Chapter: Prologue III
Rating: NC-17 | M
Pairing/Character/s: Byakuya x Renji
Word Count:9,223
Warning/s: Spoilers. Man Sex. Angst.
Summary: Familial anxieties and personal affronts weigh heavilly on Byakuya's mind, but can he let Renji lift the weight?
A/N: So I lied. The prologue is at least three parts >> Well, it's the thought that counts I suppose. Here we have the first switch! R: 2, B:1. And, yes, we do keep count. ;) Enjoy!
"The individual has always had to struggle
to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened.
But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Renji knocked on the familiar door with one hand, sliding it open with the other. He'd never really seen the need to knock before entering his captain's office and really only did so out of propriety. It's not like the man often met with other captains, or was ever doing something that couldn't be interrupted anyway. The sun poured in as he stepped through the entranceway, greeting dying on his lips when he saw the vacant desk. Frowning slightly, he glanced around to determine if the noble truly was not in his office - and he wasn't. He stopped in the middle of the room, sighing lightly in disappointment: he'd been hoping to pull Byakuya out of the room and into the sunlight for a while. It was such a nice day that he could barely stand his own paperwork and was hoping he could use the good weather as an excuse to spend some more time with his captain.
He hesitated leaving, looking around once again, and noting that everything seemed in order. Byakuya wasn't out of his office very often and if he planned on it, Renji normally knew why and when. He'd received no such notices today and there were no meetings he knew of taking place, so the man's absence was rather disconcerting. Still, if he wasn't here, and Renji really had no idea where he was, then it was essentially a lost cause. Disappointed, the redhead turned around again and headed for the door.
The door slid open the rest of the way with an audible snap as the missing captain stepped into the room and almost ran into Renji in his haste. Clearly ruffled over something, the noble took a step back and reached his hand back to slide the door shut, visibly coaching himself into not showing what might have been anger, and instead dimmed it to mild irritation. Though not directed at Renji, the emotion sparked vividly in his eyes before Byakuya blocked it off completely and the typical mask of stone and porcelain fell across his visage.
"Renji," Byakuya acknowledged coolly as he stepped out of the way of the door and brushed past the redhead to his desk. "Do you need something?"
Renji blinked, quickly taking a step back to let the noble pass, his eyes following the movement a little disbelievingly. "I - did something happen, Taichou?" he blurted out before catching himself and winced slightly afterwards, recognizing that it probably wasn't the best wording.
"It is none of your concern," was the immediate response as the noble settled down at his desk and shifted through a stack of paperwork in order to feign being distracted. It worked temporarily, but not long enough, and Byakuya braced himself against the anger that welled up every few moments, hiding it carefully, and refusing to think about his 'family' and their utter nonsense. Looking up briefly, Byakuya repeated, "Do you need something?"
It was a curse, Renji decided, that he had such a hard time letting things go. The frown returned to his face as he walked closer. "Yeah, I was gonna ask if you wanted lunch-" He sighed. "At least have some tea."
Thinking it was entirely possible that Renji was not taking the hint that he needed privacy, and he needed it now, Byakuya let his gaze fall upon him, and with a level tone, he spoke again. "I am afraid I have too many important tasks to do today to take lunch. Thank you, however, for your consideration." In fact, the important tasks consisted of locking himself in his office and furthermore mulling over all the ways he detested the company he lived with.
The flimsy excuse struck a nerve. "Don't give me that, Taichou. You and I both know your "tasks" have nothing to do with it. If you're so determined to just sit there and stew over whatever it is that's not my problem, you could at least reject me outright instead of lyin' about it," Renji snapped in offense to the casual coldness with which he'd been written off.
Renji's tone made the noble clamp down harder on the well of anger that already threatened to overflow. Grey-blue eyes sharpened, narrowed, and sent splinters of ice across the room as they fixed upon Renji in a cold glare. Dozens of responses went through the noble's head, but he choose not to acknowledge the ones that chided Renji on his insolence, or warned him that he was pushing too far in a moment that Byakuya most certainly did not need him to. Instead, Byakuya only offered Renji ice.
"Get out." The two words were spoken quietly, but the dangerous tone behind them was apparent. Byakuya briefly caught Renji's eyes with his frozen gaze to further convince him in case Renji decided to argue. It was one thing for Renji to be concerned about him; it was another for Renji to push it when he all but told him to leave.
Renji grit his teeth and fisted his hands, restraining himself more than he thought possible just then. He took a step back and then turned around completely. A few quick steps took him to the door where he paused again, his hand against the doorframe as he glanced partially over his shoulder. "My apologies, Taichou, I forgot that being concerned for someone is against protocol," he bit out in a mimicry of propriety before leaving the room completely, the door sliding shut with a loud crack behind him.
Once the door shut, Byakuya sunk back into his chair and bit back a sigh. Some of the layers of ice melted now that he was alone, but not completely; the restraints he imposed upon his emotions were a matter of his own personal pride as well. He couldn't afford to let anything slip too far.
That was why, though he had not necessarily intended to upset Renji, he had anyway. It couldn't be avoided. The redhead was, according to Byakuya's still-wary mind as far as companionship went, too concerned about him and worried too much. In any other circumstance, perhaps the noble could have dealt with it with less anger on his part and less of a hurry to be by himself, but in this case, he could not. His own family, daring to dishonor Hisana's name in such a way -
The Kuchiki household would never understand why he had taken her as a wife. Byakuya had come to realize this fact and accepted it, but that did not stop him from being angry when his family, that was supposed to respect his decisions, still demeaned Hisana, even 50 years after her death. And over something as petty as her uselessness as a wife because she never produced a child in the five years they were together! Simmering with anger, the noble glanced down to find that he was gripping the edge of his desk tightly enough for his knuckles to turn stark white. The hold didn't loosen as he thought again on his family, how they had decided, now that he was in better health, to express how concerned they were - what would they have done if he had died? Byakuya let out a sardonic snort and thought on how convenient death would be just then.
~
Some hours later, the bulk of Byakuya's paperwork was finished, neatly sorted, and sent off where needed. It was later in the afternoon; splashes of orange and red coming through his window now as the sun began to set. Normally, the noble wouldn't stay quite this late in the office, but today, he saw no reason to hurry home.
It was when no more activity could be heard in the halls of his division when he did decide to leave. A quick glance about the room noted that everything was in order before Byakuya rose and headed out the door of his office. He sighed deeply, surveying the horizon as his hand slid open another door and he stepped outside. Unable to stop the thought, Byakuya noted that he hated this time of day. The setting sun and all of its vibrant red reminded him of blood, tainted blood, tainted by the yellow and pink that wound its way through it.
Dryly, the noble thought - morbidity aside - sunsets also reminded him that it would be hours until Renji's presence would appear again. Hours more, now that he had upset him, though Byakuya tried not to think on that.
-----
It was some time after the last person had tarried along the hallway before the captain's office, greeting their vice captain who seemed to be a statue against the wall. To them, the redhead would crack a smile and ask them what they were lingering around so late for; why not hang out with some friends? The realm had nearly collapsed only a week ago now, after all. The lower ranked squad members then smiled back, anxious to assure their superior that they had in fact been planning to do just that and should probably be going. Bow. Shuffle away. Repeat.
Renji sighed and leaned back against the wall, wondering what the hell was with the Sixth Division that none of its squad members had any real personality. Anyone in Eleventh would have just asked what the hell he was standing around the captain's office after hours for, if not simply attempted to drag him bodily from his position. Not that he would have let them, of course, but the point was still there. Then again, he decided with a sigh as he tried to get the blaze of the setting sun out of his eyes, it was probably better that non of the self-proclaimed underlings paused to wonder about his strange new vocation. Although, having been quite a while since the last squad member offered any break in the thick silence covering the area, the redhead was almost starting to miss their nervous, long-winded chatter.
Almost.
Just as he began to settle in for a few more hours of waiting, the sound of a door sliding open in the short hallway to his right caught his attention. He closed his eyes momentarily, reminding himself to be calm. Don't get upset. Don't get cocky. And for both their sakes, don't fuck things up. Renji pushed away from the wall and walked over to the intersection of the two hallways, entering the cross-section moments after his captain. "... Evening, Taichou."
The sound of Renji's voice shook Byakuya from his thoughts. He carefully bit back his surprise, his head inclining slightly as he turned back toward the redhead. After his rather reproachful conversation with the vice captain earlier, Byakuya had expected the other man to avoid him for the rest of the evening; it seemed, contrary to his expectations, that Renji had been waiting for him. "Renji." The noble's voice was its typical monotone, albeit subtly more guarded than usual.
Suppressing a wince at the tone of voice, Renji continued reminding himself to not get offended, angry, or frustrated. It was a mantra he'd long ago adopted for all the formalities in Seireitei no matter how messed up they seemed. "... May I accompany you?" He questioned, dredging up the formal vernacular Byakuya was used to even if it made him feel markedly stiff. The words were so distant.
Byakuya turned away again before letting out a small sigh. "If you would like." Not waiting for any response from the redhead, Byakuya stepped outdoors, glancing away from the setting sun and its brightness. The man opted for the long way home, despite any awkwardness that would ensue between him and Renji on the lengthier walk there; it was better than spending longer hours within his household, hearing nothing but complaints and accusations.
Although he took note of their route, Renji didn't comment on it, or anything else for that matter. Saying what was on his mind earlier only made matters worse. It was obvious that something or someone had seriously upset his captain - which was the entire reason he was worried in the first place - and in-between the mounds of paperwork he'd stamped distractedly through he'd decided that having Byakuya upset with him was decidedly less appealing than ruffling the noble's feathers had previously seemed. Thus, if the man was upset, he was upset. If he wanted to actually do something about it, Renji would help, but until then, he did not feel like bearing the brunt of Kuchiki-Taichou's anger.
After a few drawn out moments of silence, the silhouette of the Division buildings behind them gave Byakuya a better sense of himself, and a better, calmer state of mind. Done with work for they day, done with part of his stress. His pace slowed considerably, and it was only another few seconds before he spoke with a much softer tone than before, "I suppose you took your lunch break without me today?" If Renji would not break the silence between them, then he had to do so. Renji and silence did not go together comfortably in his own mind.
"... Not really," Renji sighed a bit, glancing off to the side a little embarrassedly. "I... ah... forgot, actually. Just went back to work." He rubbed the back of his neck in an unconscious, nervous gesture.
The noble frowned slightly. "I see." Briefly, his eyes flickered to Renji, but did not linger for any period of time. "...I take it this was on account of our...disagreement from earlier," Byakuya ventured after a short pause, opening the floor once and for all if Renji wanted to speak freely.
Renji nodded and dropped his hand to his side once more, hazarding a glance back at Byakuya, but failing to supply any further information. After all, just because he was willing to let the noble brood didn't mean he wasn't above acting the same way in return.
Unsure of how to take the redhead's uncharacteristic demureness, the captain hesitated, swallowing back words that did not seem appropriate for this situation and questioning others. He was quite used to Renji initiating any conversation, especially in resolving a problem. Realizing he would have to be the one to swallow his pride this time - he was, Byakuya admitted, the one in the wrong, after all - there was another long pause before he spoke again.
"...Then... I apologize." A slow exhale of breath followed those words before more were spoken in a low murmur. "It was wrong of me... to treat you in the manner I did."
Auburn eyes widened at the noble's words, but then quickly returned to their normal size. After a moment of internally debating the best answer to give, Renji quietly replied, "I don't care if you're angry at me, Taichou. I just can't stand it when you're angry with me. I don't know what put you in such a bad mood, and I guess you don't want me to know. That's..." He sighed a bit, glancing to the side again. "That’s fine. I just... don't want you to be upset." The words came haltingly, as if he couldn't quite find the right ones, but didn't know how else to phrase it.
Renji's words came as no surprise. Byakuya knew of the other man's concern and had thought it over in the past few hours to realize the way that which he had upset Renji, but it did not make it any easier to right what he had wronged. "...I do not think it is right to burden you with my troubles," the noble finally said after some thought. "Nevertheless..." Byakuya turned his head slightly to look at Renji. "...Your concern does not go unappreciated." Though not speaking an explanation, Byakuya came to the conclusion that he just did not know how to react to it in a way other than defensively.
The redhead just sighed, nodding very slightly. He'd come to expect such answers and was honestly running out of ways to make the stubborn man realize it was okay to have emotions and react to them. He wanted to reply, but the words were gone, and so with a shake of his head he just looked forward again.
His eyes lowered again as he realized his efforts, though as good-intentioned as they may be on his part, still were not enough. Byakuya let out a sigh of his own and kept walking, silent until he could see his home not too far ahead. With one last, tentative attempt, Byakuya suggested quietly, "Because we missed lunch, you are welcome to stay and dine with me." As of late he took his dinner in private, so it would not be terribly difficult to throw the household an excuse of an 'important mission approaching that needed to be discussed in privacy, after work hours,' if they questioned Renji's presence.
Renji blinked, instantly looking back at his captain, unsure if he'd heard right. A smile slowly worked its way across his lips. Perhaps... "I'd like that, Taichou."
Visibly relieved, the noble relaxed slightly as he let out a breath he had been holding. "Good." Byakuya's steps unconsciously quickened as they grew near the main gates of the Kuchiki manor, leading Renji through them and to the front entrance. "If you don't mind... I'll see that we eat in the privacy of my quarters. I am in no mood to deal with my 'family'-" the word was rather dry, "- tonight."
The redhead nodded, having long since guessed this. "I don't mind," he added vocally, inside a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with the rest of the man's aristocratic family. Judging solely based on the fact that despite his outwardly icy exterior Byakuya had taken in not one, but two women from Rukongai and cared for both against said family's wishes... Renji simply didn't have a need to see, hear, or interact with such people. As such, he stuck staunchly to his position half a step behind Byakuya as per propriety and tried not to smile too much so he wouldn't incur the notice of any uptight gentry.
The captain gave a quiet sigh to himself as they entered the house, toeing his shoes off and giving a quick assessing glance about to see who was around, if anyone, currently. The lack of persons made things easier for the moment, though he deduced they were all probably eating dinner and chiding his absence. Byakuya inwardly snorted at the thought and led the way down the halls, deciding his room, and a brief chance of relaxation, should be visited before sending for dinner.
Renji stayed as close as he could manage, feeling more than a little small in the large home. Even despite countless years in Seireitei and loud statements to the contrary, he couldn't help feeling a bit intimidated. He wasn't fond of the emotion, and berated himself for it, but couldn't really shake it. Rukia was scared to death of these halls, and he knew right away why; even without other nobles milling around, it felt as if the wood itself were judging you. It was not an altogether pleasant feeling.
Sensing Renji's uneasiness, Byakuya was grateful when they finally reached his bedroom door. He opened it, stepping inside and motioning for Renji to follow. "I'll have dinner sent here in a few moments," the noble murmured as he shut the door behind them, fingers lingering for a bit longer than necessary on the handle - a subtle gesture that meant the door was now locked.
Fortunately, the eerie feel of the corridor was rivaled by the distinct aura of privacy in Byakuya's chambers. Renji relaxed again when he heard his captain close the door behind him. He looked around, taking a few more steps into the room to get a good a better view. "... This place is way too clean to be lived in," he remarked of the absolutely pristine floors, furniture, and walls, looking as if time itself didn't dare touch them.
"I assure you that it is lived in," Byakuya replied dryly, slipping away from the door to Renji's side. Though he hesitated slightly, his fingers eventually found their way to Renji's sleeve, tightening slightly to draw attention back to the noble. "I take it you don't approve?"
The redhead instinctively allowed himself to be pulled closer, much more so than Byakuya likely intended, and turned his gaze back to the owner of the estate. "Che. You worry about approval too much, Taichou," he answered lightly.
Byakuya hesitated briefly, but then decided he preferred the close proximity and leaned slowly against Renji. "Perhaps," he murmured as he rested his head against his vice captain's shoulder.
Renji closed his eyes lightly, simply enjoying the contact between them. This was much better. He wasn't sure what prompted it, but being this close to the noble gave him an odd sense of security. It was something he'd never really felt before in any situation, and while he didn't fight it, he did think it strange. It must have been something about the confident aura Byakuya exuded, or perhaps the palpable thrum of power you could only really feel strongly when in physical contact with him; a power he knew first hand the strength of. The redhead shivered faintly at the memory, thankful that he wouldn't have particular experience again.
Shifting slightly as he felt Renji shiver, Byakuya glanced up at the redhead, concerned. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly before acknowledging the short distance between his lips and Renji's throat, and, unable to resist, leaned forward the last required inch to faintly brush against the tanned skin. It was a good thing he had decided to lock the door, Byakuya pointed out to himself.
" ... Yeah," Renji exhaled softly, titling his head to the side and cracking his eyelids open. "Yeah, just thinking..."
Taking advantage of the exposed skin, Byakuya gently nuzzled at it, breath warm against Renji's neck. "About?"
The younger man shuddered, this time pleasantly, and answered quietly, "What it felt like... when we fought."
Byakuya paused briefly. "...Why that, of all things?" he asked lowly against Renji's neck, his lips skimming to brush behind his ear.
Renji slid his eyes to the side, debating whether or not to voice his thoughts. After a moment, he settled for as much of the truth as he could give just then. "Because it's the only other time I've felt yer reiatsu so clearly."
Said reiatsu faltered, hesitating in its steady thrum at those words, then settled back as it was. Resting his head on Renji's shoulder, the noble relaxed against him, shutting his eyes half-way. "...I should hope you appreciate this scenario more."
Slipping a hand up and over his shoulder to rest gently in Byakuya's hair, Renji answered, "I appreciate both, but I want to experience this more." His own reiatsu shifted to match his words, slipping somewhat hesitatingly around them both.
A soft sigh escaped Byakuya's lips as he relaxed contently beneath the warmth and surprisingly comfortable pressure of the other man's reiatsu. His own shifted slightly before it settled once more into a lower, almost rumbling purr of energy.
After a long moment, Renji shifted slightly, twisting to catch Byakuya's eyes with his own. "I hate to ruin the moment... but you did promise food and I haven't eaten since breakfast," he grinned brashly with his words.
The noble blinked a little, shaken from his thoughts, then managed a rather harmless frown. "You should really work on being more tactful," Byakuya said wryly as he stepped back from the redhead and toward his bedroom door, bracing himself for dealing with his family once he stepped outside of his room. "I'll be back in a few minutes; make yourself at home," he added before slipping out of the door and shutting it behind him.
Renji looked around for a long moment afterwards, contemplating his captain's words. One of the downsides to such an immaculate room, he noted, was the hesitation to touch any of it. And even though it was much more comfortable than the hallways... it was decidedly less appealing without Byakuya there with him. Finally, he merely stretched a bit and sat down where he was. He'd just wait until the noble returned before venturing to any sort of furniture.
It took longer than Byakuya anticipated to convince his family that it was perfectly acceptable that Renji was here on business purposes only, and that discussing work-related topics over dinner and tea was fine as well. A few sharp words and looks in their direction finally convinced them, and few of the nobles relented enough to set up one of the private sitting rooms near his quarters for their meal. Satisfied that was taken care of, Byakuya retraced his steps back to his bedroom and stepped back inside.
An eyebrow lifted as he saw where Renji was, and slightly amused, the noble pointed out, "I told you to make yourself at home, but if you find the floor more comfortable..."
"Yeah well... " Renji glanced to the side slightly embarrassed now. "I didn't want to mess up anythin'," he muttered by way of explanation. "Anyway," he quickly added eager to change the topic. "How’d it go?"
Byakuya spared a quick glance around. "It would probably do this place good to be messed up once in awhile," he mused, mostly to himself before glancing back down to Renji. "They're bringing our dinner to one of the private sitting rooms. It should be ready shortly."
Renji grinned out right at the mention of food, hungry as he was and sure it would probably be the best meal he'd have for a while. "Thanks, Taichou," he offered, moving to stand again, feeling rather awkward on the ground when Byakuya was not as well.
Keeping a careful focus on any activity in the hallway, just in case a member of the household decided to walk in and disturb him unannounced, Byakuya caught Renji's arm as he began to stand and tugged him up the rest of the way. "It's only fair. I have lunch with you every day." The noble paused as he heard voices in the hallway and released Renji's arm, heading to the door and opening it in time to see the food being brought in. He glanced back over his shoulder at Renji before taking another step out of the room. "Come; it seems as if everything is ready."
"Does everyone in this house know shunpo?" Renji quipped, grinning as he walked about behind Byakuya. Curious, he glanced into the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of the foods prepared for them.
If Byakuya hadn't been carefully guarding himself, he would have smirked at that. "Sometimes," he drawled instead, pointing out mentally that his household's speed depended on how much he glared at them on any given night. The thought made him snort quietly as he turned and began walking down the hall, gesturing for Renji to follow.
Luckily, his family had taken his wish for privacy to heart and left the room before he and Renji stepped into it. Byakuya's mind dimly registered that he had all but skipped breakfast as well, so he was just as hungry as Renji - but the events of the day took away much of his desire to acknowledge an appetite.
Renji blinked at the strange answer, but decided not to think about it. So he shrugged and followed his captain through the old halls, trying not to actually look at the walls as he did so. It was hard. Without letting his eyes wander the only thing to really settle on was Byakuya and the noble was being quite obviously careful of maintaining their work relationship in front of his family and as such probably wouldn't want to be stared at... appreciatively in front of said people. So with those two options gone, he was left with the servants and blankly staring forward. He was beginning to understand, he noted, why it was Byakuya's gaze never seemed to waver from some far off nothing when he walked; Renji certainly didn't want get the servants' attention from letting his gaze wander to them for too long and thus settled for a fairly good imitation of the other man's official, vaguely bored stare.
The noble could not have been more grateful when they reached the private room, away from the prying, curious eyes of servants and family members. He opened the door, stepping inside and away from the entrance, allowing Renji to follow him. The aroma of a gourmet meal laid out upon the table did not register in his mind; Byakuya instead focused on the fact that the door would soon be closed, and he would not have to hear a word from his family for the rest of the evening. He hoped that was the case, at least.
For Renji, however, the door and family were the least of his worries and the meal foremost in his mind. He immediately moved closer to the table upon entering the room, looking over the large assortment of food and the sheer number of delicacies among them. Somehow, he managed to keep his stomach from vocally adding to his thoughts - though it was quite a bit of luck, considering how long he'd gone without food compounded with the fact that he'd had to run drills with the squad that day... He glanced back at Byakuya, anxious to get to eating, but not wanting to horribly break etiquette without realizing it either. Men and their hang ups...
Once the door was shut - and locked - accordingly, Byakuya turned back to Renji, waving a hand in a rather careless gesture. He'd had enough etiquette and lecture on 'proper behavior' today himself, and felt no desire to even contemplate posing it upon Renji. "Help yourself. No need to wait for me."
He didn't need to be told twice. Renji plopped himself unceremoniously in the nearest seat, grabbed a pair of chopsticks and dug in all before his captain had the time to join him at the table. It wasn't a matter of being messy - there was no way the redhead would let any of the food go to waste - rather, he was ravenous and set on making that state of being as far from his mind as possible.
Shaking his head in vague amusement, the captain slid into the seat across from Renji far more gracefully than his companion and began slowly picking at his own meal. Being out of sight of his family was a plus, but knowing he was still on their mind did not settle him in the slightest. For the moment, Byakuya tried to brush such thoughts away and relax; if not for his own sake, it would be for Renji's... once the redhead wasn't buried into his plate.
After inhaling about a quarter of the food available, Renji finally sat back and took a drink of tea, glancing across the table at the other man. "You get food like this everyday and won't have 'em make you lunch?" he asked incredulously.
Byakuya bit back a comment of 'why in the world would I want to come back here for anything other than sleep?' and instead replaced it with something equally truthful. "I prefer my lunch breaks with you."
"Che." It was dismissive, but said with a smirk. On some level, Renji had already known what the reason was, but it was still nice to have it said. He paused then, drinking his tea more slowly now that he didn't feel on the verge of becoming a hollow. Eventually, he sighed and put his elbow on his knee so he could lean on his left hand while watching the noble. "You're really tense, Taichou."
The noble's attention had wandered to his own cup of tea, then away again. Though he had already taken a sip, he still held the cup as his eyes unfocused from thought. He felt Renji watching him a few moments later and he jerked from his thoughts as he was spoken to, nearly spilling his cup before he sat it down. "I'm just thinking," Byakuya murmured, his eyes refocusing but not quite on anything in the room.
Renji arched an eyebrow to show he was far from convinced by that. "You seem ta' have a lot on your mind today," he replied a bit gentler than normal.
"...Yes," Byakuya finally agreed after a moment's pause, unable to argue that fact, at the very least. He gave no further information, however, and instead turned back to absently poking at his all but untouched meal.
The redhead sighed lightly and straightened to continue his own meal. "You should at least eat something," he muttered, putting more food on his plate. "Empty stomach only makes things worse."
"You're right, but I'm not very hungry," he murmured, sitting back slightly and sitting down his chopsticks. He took another sip of tea and tried not to sigh to himself. No need to ruin this dinner for Renji, at least.
"Sometimes, Taichou, you really act like the whole world would collapse if you didn't hold it up," Renji remarked with a snort. "You're so good at taking care of every situation but your own.... It wouldn't kill ya' - or anyone else - if you stopped tryin' ta do everything by yourself."
Byakuya blinked slightly, taken aback by the statement. "...I don't -" he hesitated, frowning. "I don't try to take care of everything..." The argument was rather weak and he knew it, but he at least had to try and be contrary. "Everything else simply takes priority to my own situation; it has always been that way."
Renji leveled him with a flat stare. "This coming from someone who's 'above' 90% of Soul Society?" He snorted. "That's some weird kinda superiority complex."
The noble's tone was curt and slightly defensive as he sat down his cup and met Renji's stare. "If I do not handle things, who will?"
"Whoever else you tell to take care of it?" Renji ventured, if a bit sarcastically. "You can't tell me there aren't people in your family incapable of handling themselves or their immediate relatives. And what about all the extra work you were doing in the division, eh? Regardless of whether you trusted me to do it right or not, it was still more things you just didn't need ta' take care of. Then look what happens when you have a problem. Half the squad purposely handed reports inta me because they knew you were in a bad mood without either of us saying a damn thing about it. It's like ya completely forget that your problems affect everyone else around you too, but ya won't do a damn thing about it because your problems aren't worth the time and effort or somethin'. Come on, Taichou; you have ta see that this doesn't make any sense."
Frowning, Byakuya glanced away, admitting a small defeat in the gesture. As correct as Renji may be, he hardly wanted to acknowledge it, but knew it would be foolish not to. Surprisingly, his lieutenant did have sound logic in such matters as this - but that did not mean Byakuya would drop it and accept Renji's words so easily. "Seeing as you are so infinitely wise," he drawled, "do tell me how to remedy this so it does 'make sense'. I cannot simply drop half of my work to focus on myself."
Auburn eyes watched Byakuya askance while the redhead took another sip of tea. "I think half your problem is absolutes. No, you shouldn't drop half your work because you're upset. You could try telling someone why, though. Didn't ya' feel better after telling Rukia everything?" he added as an example.
"...Yes. But that was an entirely different situation..." the noble began, and then trailed off with a slow sigh. It wasn't, though; his family, Hisana, all of that was still involved, as well the issue of propriety and how he did not follow it properly. Byakuya's eyes dropped again and he resisted the urge to stand and leave automatically. "...Are you done eating? If so, we should go back to my bedroom." If he was going to speak on anything, he would prefer it to be in total privacy, where he could feel comfortable.
Renji took the hint and backed off for a moment. He set his cup down and gave Byakuya a slight smile. "Yeah, I'm done. Thanks for the dinner, Taichou."
Saying nothing, the older man acknowledged Renji's words with a slight nod before he rose from his seat and made his way to the door. He gave a brief glance over his shoulder, gesturing for Renji to follow. The redhead rose to his feet with considerably more grace than he'd sat down and was quickly at Byakuya's side again, following closely as they migrated back to the noble's bedroom.
Once back in his quarters, Byakuya made sure to lock the door behind them, insuring no interruptions. Appearing suddenly tired, the noble moved to sit on the edge of his bed, grasping Renji's wrist and tugging him down next to him as he took a seat without much of the grace and composure he usually possessed.
Renji easily followed Byakuya's unspoken commands, taking a seat beside the noble on the bed. He remained silent, though, waiting for his captain to speak first.
The noble allowed a small sigh to escape before anything was spoken, and did not unwind his fingers from around Renji's wrist even after the redhead took his seat. "...This morning, my family decided to point out to me the 'dire straights' they would be in if I had been killed in recent events, considering the severity of my injuries." Byakuya shut his eyes briefly, summoning enough will to continue speaking when he was uncomfortable doing so. "...All of their concern, of course, stemmed from the fact there is no viable heir to my position as head of this household... And this they proceeded to blame upon Hisana, because her premature death..." The noble exhaled slowly, and turned his head aside, his voice low and edged with cynicism, "Apparently, that, and all other problems, stem from 'bringing that woman into this household.'"
Renji waited until the noble had finished entirely before formulating a reply. He took a slow breath and answered, "I think you probably know my reaction to that, but for what it's worth, I think you're completely justified ta be upset with them. Hell, I'd be pissed if someone who was supposed to be my family just wrote off someone who... who's not around any longer and who I really cared about." He sighed then, trying to find other words to say. "Even if they really would be in a bind without you, it doesn't give them the right to dictate everything you do and least of all who you love," he stated firmly. "You made the right choice with her, Taichou, and you don't have to put up with anyone questioning that."
Briefly, weariness flickered across the captain's eyes. "Thank you for the support, Renji; however, I doubt my family would ever be as open to that idea as you are. I was never supposed to marry on... any basis of emotion. 'What is best for the clan' is what I should have based everything on, according to tradition." Byakuya allowed a quiet, sardonic snort as he glanced back up to Renji. "It seems I have a habit of breaking tradition. A pity my family does not appreciate this."
"Che, I'll never understand what's so noble about not letting yourself be human," Renji sighed. "Just because you're born here doesn't mean you're anything else but a human soul. An' anyway... it really seems like makin' your own family’s a better option from what I've seen. They only people expectin' ya' to be that weird version of perfect are people who can't even try themselves."
Byakuya blinked, taken aback again by Renji's logic that - well - made more sense than anything his household could ever throw at him. The noble shook his head slightly, his eyes dropping down once more as one hand's fingers moved to twine with Renji's own. "Please, never try and explain that to my family," he said softly, "because I think you would make them collapse. They are not used to anything making sense."
Renji blinked and then slowly grinned and barked out a laugh. Thoughtlessly, he leaned closer and kissed Byakuya's lips in an affectionate, casual gesture and pulled away still chuckling. "If you insist, Taichou... just try an' let off some steam once in a while, okay?"
The affection readily soothed the noble's tense nerves, which gave Byakuya little mental resistance when his body shifted closer and his cheek came to rest against Renji's shoulder after the kiss. "...I will keep that in mind." His lips brushed against Renji's neck, right above his shoulder as he murmured, "You are welcome to stay the night, if you wish. Your presence would be appreciated."
"Appreciated, eh?" Renji replied with some amusement. He shifted slightly, turning towards the noble so he could catch the man's wandering lips again. "I suppose I could stay," he murmured after they broke apart, and nipped at Byakuya's lower lip, "if you really ‘appreciate my presence’ that much.”
"Good," Byakuya breathed before his lips strayed from the redhead's and traced a path along his jaw line, his teeth tugging gently on the bottom of Renji's ear. His hand wandered as well, palm sliding slowly down the bit of Renji's chest visible despite his clothing.
The redhead leaned back, supporting himself with a hand behind his back. His other hand came around to rest on the back of Byakuya's neck, fingers twisting in the hair there. Smirking faintly, he tilted his head back a bit to allow the noble better access.
Following Renji as he shifted backward, the noble slid closer, planting his right hand next to Renji's hip on the bed. His left continued its wandering; skimming beneath fabric, nails gently tracing the jagged tattoos until they brushed over a nipple. Byakuya's thumb grazed back to the sensitive nub of skin, teasing over it lightly as his lips pressed to the exposed skin of Renji's throat and suckled on the Adam’s apple.
Renji could feel his breath hitch when Byakuya's fingers slid the across the quickly stimulated skin, causing his eyelids to droop partially and a low moan to slip past his lips. Mindful of their surroundings, however, he took care to watch his volume for as long as he'd still be aware of it. His fingers tightened on the portion of hair held in his grasp, urging the contact to continue.
Teeth soon accompanied the noble's lips, scraping gently over Renji's collarbone, tugging on the skin but hesitating to bruise as Renji had done to him. His thumb gave a last, firm rub over the sensitized nipple before his hand skidded lower, diving underneath mussed clothing and massaging the firm stomach beneath. His other hand slid about the back of Renji's neck, fingers tugging at the hair tie and freeing the thick mane of red only to thread through it and use the hold to gain control of a rough, heated kiss as Byakuya's lips caught his companion's again.
Renji moaned into the kiss, returning it equally. He added a bit of pressure to the back of Byakuya's head, keeping the man close as he arched against the noble's firm touches. A slight shift forward from Byakuya prompted Renji to lean back while the noble's hand snaked lower and hooked into the redhead's sash, untying it slowly as his tongue insistently slid past Renji's lips and kissed him thoroughly. The sash was undone moments later and the top of his uniform pushed aside, giving Byakuya's hand the chance to glide appreciatively along the full length of Renji's chest without any cloth hindering the caress.
Having little choice in the matter anymore, the younger shinigami relented his support and simply slid to his back on the bed. The insistent touch on his chest was quickly warming his skin, sensitizing it to the lightest touch. Renji let his eyes drift shut entirely, merely welcoming the pleasurable sensations as they came. A sound similar to a low growl emanated from him as he used his grasp on the noble's hair to break the kiss for the sake of breathing. He turned his head to the side, panting softly to catch his breath and thought idly that Byakuya could be a damn good kisser when he tried.
The noble smirked slightly against the other man's neck, turning his head a bit to nip at the sensitive skin behind Renji's ear. He carefully shrugged off his haori, the top of his robes loosening in the process as well, one shoulder slipping down and exposing bare skin that pressed into Renji's as Byakuya leaned down against him. Slim fingers unwound from the red hair they tightly gripped as the noble's lips moved elsewhere, open-mouthed kisses trailing down the toned chest and closing over a nipple, tugging gently before his tongue soothed.
Renji's breathing sped up noticeably with the increase in skin to skin contact. His eyes fluttered as he tried to take deeper breaths, but found he was enjoying the stimuli too much for it to be of much use. Damn that noble and his deceitful mouth for making him act like breathless virgin. One hand fisted in the bed sheets while the other released its tight grip on silken black hair, instead splaying loosely across the back of Byakuya's head. The elder's skilled tongue and lips teasing already sensitive flesh ripped another moan from him, which he turned to the bed to muffle.
Briefly, Byakuya cursed the fact they were in such a precarious situation, as Renji's voice was one of the things he wanted to hear most. Tempted by the prospect of making it even more difficult for Renji to stifle himself, the noble's tongue slid lower, tracing a wet, warm trail along the path of Renji's tattoos with his teeth savoring the expanse of skin alternatively. His fingers hooked into the other man's hakama, taking his time in pulling it down and trailing his fingertips over the inside of Renji's thigh.
A calloused hand slipped from its hold in Byakuya's hair to tightly grip the sheets as the redhead bit back another moan, twisting slightly beneath the other man's attentions. A shiver rolled through his body, becoming a tremor as his muscles tightened in an attempt at not moving into the noble's touch, lest he lose control of his vocal cords as well.
Once the last piece of Renji's clothing was discarded, Byakuya's lips skimmed their way back up, lightly biting a previously untouched shoulder as he slid his arms completely out of his own clothes. His tongue seared a heated trail upwards, teeth nipping once more before he captured Renji's lips with his own, savoring the redhead's taste and muffling a low groan of his own into the kiss.
Renji returned the kiss fiercely, wrenching his left hand from the sheets to pull Byakuya closer. The touch of skin to skin and the noble's talented tongue were the best kind of aphrodisiac. His left leg bent slightly, allowing him to set his foot on the bed in order to gather enough leverage to arc his hips up against the other man's, letting their kiss stifle the moans the action derived.
With the kiss to muffle his voice, the noble was not afraid to moan at the friction between them, the movements of Renji's hips sending hot sparks of pleasure through him. Byakuya kissed him hard for another moment before slowly breaking away, panting softly and trailing his teeth over Renji's lower lip. Half-lidded eyes lingered on the redhead with scarcely concealed hunger before the noble slid away from him, moving to the nightstand near his bed. He retrieved a small bottle of body oil, and leaned to kiss Renji again as he warmed the bottle in his hand.
A deep chuckle rose from the redhead as the kiss began, causing it to break momentarily. "I was starting to wonder if ya' had anythin'," he murmured lowly, catching Byakuya's gaze. "You don't need ta' prepare me, by the way," he added with a smirk, nipping at the man above him.
Byakuya's eyes met Renji's with a flicker of amusement. His voice was a low purr as his lips errantly wandered to the edge of the redhead's ear, "If you thought I was not prepared for your presence, you were sorely mistaken." He took heed to Renji's words and only used enough oil to slick his own length. The noble's lips tugged and suckled on what he found to be a particularly sensitive spot on his lieutenant's neck, one hand bracing over his shoulders and the other gripping Renji's hips. Byakuya tilted them slightly as his own slowly rocked forward, sliding deep within the heat of the other's body with a throaty groan that he could not bite back.
Intent on not making too much noise, Renji instead inhaled sharply and arched his hips against Byakuya's. His hand gripped tightly to his captain's arm, while is legs instantly cinched around the man's waist. A controlled exhale quickly slipped into a deep moan as the noble's lips worked against sensitive skin, and laid connected.
"Move..." He all but groaned, teetering on the edge of pleasure.
All too willing to oblige, his fingers curled about Renji's hip tightly as he slowly pulled out and thrust back in, another low moan escaping him. Byakuya's teeth worried a bruise into the flesh of Renji's neck as his hips angled sharply with the next thrust, drawing out each movement of his hips slowly to prolong sensation.
Moaning soft and low, Renji's eyelids slid halfway shut, his hips arching slightly to move with Byakuya's thrusts. "Harder..." His legs tightened, urging the other man deeper.
A faint smirk tugged at Byakuya's lips as he responded by shifting his body closer, tipping Renji's hips a bit more as he thrust hard into him, striking deep within the heat of Renji's body. The pace quickened accordingly, and the noble's hand slid from Renji's hip. It trailed between them, wrapping around the lieutenant's erection and stroking with the pace of his thrusts.
The drastic change in pace ripped a ragged moan from Renji's throat, which he only managed to stifle at the end, biting the inside of his cheek. The simultaneous stimulation made it increasingly hard to muffle his reactions, as did his instinctive need to augment the pleasure by moving against Byakuya's thrusts. Tremors swept through his body as the combination began to tear at his self control.
Byakuya's lips seized Renji's in a deep, breathless kiss, swallowing their voices as he sensed Renji was close. Soft, ragged gasps escaped between kisses, the sensation of the other man around him when his hips snapped forward sending sparks of pleasure through the noble's body.
Finally given an outlet, Renji groaned deeply into the kiss, relaxing enough to let the pleasure overtake his senses. As their pace sped up, his grip on the noble's arm tightened, using it for leverage to push back into the man's ministrations. He adjusted the angle of his hips just slightly and was rewarded with a sharp bolt of pleasure shooting up his spine. By now, it was enough to snap his last remaining control, sending him thundering over the edge with a wordless cry swallowed by their joined lips.
The noble's own groan echoed Renji's, his fingers clenching tightly into the sheets as his body gave out against Renji's from the spike of pleasure that cascaded through it. Occasional tremors traced through his aching nerves as Byakuya's body attempted to recover from the intense heat of passion that still burned him to the core. His lips dropped from Renji's, pressing instead against the redhead's throat and licking at slick, salty flesh as he gradually caught his breath.
Renji panted softly and wrapped his arms around Byakuya, slowly calming his breathing as he brushed his fingers across the noble's pale skin.
A tiny, absent smile briefly appeared on the noble's lips at the small gesture of affection. He pressed another kiss to Renji's jaw before pulling back and rolling off of him, his arm slung across the redhead's waist.
Instinctively, Renji turned on his side, casually laying against Byakuya and closed his eyes lightly.
Byakuya's fingers slid absently down Renji's lower back before his hand strayed and pulled up the blankets around them. He relaxed into the redhead's chest, sated and more content than he'd been in a long while.
With a soft sigh, Renji affectionately pressed his lips to Byakuya's temple, and gently threaded his fingers through the noble's silken hair, carefully dislodging the already astray kenseikan and pulling them them out.
After lifting his head just slightly to assist Renji in his task, Byakuya slid a bit closer, their legs tangling together as he shut his eyes and leaned his forehead against Renji's shoulder. His reiatsu settled into a low, rolling thrum, almost as if he were purring.
Finished with his self appointed task, the redhead shifted a bit to drop the kenseikan at the bedside and then settled in, running his hands soothingly through the noble's now unrestricted hair.
Low murmurs of pleasure escaped the noble's throat, almost tipping his head into the caress. His eyes fluttered open slightly, enough to see Renji and trace a gentle hand along the tattoos on his chest admiringly.
A faint smile played across Renji's lips. "Good stress relief, hm?" he half asked, a light emotion skimming his gaze.
The noble nodded just slightly before his hand stilled, resting against Renji's hip and sliding around to wrap around him. His face buried into the crook of Renji's neck and breathed in deeply the redhead's scent. If only, his mind mused tiredly, he could stay here like this as long as he wanted.
Renji slipped his arms over Byakuya's shoulders, adjusting to the position silently. He laid a hand on his captain's head and exhaled softly, simply enjoying the moment.
"You are staying the entire night, correct?" Byakuya softly asked, breaking the silence a few moments later. Honestly, if Renji even considered moving right now, he probably would resort to drastic measures to keeping him in the bed and in this position, but insecurity prompted the noble to worry that Renji might possibly leave after he had dozed off.
The redhead merely chuckled softly. "You couldn't move me with a ban kai, Taichou."
OMAKE!
Kira: 23:32:03
(OMG, I'm on a glycemic low and there's NOTHING in this house with more sugar than an UNFROSTED poptart. @_@)
Gali: 23:32:28
(T_T)
Kira: 23:33:57
(And wow that's cute. I so have this image of Byakuya taking in a Renji!puppy and feeding him and such. *_*)
Gali: 23:34:16
(AWWW)
Gali: 23:34:19
(*wibbles*)
Kira: 23:38:34
(*mimcs Renji, snarfing poptarts* >> << )
Kira: 23:40:09
(Hah! Okay, now I can type.)