Set after the Zanpakutou arc

Spoilers: Contains some spoilers for the Soul Society and the Zanpakutou Arc

Pairing: ByaRen, implied IchiRuki

Rating: M

Summary: There's definetly something in the already complicated relationship of Abarai Renji & Kuchiki Byakuya. Who and what will it take for cold and stubborn walls to break? Maybe an increasingly open, ungaurded Byakuya?

Disclaimer: Yeah Surre! Trust me, if i owned Bleach, I would marry Byakuya right away! But no, since I cant, I dont own Bleach. Belongs to Kube Tite and whoever else has the Copyright!

...

(Renji's POV)

It was one of those typical days in Sereitei. Abarai Renji knew exactly how this day would end - in embarrassment. The reason? He had a training session scheduled with the infamous Captain of his Squad, none other than Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Why do I have to fight him anyway...it's not like I can't improve on my own..."He mumbled as he made his way to the area cleared for the very purpose. Generally he was very upbeat about these sessions – he craved for every chance to pit his strength against his Captain's.

He blamed it all on that one day. The day when his Captain was lying in bed, recuperating. After the whole mess with Rukia and Aizen and his battle with Byakuya and then Byakuya's with Ichigo...after all that, when everything had been cleared and he had visited his captain.

It was then that Renji had finally admitted to himself that he didn't just want to excel Byakuya or become stronger than him. He had long stopped considering him as only the man he had to be stronger than. He had started respecting his Captain and caring for him, just like he did for everyone else in his squad.

Somewhere along the line, they had become friends – as much as a brash vice-captain and a quiet, cold Captain could be.

Byakuya had asked him whether he wished him to be dead. Renji, shocked and unnerved, had answered without a pause. "No"

It was an unspoken agreement between them: he had forgiven his Captain and his captain had forgiven him. Then he had wanted to say something and Ichigo had come bursting in...

There, that was the beginning of it all. Renji could never remember what he had wanted to say to his Taichou and it was a constant bother on his mind. But a lot had passed since then. They had fought many battles and they had fought side-by-side and everything was as normal as it could be.

During office-time they both sat in the Room, going through paperwork:

Byakuya moving his hand gracefully over the parchments; Renji nearly tearing them in his frustration.

Byakuya leaning back slightly in his chair, sipping tea almost soundlessly during the break; Renji sprawled, literally all over the place, sometimes asleep

Byakuya getting up slowly, day's work over, sweeping out of the door; Renji rushing past him, eager to get out, all semblance of formality discarded

Everything was as normal as it could be. Or so it seemed on the surface.

Beneath all that, Renji knew something had changed and further complicated the relationship he had with his Taichou, at least for him. Byakuya was impossible to read at most times but Renji hadn't been his Vice-Captain for so many, many years without learning something about him. More like: lot of things. He could read the subtle mood changes and emotions in the reserved 6th Squad Captain better than anyone else.
Renji, however, didn't know why his Captain always picked on his rashness, his impulsive nature and his general attitude. He knew it wasn't because the Captain felt that sort of character was demeaning and easy to target. It wasn't even because he got on Byakuya's nerves most of the time.

"What do you really expect out of me, Byakuya?" Renji thought, his brows furrowing. "What do I mean to you, apart from your exasperating, brash Fuku-taichou?"

There were so many clashes and differences in opinions between them. But Renji always felt that his Captain wanted to say something to him, but instead made to do with an extra scowl and a majestic sweep of his Haori as he walked away.

"I know it won't be..."Renji couldn't bring himself to think it. "...I know...but I need to know..that at the most, you consider me your equal..."

Renji had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't realise he was already at the Training Grounds. He sighed, knowing this would be a long battle. He was, however, soon to be proved wrong...

Byakuya was already there and so were the rest of the Squad members.

"Your late" Byakuya stated, staring at him with his cool, cold grey eyes

"Sorry about that, Taichou...I..." He was cut off as Byakuya lunged at him without any warning, Zanpakutou drawn. Renji's cry of surprise was swallowed in the clash of their swords: he had managed to draw Zabimaru just in time. His eyes narrowed at Byakuya, whose expression remained unchanged as he pulled away, lightly landing metres away from Renji.

Renji knew there wouldn't be any point in talking. The fight had started. Byakuya and Renji occupied the centre of the Grounds while the rest of the squad had moved to the sides, almost in a wide circle around them. They were howling and cheering the Captain and the Vice-Captain.

Byakuya came at him again, slashing to Renji's right.

Renji shunpo-ed to the left, dodging Senbonzakura and cutting a wide arc with Zabimaru. Byakuya dodged easily and they both landed on the ground. Without pausing, Renji rushed at Byakuya again...

"Watch out Taichou...This is gonna hurt..."

He could almost hear the un-uttered snort as Byakuya casually side-stepped his attack and even more casually flicked his finger. Renji was expecting it and he leapt into the air, dodging the blades and using his sword to block the last few. He was pushed back by the force of it. When it stopped, he swung Zabimaru onto his shoulder and started laughing..."Ha...I can see through that move, Taichou..."

He didn't get to finish as a single blade floated past him. His eyes widened in shock, but he couldn't react quickly enough after letting his guard down. There were two noiseless movements and he was thrown to the ground. He managed to finish on his feet though, panting harshly. A small cut appeared on his cheek and his hair had come undone. The ribbons floated to his feet, cut into little pieces

"Pay attention Abarai...that could have been your head"

"I was talking to ya...!" Renji fumed

"A most clever move in the middle of a battle...But then it's what I would expect of my fuku-taichou..." Byakuya said smoothly, not bothering to hide the smug expression on his face

"Fuck you!" Renji growled under his breath

In an instant Byakuya was next to him, moving past him...

"Wouldn't you like to...?" he muttered, close to Renji's ear. Renji's eyes widened in shock and though he managed to block Byakuya's sword with his own, he couldn't hold his concentration to save his life. His sword flew from his hand and Byakuya's Zanpakutou was pointed at his chest. Byakuya was smirking as he sheathed his sword and stepped back a few spaces from Renji.

"So easily distracted and provoked...Abarai Renji"

"...You...THAT WAS LOW, BYAKUYA!" Renji spat at him.

He was angry at having lost focus for the crucial split-second. He was fuming at the way Byakuya was smirking, the small smile on his proud, sharp face making him look more sarcastic than even his words were. But most of all, he hated the way he knew he was blushing. He hated the way his breath had hitched when Byakuya had suddenly moved so close to him. Renji flushed deeper: he didn't even want to think about what Byakuya had said, even though he knew perfectly well that his Captain had purposely responded in that manner. A constant bone of contention between the Captain and Renji was Renji's hot temper and easily provoked nature, something Byakuya never missed an opportunity to hint at.

"Today's session is done." Byakuya said, turning to leave "Work on your reflexes and on your temper, Abarai...I will not tolerate a blundering moron who loses his cool at even the slightest provocation in my Squad"

Renji clenched his fingers, almost growling at his Captain's already retreating figure. "Curse him...CURSE HIM! Smug Bastard..." Renji was literally shaking but suddenly he realised that he was still in the middle of the training grounds and that the rest of the squad were all watching him, some of them still cheering him on.

He straightened and flash-stepped out of the place. He didn't stop till he was quite a distance from the grounds. He couldn't get Byakuya's face out of his mind. The smooth face and the soft voice in which he had said those words

Words that would have been of no consequence if only Renji didn't feel what he felt, what he had been feeling for a long time now...

"It's almost as if he knew..." Renji thought. Then he shook his head, snorting at the thought. No, Byakuya didn't know and Byakuya would forget the training session and the words he had said by the next morning.

"Byakuya should NEVER know..."

It was not that it would be disapproved of or considered dirty. Soul Society with all of its rules and stipulations was still a whacked out place and male couples weren't exactly unpopular. A soul could be drawn to another, irrespective of differences and similarities. He smiled wryly as he thought about Ikkaku and Yumichika. Yumichika had once even convinced Ikkaku to enter a "The best Couple" contest. They had won and he had later caught Rangiku smiling insanely over a list of other contests.

"...and neither should Rangiku..." He laughed as he pictured her dragging him off to take part in some super-secret plan to win Byakuya over. Then the moment was lost and his shoulders slumped.

"God, what a mess..."

...

Authur's Note:

So? I have the next two chapters ready, just want to see whether it works...*hehe*...Pls review and tell me how's it's going. Flames accepted too!

Moonlitpride