Disclaimer: If you haven't noticed, this is a Fanfiction website. As in, I don't own anything. Characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo.

Warnings: M/M, yaoi, slash, gayness; sexual content

Rating: M

Pairing(s): Byakuya Kuchiki/Renji Abarai

Pertinent information: For my friend Booktiger22. Also, this is a two-shot. The first part is rated T, but the second is a solid M.

Summary: Byakuya comes to discover his feelings for a certain redheaded lieutenant. After a push from Renji, he finally learns how to relax.

Peace of a Piece of Mind

It was, admittedly, quite rare; however, for this one infinitesimal moment in the vast spectrum of time, Byakuya Kuchiki was at peace. In this single unusual instance he did not worry about his role as the sixth captain of the Gotei 13. For once, he was not concerning himself with the duties of maintaining the Kuchiki Clan, and all of the tribulations that entailed. His expression was a mask of calm as he watched the airborne petals dancing lazily before settling on the ground, mirroring the thoughts drifting through his mind. Byakuya enjoyed the serenity of simply being among the sakura trees at his family manor. That wasn't to say that the experience wasn't tinged with sadness, a quiet suffering; but for him, that just made it all the more real.

"Kuchiki-taichou!" Byakuya sighed nearly inaudiably. As if there had been any doubt that the brief reprieve wouldn't last, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered as if a stone had been cast through glass. It only made sense that such a disruption would be caused by Renji.

Since the redhead's entrance into his life, Byakuya's existence had been entirely upended. But...he didn't resent his lieutenant. Despite all of the upsets, Renji was competent and enthusiastic about his work, striving to please. Lately however, things had been different. Byakuya felt that he was losing control, and that made him uncomfortable. Byakuya watched as his subordinate drew closer, panting slightly in exertion. He leveled a cool stare at Renji; and, when he finally deigned to speak, his tone was measured and crisp. "Abarai. What is so urgent that requires you to disturb me?" Byakuya's lieutenant shifted nervously at the cold scrutiny.

Renji scratched the back of his head uncertainly before looking up with a skewed grin. "Sorry, Kuchiki-taichou. I didn't mean to bother ya. It's just that you usually don't disappear like that, and I was lookin' for ya is all." Renji seemed to think that this was a perfectly reasonable answer. How typical of the man.

Arching an eyebrow, Byakuya maintained the unreadable mask that he was so accustomed to wearing. "While it's nice to know that you are concerned for my well being, I don't believe that requires you to run around frantically disrupting the peace." The words were delivered smoothly, and Byakuya carefully hid his amusement at the way the other shinigami had begun to wilt at the scolding. "Now that you have my attention, is there something that you desired, Abarai?"

Smiling sheepishly, Renji paused for a moment, seemingly searching a suitable excuse for bothering Byakuya. The redhead's furrowed brows smoothed out as he seemed to come to a decision. He focused his eyes on the regal features of his captain, hesitating for only a second before opening his mouth to explain. "No, not really..." Renji trailed off as his captain's eyes narrowed. Looking away, the younger man cleared his throat before continuing. "I, uh, wanted to see you." After that simple statement, he closed his eyes as if expecting some form of unpleasant retribution.

Instead, Byakuya merely reached out, placing an elegant hand on Renji's shoulder. Tentatively, the lieutenant cracked one eye open, followed by the other. It seemed as if his captain's perpetually frozen expression had thawed slightly, though to an outside observer such a change would have gone entirely unnoticed. It was only Renji's many years carefully studying the other that allowed him to see through the hairline cracks in Byakuya's mask. He relaxed under the other's touch, an easy smile crossing his features.

For his part, Byakuya felt that Renji was easier to read than an open book. He watched as the tension drained from the younger's body, feeling somewhat more at ease himself. The brunet marveled at how profound the effect that his lieutenant had on him. He was one of the only people that could break through Byakuya's composed exterior. He looked at Renji, deliberating. "If that is all that you wished, then I believe that you have accomplished your goal."

Renji chewed his bottom lip. "Yeah, I guess so. But..." His eyes scanned Byakuya's face for some clue as to what the other was thinking. He wasn't quite certain, but the older shinigami almost appeared slightly warmer than usual. "Would it be alright if I stayed with ya for a bit?" Renji figured that Byakuya would probably refuse, but it probably wouldn't hurt to try.

Slightly surprised, Byakuya's eyes widened slightly, though he was quick to recover. His answer came slowly as he enjoyed watching his lieutenant fidget in anticipation. "You may." Renji perked up as his request was granted, but before he could get too excited Byakuya held up a single finger. "However, I must insist that you remain quiet."

Despite the stipulation, Renji was quite happy with the end result. To his own surprise, Byakuya noted that he was content as well. The rest of the afternoon passed in companionable silence among the flowering trees. As it got latter, Renji left Byakuya to himself, offering a broad smile and a "See ya, taichou!" as he left. The remaining shinigami almost felt his lips pull into a smile and was nearly disappointed at the other's departure. Byakuya chose to disregard these oddities, feeling more refreshed than he had in a long time.

Byakuya had begun to notice a pattern, and it was quickly becoming a nagging presence in the corner of his mind. While Renji had always been around, lately he had been even more so. In the few instances that the sixth captain wasn't taking care of his responsibilities, his lieutenant always managed to find him with some unreasonable excuse or another. Even when Byakuya was working, his subordinate managed to be around him when it wasn't necessary. Renji had always watched him closely, but this was different. Added to that, it seemed that meeting the redhead beneath the sakura trees of Kuchiki manor had become routine. What Byakuya found the most troublesome was that he wasn't bothered by this in the slightest.

The captain had always approved of several of Renji's traits. That was why Byakuya had chosen him as his lieutenant after all. The other was diligent, always practicing and striving to become better. Even though he was rough around the edges, he worked hard and was always passionate. Most impressive was his burning fighting spirit and determination. Renji's attempts to surpass Byakuya only served to make him a more valuable subordinate, even if the captain was certain that it would never actually happen. His lieutenants moments of defiance were few and far between, though they had been increasing as of late, and even then Byakuya could recognize that Renji's intentions were good. That didn't mean that he approved, of course.

Now though, Byakuya had started noticing Renji's other qualities. Maybe noticing wasn't the right word, the brunet amended; perhaps appreciating was more apt. His lieutenant's cockiness and overall carefree demeanor had their charms, he supposed. Not to mention, Renji's hotheaded nature reminded him somewhat of his own youth. The redhead was playful and ridiculous at times, though he was serious when he needed to be. Byakuya found himself liking that, liking Renji's smile, and liking Renji.

It was strange, and he wasn't certain what to think. It was almost as if Byakuya felt affection for the other. Well, he supposed that he ought to; after all, he was Renji's captain and a certain amount of trust and compatibility was necessary in their relationship. But...it wasn't only that now, was it? For some reason, Byakuya couldn't shake the impression that there was more to it. He hadn't allowed himself to get close to anyone for a long time, and now it seemed to be taking it's toll. All of this bothered him, not that he allowed any of it to show through his preferred serene façade.

As was his custom when mulling something over, Byakuya's feet had guided him to beneath the sakura trees. He was almost surprised to see Renji there already, seemingly immersed in his own thoughts. The younger shinigami's brow was furrowed and he wore a slight frown. Upon seeing his captain however, his whole countenance changed as his eyes lit up and a welcoming grin stretched across his face. Another worrying development was Byakuya's increasing urge to smile back. He sat down next to his lieutenant with a polite nod and silence stretched between them, both held captive to their respective thoughts.

A light breeze was blowing, and the delicate pink petals drifted softly, swooping in lazy arcs. Soundlessly, they descended to the ground, forming a carpet easily crushed by a misplaced step. Renji exhaled loudly, tracing the scattered patterns with his brown eyes as if they held some meaning. Byakuya watched the other with a lingering sidelong glance, noting the subtle shifts in his subordinate's disquieted expression. He knew that Renji experienced bouts of discouragement after a presumed failure, but he couldn't think of any such recent event to spark such a change. As far as the brunet could recall, everything had been, dare he say, peaceful lately. It didn't make sense, and Byakuya was concerned to at least some extent. For once, he was the one to shatter the blanket of quiet that had settled over the two men. "Abarai." Renji snapped out of his reverie at the sound of his name, looking at Byakuya questioningly. "You appear as if something is troubling you."

It was a statement, not a question; nonetheless, Renji was spurred to answer. He gave a short, brittle laugh and smiled weakly, scratching the back of his head. "Was it that obvious? Aw, I'm talkin' to Kuchiki-taichou, 'course it was." He looked up brooding, while Byakuya said nothing in return, simply listening. Renji exhaled heavily. "Truth is, I was thinkin' about you. I've been thinkin' about ya a lot lately."

Byakuya kept his face composed at the unexpected confession. He wasn't sure how to respond. Surely, Renji's thoughts hadn't been following the same path as his own? And if they had, what did that mean when he wasn't certain of even himself yet? Byakuya decided to proceed cautiously, keeping his tone level and free of emotion. "Thinking of me disturbs you."

Renji groaned. "That's not what I'm tryin' to say. I've always thought about ya a whole lot, to learn from ya and all. But I dunno... Lately, it's been different." The redhead winced, hoping that he hadn't given too much away. Unfortunately, Byakuya's impassive face refused to lend itself to any clear interpretation of what he was thinking. Even with having observed his captain for so long, the man was still a mystery to Renji in most regards.

This new information was quickly turned over in Byakuya's head. To him, it seemed as if both he and Renji had become mired in the same thoughts. If they were going to come to a solution, he determined that he must be as honest with Renji as the other had been with him. "I too have been thinking of you quite often. These thoughts of mine often go in odd directions." Despite the admission, Byakuya's face remained as unchanging as a marble statue's.

Searchingly, Renji scanned his face trying to find some evidence to support the claim. Finding nothing, he chose to ask for verbal confirmation. "Really?" The question was laced with incredulity and a dash of hopefulness. Byakuya nodded curtly in response, Renji should know better than to doubt his word. The lieutenant broke into a somewhat giddy smile, flashing white teeth, before his face took on an almost predatory look. The usually unflappable Byakuya was distracted just long enough not to realize that the other was rapidly closing in. As Renji's lips connected with his, Byakuya realized that he might have made a slight miscalculation. He really ought to stop this mistake before it went to far and...oh...did that feel nice...

Their lips melded together, slotting against each other perfectly. The initial gentle brush of mouths quickly increased in intensity as Renji pressed forward hungrily. Every time that a doubt began forming in Byakuya's mind, it was quickly forgotten as he was distracted by the redhead's insistence. The captain quickly succumbed to the overwhelming pleasure that had been forgotten over the endless years that had passed him by. All that he felt was the here and now, the wet slide of slightly chapped lips and the sweet taste flooding his senses. Odd, Byakuya thought distantly, he could have sworn that he hated sweets...

The brunet's inner monologue was abruptly cut off as Renji surged forward, pinning him to the tree and threading his fingers through the raven strands at the back of the elder's head. Byakuya gasped in surprised and the redhead, ever the opportunist, slipped his tongue into the other's mouth, deepening the kiss. Byakuya was losing control, but it surprisingly wasn't unpleasant. The fact that he couldn't seem to form a coherent thought also seemed to be helping.

Renji's tongue rubbed against his aggressively and Byakuya moaned. Had he really made that sound? That was unacceptable. He was a Kuchiki; he would not submit so easily. With renewed vigor, the brunet bit lightly at the other's tongue, just enough to make Renji draw back with a surprised yelp. Smirking, Byakuya buried his hands in Renji's crimson hair and pulled him back into a vicious kiss. He forced his tongue into his shell-shocked subordinate's mouth, he began exploring every crevice, filling his senses with Renji. He stroke the redhead's tongue with his own, reveling in the whimpers that he drew from his lieutenant.

Recovering, from his stunned state, Renji was quick to take active part in their fierce kiss, at this point it was almost a battle. Always one to rise to a challenge, he eagerly prodded Byakuya's tongue with his own. He was seeing an entirely new side to his captain, and it was one that he was greatly enjoying. They separated to breathe and Byakuya was the first to recover, diving back in without thinking to experience more of the intoxicating rush that was Renji. The younger shinigami kissed with all the passion that he showed in battle, and Byakuya was close to being swept away. He was losing himself, but he had grown tired of constantly trying to remain in control. The thought of fighting against the urge to explore all that was Renji never once crossed his mind.

And there, beneath the sakura trees, Byakuya Kuchiki let go.

A/N: What? It ends there? Are you kidding me? Well, if you don't go for smut, then yes, yes it does. If you came here for smut, well that's going to be in the fast approaching second part. You're welcome.