This Thing that's not Quite Love
By Spunky0ne
(Okay, I REALLY wasn't planning to do this, but I was reading a request for stories where Renji is uke...or mostly so, because Spunky can't quite stomach relationships where one person always dominates...but I digress. So, thanks to the wonderful and very sweet JePi for setting me up to get clobbered and soundly pummeled by this very charming plot bunny! I know it's shocking, but Bya will be seme (or mostly so!) and Renji will be (mostly) uke. And in true Spunky style, Renji will get preggers. Yeah, I love that mpreg! Sorry, can't help it. Hope you love the story. And we're off!)
XXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 1: In the Blood
The morning began quietly, serenely, with Byakuya waking to the gentle sounds of morning birds and koi splashing about in the ponds outside his garden doors. He breathed in deeply the sweet scents of spring flowers, then opened his sleepy, gray eyes and brushed a tumble of unruly strands of black hair away from his face. His attendant appeared a moment later, bearing a tray with his breakfast, fine salmon served alongside a serving of steamed rice with a few offerings from the gardens and a cup of hot green tea.
"Will there be anything else, Lord Byakuya?"
"No, arigatou, Torio," the noble answered softly, biting gently into a soft, sweet berry and enjoying it slowly.
His attendant moved on to the dressing area and laid out his clothes, leaving for a few minutes to attend to other tasks, then returning as Byakuya finished the last of his meal and set his food tray on the nightstand. The noble slipped out of bed and entered the dressing area, where Torio removed his yukata and dressed him in his shihakushou and new haori, along with his traditional white, fingerless gloves, then carefully combed out the long strands of his hair and worked them into the expensive hair decorations that had replaced the weighty kenseiken. Byakuya looked calmly into the mirror and nodded briefly.
"Arigatou, Torio, that will be all."
"Yes, Lord Byakuya. Have a good morning, sir," his cousin said, bowing, then leaving him alone.
He left by way of the garden doors, opting for a short walk around the gardens, where he paused to watch the koi as the gardener emerged to feed them, then spotted his head of security, Cousin Tetsuya, making his rounds and fell in with him as they both were crossing the back of the gardens.
"Good morning, Byakuya," Tetsuya greeted him, offering a warm smile and inclining his head respectfully.
"Tetsuya," the clan leader replied, "I understand that you will be leaving for a few days, as of this evening?"
"Ah, yes," the younger noble said, blushing slightly, "Ichigo asked if I would accompany him to his cousin's wedding."
Byakuya nodded approvingly.
"You and the Shiba heir have been attending quite a few functions since you were introduced to each other at the military awards ceremony, following the end of the quincy war."
"Yes," Tetsuya admitted, the flush on his face and throat deepening, "He is lively company and despite being heir to the house Shiba, he doesn't have any qualms about dating one of lesser blood...or another male."
"Yes, Ichigo is quite accepting. He is also a loyal friend. I am pleased that the two of you are getting on so well."
"I am as well," Tetsuya said, his smile widening.
"It has been a long time since you have had someone touch your heart, Tetsuya."
"It has," the sapphire-eyed noble agreed, "But, there is something about him that sets him apart from everyone else. It is more than just a quality about him, it is the way it makes me feel to be in his presence. He makes me feel appreciated, admired...loved."
He sighed softly, then sought Byakuya's eyes.
"Byakuya, do you never wish that you could find love again?" he asked softly, "I know how much you loved Hisana, but it has been a very long time since she passed from life."
"It has," Byakuya agreed, "However, I have managed well enough on my own. And having found love once, I appreciate that it may be a once in a lifetime situation for me. Something so beautiful does not come for the asking. And it may not come at all. I have my memories of her to carry me through the lonely times. And those close to me...Rukia, you, Renji and Ichigo keep me occupied sufficiently. I am content."
"Of course."
They paused as they reached the manor gates, exchanging a short farewell, then going their separate ways, Byakuya, out the gates and on to work, by way of the Seireitei streets, and Tetsuya to dress for his date with the Shiba heir.
Byakuya walked slowly, enjoying the livelier bustle of the morning Seireitei.
It is good to have back some sense of normalcy after the chaos of the war. It seemed sometimes that the damage would never be undone. And in some places, there are still signs. There will always be scars, even though some cannot be seen.
A shiver went through him as he remembered the damage done to his body in the initial attack. He took it as a reminder that no one was invincible, and that it was necessary to maintain vigilance, even in times of peace. And he now cherished that peace even more wholeheartedly, for having bled so terribly to pay for it.
"Good morning, Captain Kuchiki," said a warm, familiar voice, coaxing Byakuya suddenly out of his reverie.
He smiled at the red-haired man who had come upon him from a side street, and inclined his head politely.
"Captain Abarai," he said softly in acknowledgement, "You look well."
"C'mon, just call me Renji," the redhead chuckled, "No one's listening. And it just feels too strange to have my former captain refer to me so formally."
"We are in public, Captain Abarai," Byakuya chided him, not unkindly, "I will certainly be less formal with you in private. Now, is there something I can do for you?"
"Actually, there is," Renji explained, "You see, I got this strange message from the Noble's General Council."
"The Noble's General Council?" Byakuya repeated, turning a curious eye on his former subordinate, "Why would they contact you?"
"That's what I was wondering," admitted Renji, "So, I thought that if you weren't too busy this morning before the captain's meeting, we could have a cup of tea together and maybe you could help me figure out what it means. Do you have time?"
A brief smile touched the noble's lips.
"I have time."
"Okay, where would you like to go?"
"We could return to the manor," Byakuya suggested, "It is closer than either of our divisions, and we would have privacy there."
"Not to mention the best tea in the Seireitei," the redhead laughed.
The sound made Byakuya's faint smile widen, and he nodded briefly as they turned towards the Kuchiki home.
"I will not deny that. But, I will say that I am very glad that before taking your leave of the sixth division, that you ensured that Rikichi would be able to carry on the tradition of my vice captain being expert in making the best possible use of that tea."
"Right," Renji agreed, "Well, I owed you something for mentoring me, and for recommending me for the position."
"Well, it was deserved, or I would not have done it."
"Thank you, Captain Kuchiki."
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, noting that they had entered the Kuchiki home and now stood in the courtyard.
"We are now in private. You may use my given name."
"Thank you, Byakuya," Renji said, gratefully.
"You are most welcome, Renji."
He gestured briefly, indicating the patio table in the gardens, then fell in with the redhead as they walked across the grounds.
"I understand your division was sent to monitor the disturbances in the precipice world," Byakuya said, conversationally, "What did you find there?"
"Ah, just an old experiment that the twelfth had sent into one of the pocket dimensions, some time back. It escaped and was roaming around in there, harassing passers through, so we returned it to the pocket dimension and resealed the entry."
"A humane response. Not unexpected, coming from you."
"Would you have done different?" Renji asked, "I mean, why kill something that didn't really need to be killed?"
"I would have had the same reaction, though some would differ with me on that. It is one of those situations that helps us to define ourselves in our roles as captains. Kenpachi Zaraki, for example, would certainly have challenged the beast to fight and would have dispatched it."
"And Kisuke would have captured the thing and studied it endlessly," Renji chuckled.
"Likely," Byakuya agreed.
Torio appeared beside the table and poured two glasses of tea, then set out some light snacks. The two officers sipped at their tea and chose from among the delicacies offered, before returning to their conversation.
"Now, you said that the Noble's General Council had contacted you?" Byakuya asked.
"Yeah. They sent a message to me, but I was kinda confused about it."
He removed a hell butterfly from his shihakushou and nodded at it to signal it to begin.
"Renji Abarai," said a regal sounding voice.
"That is Grand Councilor Yuudai," Byakuya said, recognizing the speaker.
"The Noble's General Council recently received a routine notice of discovery, regarding you, from the staff at Yukimoto Manor. They said that you had been a guest there, visiting with Lord Kuchiki, when you became ill, and had to be treated by the house healer. The healer sensed an anomaly in your reiatsu and followed up with blood testing, which revealed that you possess blood of noble origin...a goodly amount of it. You are, in fact, the direct descendant of a thought to be extinct noble clan...the Akazaki clan. We request your attendance at the next council gathering, to discuss with you the implications of this great honor."
Byakuya's eyes widened.
"Did he say, the Akazaki clan?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.
"What, you know of them?"
"Yes, a bit," said the noble, "They are...or rather, were a small noble clan, all male."
"All...male?" Renji queried, blinking, "How is that possible?"
"I am not sure," the clan leader confessed, "Not much is known about them. They were a reclusive clan, not eager to be seen or scrutinized publicly, in most cases. Little is known about their inner workings or how they conducted themselves. What is known is that the last known Akazaki perished in the quincy war a thousand years ago."
"Well, it looks like someone had a kid or two out of wedlock."
"It seems so," confirmed the clan leader, "It would be a good turn of events, if this turns out to be true. You could bring back a fallen noble house."
"Well, that's kinda cool," the redhead said, looking impressed, "Although, I have to say that it would be kinda lonely, knowing that even being related to a noble family, my relatives are all gone."
"That is a sad thing," Byakuya agreed, "But, how do you feel, knowing that any remaining assets of the clan would then be rightfully yours?"
"What? Really? Like, what assets?"
"Hmmm, I would have to consult the archives. You see, when the line of a noble clan ends...which does not happen often, the remaining assets are relegated to a section of the Kuchiki archive, for safekeeping. I have never had cause to search for the Akazuki assets, but I would be happy to take you into the archive and we could get an idea about the net worth of the family."
"You would do that?" Renji asked, looking surprised and more than a little intimidated, "I mean, the Kuchiki family archive is a pretty sacred place."
"It is," Byakuya acknowledged, "However, not only is the archive well protected, you are a trusted friend. I have no objection to you entering with me."
"Wow, thanks, Byakuya," Renji said gratefully, "That is a real honor."
"It is no trouble," Byakuya assured him, "But, if you are finished with your tea, come."
"Oh, right," Renji said, standing.
Byakuya led him across the grounds, and to a small outbuilding that looked too small to house the famed noble archive. He removed a small silver token on a silver chain from within his clothes, and breathed a quick spell, making it glow softly. He placed it around Renji's neck and nodded.
"This is a permission charm, to allow you entrance with me, into the archive."
Renji followed him through the doorway the noble opened, then stopped and stared in confusion.
"Byakuya...?"
As small as it had looked like from the outside, the inside of the archive was huge, easily defying the laws of physics.
"This is just...not possible!" he mused.
"If you have the impression that this room is 'bigger on the inside than it is on the outside,' that is not true," Byakuya explained.
"Huh, how does that work?" Renji asked, looking inside and out.
"This archive is actually located in a pocket, on which, one side is the Seireitei, and the other is a part of the royal realm."
"The royal realm!" Renji exclaimed, "Whoa! I thought that the only way to enter the royal realm was using the big launch thingie."
Byakuya smiled.
"The Tenchuuren is the accepted method of travel between here and the royal realm," Byakuya went on, "However, this small area was gifted to the Kuchiki clan, as keepers of the Seireitei's history. The passage does not offer entrance into the palace, except for the clan leader, in this case, me. It merely acts as a protection for the texts and other items that are stored here."
"But, if there is a doorway here that you could have passed through, then why didn't the royal guard take you through there when you were injured before?"
"Because only the Kuchiki clan leader can open the door to the archive," the noble explained, "And being unconscious, I could not do that."
"Right."
"Come," said Byakuya, leading the redhead on, "What we are looking for is this way."
Renji shook his head in astonishment at just how vast the archive was, boasting numerous, spacious rooms with floor to ceiling shelves lined with thousands of books, as well as display cases filled with rare items, and several vaults that the clan leader explained, held more valuable or very dangerous items for safekeeping. In the back of each room was a small alcove with a reading area and a place for the busy noble to eat, shower and sleep if he was too entrenched in study to return to his own room.
"This is amazing, Byakuya," Renji sighed, shaking his head, "Thanks for inviting me in."
"It is no trouble," the clan leader said dismissively, "And here is a listing for the stored belongings of the Akazaki clan."
Renji looked at the page and did a doubletake.
"Wha-huh, really?" he stammered.
"The Akazaki clan was quite wealthy," Byakuya said approvingly, "And should you be their heir, then it would, of course, be yours."
"Shit," Renji breathed, "That would buy half the Seireitei, and then some!"
"So, are you feeling better about the possibility of joining us as the newest identified member of the lost Akazaki clan?" Byakuya asked, smirking.
"You could say that," the redhead said weakly.
"I rather thought you would feel that way."