, Taichou."

A disapproving frown quickly turned in Renji's direction. "I said that you are not." Byakuya hesitated before adding, "Not in the way you are perhaps thinking." The captain said nothing else, immediately regretting his choice of words and not wishing to expand upon them.

To his credit, Renji didn't look nearly as confused as he felt. "... It'd be easier just to tell me how I'm bothering you."

"It is none of your concern," Byakuya carefully responded, inclining his head slightly. If there was one way to dishonor himself, it was to speak on something such as this.

Renji felt himself twitch more than consciously acknowledged the action. He grit his teeth to remind himself not to cross the line with his words. Dancing on it, however, suited him just fine. "With all due respect, Taichou, I think it is."

Byakuya's eyes flashed with irritation, but he still did not look at Renji. His temples ached; a low, throbbing pain that seemed to settle down his tense neck and shoulders now as he mulled over his thoughts. Perhaps if he phrased this correctly - Byakuya cut such an idea off immediately. "Then your concern is appreciated but unneeded." It was absurd to consider expressing so much to his vice captain, in any case.

It took all of his self control, and then some, not to just stop and shake some sense into his captain's obviously disturbed head. However, Renji did in fact stop and turned to face the other man - or he would be if Byakuya had felt like it - and quite simply snapped. "Would you at least look at me?! Damnit, Taichou! If you won't tell me what's wrong, how can I fix it?" Suddenly aware of his own wording, a blush crept across Renji's features, which he, for the most part, managed to fight in favor of getting a response from Byakuya.

A brief spark of annoyance caused the noble to lift his head, and Byakuya opened his mouth to remind Renji of his place and his language, but the words that he had formed in his head to chide Renji were not the words that were spoken. "Perhaps I would be more inclined to express myself if I were not tired over recent events, and did not have my dearly departed wife to think of." The man's voice was curt, snappier than usual and explicit of his displeasure. The latter was fully displayed by the noble visibly stiffening, and shifting backward from Renji, as if shocked by his own words. In fact, Byakuya was appalled at himself, and could honestly find no way to neutralize his previous statement, and make his emotion less poignant.

Renji's eyes widened in shock. Not only had he actually been given something of an answer, but he'd also managed to make the normally stoic man display enough emotion to make it very clear that he was dangerously close to making the entire situation far worse, and the last thing he wanted was to alienate the man next to him. Slowly, Renji collected himself and glance down and to the side. He had to make the noble comfortable again... and the easiest way, it seemed, to do that was to revert back to the protocols the man so staunchly relied on.

He exhaled slowly and kept his gaze down. Why was this so hard? "... I apologize, Kuchiki Taichou... It wasn't my intention to upset you."

Byakuya said nothing as he forced his prickling nerves to settle back down. It was very rare that he expressed any emotion through actions, let alone words, and doing both within the same time span made him realize how great of an affect everything had truly had upon him. The dark-haired man pursed his lips in irritation at Renji's apology; it did not sit well with him that Renji was apologizing for something that, essentially, was not his fault. The idea that he was using Renji settled more heavily into Byakuya's mind and the man decided that it would be best not to continue this conversation, let alone spend much more time around the redhead today.

"I believe I should continue on my own, as I am not in the current state to remedy this... misunderstanding," Byakuya finally said, and attempted a step away from Renji only to find he was still imbalanced as before.

The redhead moved to steady the noble almost before the shaky motion at the corner of his peripheral vision had completely registered. "Just let me see you home. I... you don't have to talk if you don't want to," he spoke quickly before either could let their current positions or situation sink in.

Despite Renji's support, the noble still stumbled into his vice captain's broad chest, leaning there heavily for a moment as he tried to calm himself. Being this close to Renji did little for that - in fact, it made his mind and heart race - and Byakuya obviously found no relief. His body ached to a point that he had no choice but to surrender to it temporarily, and his slender form lurched forward, forehead pressed against Renji's shoulder as he sucked in a slow, shuddering breath.

He didn't want this. He couldn't want this.

Renji froze, caught between his instinctive reaction to hold the man leaning against him and the echo of Byakuya's reaction the last time he'd done so. He was so confused. The noble said one thing, did another, and then said something altogether different. How was he supposed to react? He couldn't even say anything for fear of drawing them back into one of their previous roundabouts that got them nowhere and only seemed to push his captain farther down whatever dark corridor his mind was stuck in. Left with no other choices, Renji simply held his ground, willing his body to relax. Perhaps he could provide at least a small amount of comfort this way.

Byakuya shut his eyes and did not move, his breath heavy against Renji's shoulder. The part of his mind that had been so adamant about protesting any and every contact he had with Renji gradually dissipated, and Byakuya, had he been coherent enough, would have blamed it on pain-induced delirium. One hand slowly reached up and grasped at the front of the redhead's robes for support, fingers tightening into the fabric.

Renji closed his eyes then, willing himself not to move. He felt trapped somehow, despite himself and Byakuya being the only objects for a good distance. He couldn't move, he couldn't talk, he couldn't figure out what his captain wanted and the man outright refused to tell him. Finally, when a long moment had passed in silence and the noble had not spoken nor acted on whatever thoughts were driving him just then, Renji opened his eyes again with a sigh and softly broke the silence binding them.

"... Just tell me what you want me to do, Taichou... I just... don't know..."

The broken silence brought Byakuya away from his thoughts and he sighed as well, his fingers tightening compulsively into the material they held. He felt an urge to explain, to make amends for the headache he must be passing along to Renji, but could not bring himself to do so. It was too foreign of an idea to him; searching for - well, whatever it was he wanted in Renji was difficult enough.

There was only thing Byakuya thought he had a right to say, then, and it wasn't a true explanation, but it was a stretch for him. "I... apologize." Byakuya's voice cracked slightly from minutes of disuse and he shifted against Renji, his cheek pressing against the redhead's shoulder with his ebony hair half-obscuring his face. "I am not sure... that I know what I want," he admitted quietly, "or that I have any right to be given it."

Renji was split in two, one part understandably confused and slightly shocked, the other a bit exasperated with the so called answer he'd been given. One thing was certain though, and that was the way Byakuya was leaning against him was anything but impersonal. Had it been anyone else he could have been sure of exactly what their intentions were, but with his captain... he sighed again.

Fuck it.

Without further thought on the matter, the redhead simply slipped his arms around Byakuya's prone form and held him. "It's okay." He wanted to say more, but it seemed as though the words were caught in his throat.

Byakuya's body tensed against Renji's before he scolded himself into relaxing again and leaned heavily against the redhead with a slow exhalation of breath. With his mind somewhat settled, his vice captain's arms around him did not seem quite as unnerving as they had before. Byakuya did not, for the first time in almost a week, allow himself to think of guilt or promises or any other such stressful things. He simply focused on the fact he was alone with Renji, and that the redhead's warmth was strangely comforting.

Relieved that he wasn't being pushed away like before, Renji allowed himself to relax a bit. He didn't fault his captain at all for needing such support after everything he had gone through. If anything, it was a testament to the man's strength that he'd held it in for so long. It was only inevitable that it would eventually pour out and, in a strange, distant way; Renji found he could even sympathize a bit. As frustrating as Kuchiki Taichou could be, he was still a man, powerful though he may be; even he couldn't completely avoid human emotions. The notion was oddly comforting. And so he merely held Byakuya to him in a gentle embrace, silently offering what comfort he could.

Forgetting himself, Byakuya found it surprisingly easy to relax and calm himself now. His eyes drifted shut and his hand dropped from Renji's clothing to hook loosely around the redhead's waist, his reiatsu lulled to a near-purr. If he had been any less emotionally hindered moments before, he would have found such actions absolutely unacceptable, but in his current state of weariness and all-over surrender, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"...Renji -" Byakuya began quietly, and then stopped, frowning slightly. Some principles and rules were still in his mind, and they warned him against vocalizing anything that might be damaging to himself, may it be his pride or reputation - or both.

Renji dared not react lest he break the gentle aura that had settled over them. When Byakuya's low voice reached his ears, he almost began to question if he'd been around the Kuchiki clan too long himself. Instead of hearing what the noble had actually spoken, little though it had been, he heard what wasn't said all the more clearly. For a moment he stood uncertain in his reaction, but then rationalized that he couldn't expect the noble to just explain everything given his current state of mind. For now, he'd done enough.

He closed his eyes and resisted the urge make the embrace any more intimate than it already was. "It's okay," he breathed softly, hoping Byakuya would hear the sincerity in his voice. "I understand."

"Do you?" Byakuya softly pressed, hearing the sincerity in Renji's voice. His head lifted slightly from the redhead's shoulder, tipped towards the man's neck, and before he could stop himself, pressed his lips against the thudding pulse there. The noble's own heart jumped and he suppressed a brief wave of panic, as if someone would come across the two of them that very instant, and ruin them both. When no one did after several seconds, Byakuya calmed himself again, breathing in deeply Renji's scent, the warm, accepting presence of his vice captain causing his resistance to fly out the window.

There was still the guilt, but it wasn't nearly as strong. There was still the fear of lost pride, honor, and everything in between, but Renji had soothed him well enough that those issues were not on his mind as profoundly as before, either. The only worry that still remained was one related to thoughts of affection and comfort, and that was rejection. Renji seemed to be responding in a favorable way, but what did Byakuya know?

Renji released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding when his captain finally confirmed what neither of them would say and tightened his hold automatically because of it. He bowed his head slightly, and gently pressed his lips to Byakuya's forehead in a soothing, yet clearly intimate gesture.

The noble's eyes shut as he felt Renji's lips and everything simply eased up, headache included. His breath escaped in a slow sigh as lifted his head; opening silver-blue eyes that now possessed a much more familiar calm, and met Renji's own auburn.

The glance was brief, however, as Byakuya swiftly closed the gap between them and claimed Renji's lips. Although the kiss was light and fleeting, there was no hesitation - it seemed Byakuya had decided what he wanted now.

Renji returned the kiss instantly, far beyond relieved when he felt the tension all but dissipate from the man in his arms. Unconsciously, his hands drifted up, one tangling in the bottom part of Byakuya's hair as he sought to bring them closer still, subtlely seeking to deepen the kiss, as if that would re-enforce what he'd already been shown.

Yielding to Renji's advances, Byakuya slid as close as possible to the other man, his lips parting against Renji's and slowly deepening the kiss. One of his arms wrapped about the redhead's shoulders, his fingers absently running over the back of Renji's neck. In the back of his mind, Byakuya vaguely remembered something about returning home, but decided it was not at all pressing.

Renji gave a soft rumble of appreciation at the light touch on his neck, but regrettably soon had to break the kiss before they both ran out of air. He smiled, unable to withhold it and unwilling besides. "We should probably start movin' again, Taichou," he pointed out softly, yet seemed entirely unconcerned with moving just then, not having even pulled away after he broke the kiss, choosing instead to catch the noble's now much clearer gaze.

Absently, Byakuya's tongue ran over his own lower lip as they parted from the kiss, catching Renji's distinct taste still lingering there before meeting his vice captain's eyes as well. "I suppose," the elder agreed, his fingers still splayed across the back of Renji's neck and toying with a strand of vibrant hair that had escaped the usual ponytail. The noble distractedly noted the vivid contrast that blood red had against his own pale skin - a contrast he rarely encountered. "There is no need to rush, however; I am already late."

Renji's smile slipped into a grin at Byakuya's words. "I wasn't aware we had a schedule to meet." If anything, though, it seemed as if the information only made the redhead that much more inclined to stay where he was. He leaned forward again, pressing their lips together in a more insistent kiss.

The noble's attempt to speak was cut off by the other man's lips, but Byakuya could not find a reason to complain. He kissed back in turn, responding with an eagerness that surprised himself and lifting his other hand to rest against the back of Renji's head, pulling him in, encouraging him.

Absently, Renji let one of his hands slide down to Byakuya's hip and let it rest there, pulling lightly at the material he found. With a little more force than before, he pried apart the noble's lips and slipped his tongue past them, eager to taste more of his captain.

With a low sound of pleasure, Byakuya's tongue fought for control of the kiss, his free hand's fingers burying themselves into red hair and tightening slightly. His other hand slipped down the redhead's stomach, entangling itself around the knot of his sash and pulling, bringing their bodies flush together.

A quiet growl worked it's way out of Renji's throat as he responded to Byakuya's advances. A heated tingling sensation spread from the back of his neck, accompanying the rise in body heat as their duel continued. Not one to relent without a fight, Renji twisted his fingers in Byakuya's midnight hair, tugging a bit to better the angle of the kiss to his advantage.

Gasping faintly against his lips, Byakuya shut his eyes and relented instead, the sensation of the kiss decidedly better when Renji took control in such a way. A shiver traveled through him and the noble's fingers raked like dull claws over Renji's stomach, feeling hard muscle through the fabric. Although distracted by the kiss, Byakuya's thumb traced an astonishingly accurate zigzagging line from Renji's hip up to his chest, following the lines of his tattoos that he had memorized after countless hours working together.

A shudder shot up Renji's spine at the simultaneous sensations of Byakuya's teasingly light touch and the thrill of feeling the noble relent to him. After a moment, he broke the kiss to trail his lips down the side of the man's neck, alternating kissing and dragging his teeth along the pale expanse. The urge to bruise - to mark the perfect skin rose sharply, but he managed to keep his bites from penetrating the yielding surface.

Byakuya's fingers stopped where they were against Renji's chest, clenching into fabric and holding tightly as his head rolled to the side, quickening breaths escaping through his parted lips. The sensation of lips and teeth made his grip tighten into Renji's robes, his body shiver, but it wasn't enough.

"Bite," the noble breathed, his head tipped back just a bit further to expose more of the pale throat.

Needing no more encouragement, Renji immediately sank his teeth into the pristine flesh presented to him, suckling and worrying the tender area to draw out the mark. His hands clamped tighter to their holdings, one cinching the noble's right hip and the other keeping his head tilted to the side by way of his silky mane.

A ragged groan escaped Byakuya's throat, his eyes fluttering shut as he sunk against Renji, grasping at his shoulders and lower back for support, his nails clawing slightly at the latter as he all but writhed in his grip. His tongue wet his lower lip as he panted softly, shivering although the noble felt sweat gathering at his brow.

Once assured his mark was firmly made, the redhead slowly brushed his lips back along the length of skin exposed to him, landing finally at his captain's jaw line. With a hardly noticeable change in angle, he traced the line with his tongue and lips, tilting Byakuya's head back little by little until his lips were once more accessible and then quickly captured them once more in a deep, firm kiss.

The kiss was met eagerly as Byakuya found himself unable to resist Renji's touch, quickly consumed by the sensation of it and allowing Renji control for the moment. Slim fingers tightened against Renji's shoulder as the noble noted the stretch of the stone walls of Soul Society only paces back before decidedly stepping backwards and leaning his back against the wall, the support giving him the chance to drag Renji close without breaking the kiss for a second. He was close enough that the white kimono he wore was hardly enough of a barrier between bare flesh, close enough that even the slightest shift of Byakuya's hips dragged skin against skin in all the right places.

Peripherally, Renji was aware that this whole situation was quickly spiraling out of his control, but honestly couldn't bring himself to acknowledge such a decidedly unwelcome thought. Instead, he moved forward as Byakuya moved back, slipping the hand at the noble's side to the front of the white kimono as he did. His other hand pulled out of the inky black hair it had previously been entangled in to rest against the stone wall so he could shift his weight enough to push aside the slipping fabric of the elder's kimono and touch the skin beneath.

Byakuya tipped his head back from the kiss to draw in a sharp breath, his skin seeming to burn with unrestrained heat beneath Renji's hand. His fingers relaxed slightly and trailed down the redhead's shoulder, down his chest and over the area of bare chest that was exposed by Renji's robes loosening. The sight of his own snow-pale skin against Renji's sun-tanned made his mind further hesitate to consider stopping this, despite how risky the entire situation was.

Normally icy eyes were dark with passion that was rarely known to the elder man as Byakuya's gaze dropped, following his own hand that slid palm-down Renji's chest. His other hand was tightly entangled into the redhead's sash, keeping him firmly against him and seemingly using that as support despite the wall behind him.

Following the noble's movements, Renji abandoned reddened lips for pale white skin, nipping his way down the front of Byakuya's neck, sucking lightly on the man's adam's apple before dipping his tongue into the crevice at the top of the collarbone. A muffled groan slipped past his lips from his captain's wandering hand, to which he countered by dusting his own over taunt stomach muscles just light enough to tease the elder with the touch. A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that despite being on the outside wall of a less traveled area, they could still be seen without much intention, but the cold fire of Byakuya's touches quickly washed away all notions of stopping.

Attempting not to falter beneath his vice captain's ministrations, Byakuya's fingers curled and dragged down Renji's stomach, splaying over chiseled muscle and slipping down to rest upon a bare hip. In spite of wanting to pull the situation within his realm of control, Byakuya found himself relenting to Renji's kisses, hands, everything - all without much protest.

The noble's head pressed back against the wall with a catching sigh, savoring how surprisingly good sword-calloused hands felt. His eyes shut and he breathed in slowly, not wanting to contemplate duty and protocol and managing to fight away the thoughts once more, favoring what Renji was doing to him. For the moment, at least, he'd sacrifice a portion of his control to Renji - but only for the moment.

Byakuya’s soft sighs and subtle surrender to his attentions only made him that much more irresistible to the redhead. Here was one of Seireitei's most revered all but pinned to a wall, usually flawless clothes and hair in complete disarray, lips reddened from his kisses, neck marred by his teeth, hands searing trails of ice into his flesh, willingly submitting to his touches... It was a wonderful aphrodisiac.

He couldn't help but want more. More of the breathy gasps, the cool skin, the insistent hands and small assents. His hand moved lower, curving around the noble's hip as he moved to loosen the sash holding the kimono to his captain's prone form. Renji accompanied the motion by moving his oral assault to Byakuya's chest, brushing his teeth teasingly across sensitive skin until he came to focus on a nipple, on which he tugged gently, glancing up for the other man's reaction.

A low, throaty groan fled past the noble's swollen lips, his head tipping back and pressing against the wall further as Byakuya's eyelashes fluttered briefly, catching a glimpse of Renji before shutting his eyes again as a slow wave of heat cascaded over his body. The redhead's name was on his lips, wanting to be spoken and be asked for more, but Byakuya could bring himself to do no such thing. Instead he rolled his head back with another breathy sound, midnight-black hair fanning back, strands of it catching on the perspiration that dotted the skin of his face and neck.

Deciding actions were better than words, the captain raised a hand and curled it around the back of Renji's neck, encouraging him and toying with the tie that bound up the vice captain's red hair.

Auburn eyes slid shut as Renji returned his focus to pleasuring the noble, though his mind merely substituted darkness with the image of Byakuya he'd just been given, which only cast fires through his veins. He pressed his lips against ivory skin, alternating nipping the responsive nub and sucking sharply, in-between soothing it with his tongue. Simultaneous to his oral distraction, he was finally able to undo the sash that had kept Byakuya's kimono in place despite their earlier affections. It was quick work to part the remaining material and allow his hand to trail along the inside of a delicately muscled thigh.

Byakuya found it increasingly difficult to draw in a full breath, his mind too tangled around sensation and response to do so; thus Byakuya's previously quiet, catching sighs dissipated when his breath caught in his throat and he panted, tossing his head to the side. His fingers clenched into Renji's flame-red hair firmly as his chest arched into the heat of his mouth, and he did not hesitate in the slightest at the touch to his thigh. It was quite the opposite, really; Byakuya finally seemed to find his voice as he reached down and caught the redhead's wrist firmly. "Touch me," the dark-haired man all but purred out as he guided Renji's hand upward.

Renji's hand moved nearly of its own accord, not hesitant in the least to follow his captain's soft-spoken plea. While his mouth remained forcibly engaged in other pleasurable pursuits, his hand freely cupped the sac beneath Byakuya's erection, waiting for a reaction to his firm strokes before moving to encircle the sensitive flesh, and began a pumping motion of long, strong strokes.

Automatically, Byakuya's hips arced, pressing needfully into the hot, firm touch of Renji's hand with a bitten back moan. His fingers had finally managed to tug Renji's hair free of its constraints and now threaded their way through the brilliant red strands that tickled and teased his chest. Desiring the redhead's mouth elsewhere, Byakuya twisted his fingers in the younger man's hair and pulled him from his chest, kissing him slowly and thoroughly.

Renji returned the kiss with equal passion, adjusting so he could deepen the kiss further while maintaining a good angle with which to continue stroking the noble, increasing the pace slightly.

Another low sound of pleasure was swallowed by their kiss, which Byakuya broke from occasionally to catch a ragged gasp of breath. With his hands remaining buried into Renji's hair, the captain arched his back, the urge to thrust against his hand too great to resist. "...Renji..." Byakuya's voice was a husky whisper between kisses as he lifted passion-glazed eyes to meet Renji's own, asking for more with a glance.

A smirk crossed Renji's lips as he quickly touched the noble's lips with his own before sliding down to his knees, shifting his weight from his right hand to his feet. Now freed from the need to support, said hand traced the elder's contours, splaying carelessly across his hip and then drifting down a pale thigh. Meanwhile, the redhead's other hand slowed and then stilled, sliding to its previously abandoned position at the curve of noble's right hip, pressing it firmly to the wall as Renji's lips gradually drew Byakuya's erection into the wet heat of his mouth.

Gasping sharply, Byakuya's head tipped back against the wall, hips straining against the firm press of Renji's hand before he shifted back, digging his heels into the ground to steady himself. The noble's thighs tensed and trembled, the muscles tight from unresolved tension that he channeled to his hands as well, his slim fingers entangled firmly into thick red hair.

Briefly, the older man struggled to control his reiatsu from shifting in spiking, rolling waves that fluctuated with each movement of Renji's mouth or hands. He gave up the fight a few moments later, unable to focus on anything other than what Renji's talented tongue was doing, and at the moment, too blinded by lust to care if any person felt something amiss about the normally calm thrum of energy.

Dimly aware that while their current activities were at least partially hidden, reiatsu usually wasn't, Renji spared enough focus to -at least momentarily- mask his captain's flailing energies with his own. It wasn't a permanent fix, but at least if anyone sensed his they wouldn't think much of it. That dealt with, the redhead decided to increase his oral ministrations with a slight bob of the head, using the motion to allow his tongue more leeway to trace Byakuya's length as his teeth teasingly grazed it. He moved his right hand over to the inside of the nobleman's thigh, drawing circles with his thumb to increase the stimulation.

The combination of tongue and teeth brought out ragged, wanton moans from the normally stoic man, as well as the slip of one of Byakuya's hands to Renji's shoulder, where his fingers gripped tightly and nails bit into tattooed skin. Ebony hair tumbled back over his shoulders as he tossed his head with a subtle shudder, even the addition of Renji's reiatsu to the mix of everything unable to bring Byakuya's mind into focus. The friction, the wet heat of Renji's mouth - that was where his concentration was currently set.

Sensing his captain was finally reaching his limit, Renji pushed his free hand up from Byakuya's thigh to his stomach, messaging gently as he slid his lips forward and relaxed his throat. After taking a moment to adjust, he began a sucking motion, deep and slow. The combined actions both drew out pleasure and encouraged the man to relax and let go.

Byakuya's self-control snapped as heat and sensation further surrounded him, chest heaving for breath and the chance to speak Renji's name. He was unable to find either as he collapsed back against the wall, trembling and panting, clutching blindly at Renji as his reiatsu gradually settled into a slow, rumbling wave, small spikes in its lull reminiscent of the pleasure that still shot through his overly-sensitized body.

Renji held firmly to his captain, keeping him steady until the harshest tremors ceased and he could somewhatly support himself again. Eventually, the redhead pulled back, slowly so he could lick Byakuya clean as he moved. The insistent, erratic tugs at his shoulders drew him up once more so that his body covered the other man's like a warm blanket. Gently, he sought out the noble's lips and kissed them softly, for now content to let his companion's frazzled nerves return to some shade of normality.

Slowly, Byakuya's vision refocused and his breathing evened out, allowing him to return the kiss with a quiet sigh of pleasure. The warmth of Renji's body calmed him, despite the tremors that would occasionally spiral through his nerves that had not experienced stimulation to this degree in - well, quite a long time. That sudden thought brought Byakuya closer to focusing on exactly where he was, and what he was doing, and he tipped his head away from the kiss with a small frown.

The sudden negative movement caught Renji by surprise. He glanced at the other man curiously, wondering what was wrong, but unwilling the break the thick silence hanging over them at the risk of saying the wrong thing entirely. Still, it was strange... Byakuya's entire body language seemed to change in less time than it took him kill someone, which, though a chilling comparison, was starting to feel forebodingly accurate the longer they stood in silence.

Further realization sank into Byakuya's previously pleasure-blurred mind and immediately, the picture of this situation as it truly was sharpened. Tense in a moment, the noble set his jaw in a stern line and firmly told himself that this entire scenario was a product of a weak mind and body, and then reiterated this once again as he lifted ice blue eyes towards Renji's face. It was difficult to look at him now and not falter, but Byakuya managed as he drew in a slow, level breath and pushed Renji away.

"I should have already been home by now," he murmured, knowing the excuse was a feeble one before he even spoke. Byakuya was far more inclined to consider that aspect of the situation, however, rather than the repercussions this would certainly have on his reputation if any person found out, or the immediate affect it had on his pride and honor.

Renji blinked. His mind was tripping over itself trying to follow and then explain what had just happened, but for the moment he was drawing a blank. Slowly, the situation began to sink in and with it frustration and twisted sense of realization. Biting back a growl, Renji leaned against the wall; his hand curling into a fist as he painfully reigned in his thoughts, tried to calm his body and gathered his reiatsu. He didn't know whether to collapse or punch the infuriating noble for being so damned obtuse.

He put a hand over his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to bring rational thought back, though all that came immediately was the image of Byakuya as he had been only moment before... what? What the hell had he done? It must have been something because the noble's entire demeanor had changed in a split second as if reacting to something. At the very least, the image provided him with some words he could fumble past confused lips that still held the other man's taste.

"...Your kimono, Taichou..." Renji offered quietly, not trusting his voice any louder.

Stiffly, Byakuya gathered his kimono about himself, cinching his sash tightly about his waist and straightening the white silk on his shoulders. Upon reaching a hand up to smooth his hair, slim fingers brushed the dark bruise Renji had left upon his neck and he bit back a curse at the blatantly obvious mark of affection. Seeming to easily forget he had been the one to ask for the bite in the first place, Byakuya's eyes cast a brief, chilly stare in Renji's direction.

This situation, Byakuya convinced himself, was an easy mistake to make on his part. He was tired, recuperating from several major battles and the stress of memories, so of course he would want to seek solace in the arms of another. It was a logical human reaction that he wanted to be irritated about falling prey to, especially to his vice captain. It was wrong of him in so many ways, and Byakuya struggled with thoughts on what to do from here. Apologizing seemed like the right choice, but he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to apologize for what he had encouraged -

That thought in particular shook him and he grit his teeth, refusing to relent to his previous emotions and admit that he enjoyed... everything... far more than he should have.

Despite the warm air and his still tingling skin, Renji felt a decidedly cold jolt shoot down his spine from the icy glare sent his way. The origin of the look, like so many of his captains actions was a mystery to him, but seeing the cold expression slide so easily back in place hurt probably more than it should. He closed his eyes to it and looked away, sardonically grateful that, at the very least, it allowed him to shock his nerves into settling down. After a moment, he opened his eyes again, but kept his gaze on the far horizon as he methodically fixed his clothing and then dropped it to the ground to search out his missing hair tie. He remained silent, far too confused to really understand what had happened, and now far to hesitant to even ask.

Attempting to avert his gaze as Renji did the same, Byakuya found himself unable to look away as he became lost in his thoughts. There was no denying that he had initiated the advances between them, and that his mental state had been the cause of this. As reluctant as he was to admit that, he had no choice to - if nothing else, his professional relationship with Renji was at stake and that was something he could not lose at his point in time.

Softening his glare, Byakuya carefully knelt and picked up the hair tie that was at his own feet. "Renji." As he straightened, the noble held out his hand, offering the item to the other man.

Renji chanced a surreptitious glance sideways, a little upset with himself that he was so relieved to find the glare previously turned to him had softened. It was little consolation to know that the relief wasn't entirely founded on fear. He recognized this mask, at least. He didn't like it, but at least something of the captain he was used to dealing with had returned. Eventually, he rose and took the offered hair tie with a slightly nod. "Thank you, Taichou," he managed somewhat gruffly though politely, knowing the noble well enough to understand when they were back to protocol. Although, at this point, that was about all he understood.

The noble spared a small nod before he turned his gaze away and to the road they had been following once more. His headache had all but disappeared and that had seemed to be the bulk of his trouble before; perhaps he could carry on by himself and save Renji any further trouble. "If you do not wish to accompany me, it is understandable." The words were chosen carefully, allowing a small amount of apology if Renji cared to listen for it - though for what, Byakuya wasn't entirely sure. He did not want to apologize for encouraging Renji as he did, but Byakuya was afraid it was based solely on his own desperation, his own weakness; using and ultimately hurting Renji for such a cause did not sit well with him.

Renji took a moment to put up his hair and attempted to translate what his captain meant. The only meaning he could come up with, though, was something akin to 'I know I'm being an ass and I'm not going to stop, but I don't hate you, and if you don't hate me, we can just forget about this whole incident.' This, of course, only served to make him more confused. He heaved a sigh and walked up next to Byakuya. Thinking be damned. "I said I'd see you home, didn't I?" he offered, using his armband as an excuse not to look at the noble when he said it.

Frowning, Byakuya eyed Renji somewhat skeptically. It surprised him that the redhead would still want to spend a minute of time alone with him, let alone still agree to escort him home. He decided this wasn't all bad; Renji, after all, would be useful if his headache returned and hopefully a few minutes between the two of them would solve all of these issues and settle things. Perhaps speaking on what had happened wouldn't be needed.

"You did," the noble agreed, absently smoothing a strand of hair over his neck to hide the bruise that showed up plainly against his otherwise pale skin before adding, "we should not linger here any further."

The redhead nodded silently and began walking, trying not to let his gaze tarry too long on the man beside him. "... Are you planning on working tomorrow?" He asked quietly, both unable to stand the silence and honestly curious.

Byakuya's eyes focused straight forward once he caught sight of the Kuchiki household, barely shifting in any other direction but still aware of Renji's eyes upon him despite the redhead's effort to avoid doing so. "I see no reason why I should not." Inwardly, the noble would have preferred another day's rest after this day's happenings, but knew it was entirely frivolous to consider. Seireitei was lacking enough leadership already.

Renji openly sighed at this, unable and unwilling to withhold his opinion on the matter. Still, he wasn't quite up to arguing with his captain just yet. "The Division will be glad for your presence," he answered diplomatically, choosing not to point out that they hadn't expected him for another two days at least, nor that he'd managed everything well enough while the man was gone and that he could damn well handle an extra day which the noble obviously needed but wouldn't admit and wouldn't stand to have stated around him. Instead, he shifted his gaze forcibly forward and upon noticing how close they were to Byakuya's actual residence, unconsciously took two steps back, following, for propriety's sake, a step behind his captain.

His vice captain's sigh made Byakuya cast him a raised eyebrow, his tone dry as he spoke. "Perhaps they will be glad; but I take it you do not approve?" Byakuya's mind fled back to Renji's initial concern from earlier and a part of his mind registered that Renji would most likely "approve" of an extra day's rest. The captain frowned, considering the alternative idea briefly before brushing the thought away once more. Seireitei needed him now. He'd have time to laze about in bed for the rest of the evening and that should be enough.

Upon stepping onto actual Kuchiki property, Byakuya sighed quietly in relief. The back entrance to his home was completely void of all other presence at the current time and he was thankful for Renji's suggestion to take this route; it would not do for his clan to see him in such a state.

The redhead glanced askance at his captain, almost replying before deciding that it was probably in his best interest not to. The noble took worry in all the wrong ways, so it'd be better not to express it in the first place. He shrugged casually and said instead, "It's your decision, Taichou."

Once past the back entrance gates, Byakuya slowed his pace, nearly stopping as he glanced back at Renji. "Yes; but it would still be unwise of me not to consider your advice in such a situation." Upon stepping onto the wooden walkway that led to the doorway, he paused, lingering for a moment with his hand pressed against the trunk of a near-by blossoming sakura tree. The noble decided that the best way to resolve any tension between himself and Renji was to show that he still placed some trust and value in the redhead.

"I would like to know... what you believe is best for the Division."

Renji stopped in his tracks, unable to keep his initial reaction from showing. The noble had never asked for his input in, well, anything. Work always followed the chain of command; Byakuya decided what needed to be done and he did it. After a moment, he managed to pull a few coherent thoughts together, allowing him to sort through all the possible responses he could give that pertained more to the division than the man who should be running it. Headaches, he noted, seem to be directly associated with the number of eggshells one had to walk on. No wonder the noble to seemed so tense all the time. As for the state of the division, in all honesty it was probably the best self-sustaining body out of the Gotei 13 - but Renji wasn't certain Byakuya would take that news in the positive "you made them that way" manner, and was more inclined to believe the reaction would be along the lines of "apparently you think I am not needed" followed by ice.

"... I've been taking care of things for almost a week now," he began after a significant pause, picking and choosing his words as he went, "and while there's some things that need your attention, it's nothing that can't wait... And it'd be nice to have you back, but we're not going to fall apart if you're not there." There. If his captain managed to take offense to that, he might just stab someone.

The answer Byakuya was given calmed any previous concerns and satisfied his inner urge to make use of one more day of recuperation. The captain nodded slowly, weighing his options before deciding without complaint or protest. "Then I will wait another day. I would not be of any use if I were still recovering, anyway, and I am sure you will continue to handle things well." Grey-blue eyes shifted to focus upon Renji, looking at him rather than through him as he usually did. Though Byakuya fought down the urge to say something, anything about what had happened earlier; he still could not resist requesting a few more moments of Renji's presence.

"Are you going to walk with me to the door, or is this the end of the escort?" the noble asked dryly, shielding his compulsive urge to be near the younger man with his usual subtle sarcasm.

Auburn eyes met the noble's gaze unflinchingly, though not without a touch of surprise. A sense of relief filled Renji along with a strange sense of accomplishment for finally actually being seen for once. He relaxed minutely, cracking a bit of a smirk at Byakuya's last words, feeling as though he was finally beginning to really understand some of the more hidden meanings tucked beneath the elder's genteel parlance.

"It lasts until you throw me out," he replied blithely.

A flicker of amusement passed across the noble's face before he turned away with easy grace and took another step toward the door. "I have yet to do so." Another glance over his shoulder caught Renji's eye and told him to follow without words for the last few yards as Byakuya curbed in his urge to express further affection towards the other man. Somehow, he had to convince his mind that it would only cause suffering for both of them.

Grin widening a bit at slight bit of emotion afforded him; Renji gave an easy nod and followed his captain forward. For the moment, he let complicated thoughts and nagging curiosities take a back seat in hopes that the noble's mood had changed for the better and would stay that way for a while.

Letting his own thoughts rest, Byakuya took the last few steps toward the door in fairly comfortable silence. His hand rested lightly against the handle, pausing before he pulled the door open and instead shifting to lean against it, lifting his eyes towards Renji's.

"Your assistance was appreciated today," he finally said after a moment, his calm gaze not breaking away from Renji's. "I... thank you for your efforts." It wasn't often Byakuya spoke of approval, but he decided that this situation warranted it. Renji could have reacted very badly on several occasions and caused the noble even further problems than he had now.

Despite the awkward phrasing - something which he hadn't expected from the noble - Renji understood the dismissal for what it was. His smile eased to something a bit softer and he nodded lightly. "Any time..." The sudden relaxed air calmed his nerves a bit, causing him to be a bit more casual than the noble was used to, but as his gaze landed on the single mark of his efforts, the redhead decided that he was willing to take a chance if it somehow led to a resolution between them.

With a motion more confident and casual than he truly felt, Renji gently dusted the bruise with his fingers. "Run a comb over it," he advised quietly, mimicking the motion against the pale skin so the man understood what he meant, "and then ice it off and on for a few hours." He smiled disarmingly and somewhat self consciously as he pulled his hand back. "Rest well, Taichou," he added as he turned to make his way off the property.

Byakuya's eyes snapped wide, unable to keep back his surprise at Renji's casual touch and words, and struggling to resist tensing beneath his hand and then shivering as it pulled away. Self-conscious in a moment, Byakuya managed a nod before Renji turned, his own hand lifting and touching his skin where Renji's fingers had heated it only seconds before. The noble heaved a sigh, shut his eyes, and silently hoped for self-control as he dropped his hand back to the handle of the door.

He knew that, despite his reluctance to acknowledge any sort of emotion toward the younger man, Renji would be difficult to ignore.