Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Warnings: Tissue, Goodbye, slight Fluff, Yaoi
Mindless Babble: When I left Y!, I took this with me.
Violet eyes fluttered open, trying to clear the blurriness from them. "Wh… Where am I?"
"Good, you're awake. I was beginnin' ta worry."
The man rolled to his back, blinking in surprise. "Renji?
Ember hued hair framed a pale face marked by black tattoos like those of a crazed demon. Red eyes took in the man he crouched over, noting the many injuries the smaller man now had. Large hands on either side of the ground beside the dark haired head supported the larger body.
"How ya doing Yumichika?"
"I… I'm alright. Less then beautiful, but…"
Renji smiled though it seemed strained. "Glad ta see your ego hasn't suffered…"
"Where are we?"
"Under the coils of Hihiou Zabimaru, my Bankai. It was tha only thing I could think of ta protect ya when y-" A cry of pain broke off what ever the vice captain was about to say. Blood traced it way down around the black marked neck to fall onto Yumichika's tattered Shihakushô.
"Renji! What happened? What's wrong?" Yumichika reached for the other only to have the redhead shy away from his touch.
"I… I have an unusual bond with my Zanpaku-to - what ever he feels, I feel. Ya were attacked by-" A flash of pain crossed his features. "By a pack of Gillians. I … I couldn't protect ya- there were too many…"
"Renji, why do you sacrifice yourself to protect me? I'm a fifth seat-"
"Because there is someone waiting for ya ta come home," Renji replied, closing his eyes against the pain.
"What?"
A grim smile appeared on his pale face. "I know about you and Ikkaku."
Yumichika's face paled even more then it already was. "You do?"
"And I owe him a debt that I can't ever hope ta repay, though this should count at least as a down payment." Renji lifted his head as if listening. "The others are almost here. When they show, I'm gonna attack. Ya head for Ikkaku, alright?"
Yumichika shook his head. "No! What about you? Don't you have someone?"
Renji finally meet the eyes of the man under him, a sad smile on his lips. "The one I love doesn't love me back. There isn't anyone waiting for me."
Yumichika raised his hand to Renji's face, surprised when he leaned into his touch, like a man starved for attention. "How long has it been, Renji, since someone touched you, told you they loved you?"
A single tear escaped the man's closed eye. "I don't remember…"
"Ren-"
"Now, Yumichika! Head ta your right!" Renji leaped up, wielding the huge snake skeleton against the three identical Hallows. With a war cry, the vice-captain of sixth squad launched Hihiou Zabimaru in what could only be described as a suicide attack.
"RENJI!" Yumichika screamed as strong arms prevented him from returning to his friend's side. All he could do is watch as Renji's Bankai vanished, its owner slumping to the ground, lifeless in a pool of his own blood.
"How is he?"
Yumichika looked up at his lover and tried to still the tears that were streaming down his face. "Unohana says he won't make it through the night."
Ikkaku glanced at the body on the bed, surprised. "You mean to tell me one of the two people to actually survive Captain Kuchiki's Bankai is going to die from a Hallow attack?"
Yumichika nodded miserably. "She says he's not fighting this time."
Ikkaku tore his vision from the barely breathing redhead to focus on the one he had given his heart to. His right arm was in a sling, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Though he could not see Yumichika's eyes, he knew that they would be red from tears and the feathers he usually had on would be missing.
"I didn't want him to die alone…"
Ikkaku sat on the edge of the bed, facing his lover. He tried to ignore the sound of the respirator forcing air into lungs that no longer wished to function, the beeping that was slowing with every passing minute, the fact his friend was dying.
"Renji told me about how Rukia believes in a heart that is formed by the relationship between two people."
Yumichika looked up. "Kaien's belief. He said to make sure you never die alone so your heart would always continue…"
Ikkaku nodded. "There was a night when Renjii and I got drunk together. He … he told me that he didn't have to worry; he knew he would die alone, the way he wanted to. He didn't want his heart to live on. I didn't understand why he said that at the time, but I think I do now. He just didn't want to give away something that was so broken…"
"I can't imagine what it would be like to be so alone, to have even love thrown back at you." He picked up one of Renji's hands, horrified to find it so cold. "I wonder if the one he loves will mourn his death."
Ikkaku stood and wrapped his arms around Yumichika.
"He will." The soft voice came from the doorway and the pair looked up, shocked.
"Captain Kuchiki? There is no need for a captain to be present…"
"But there is a need for me to be present. Now leave."
"NO!" Yumichika abruptly stood up, glaring at the captain of Sixth Company through the tears. "You have made it clear you despise Renji! I won't allow him to die in the company of one who hates him!"
Byakuya's features soften. "Then I promise you, he will die in the company of the one who loves him most."
"Wha-?" Yumichika never got the chance to finish his question, as Ikkaku, realizing what the captain meant, dragged him from the room.
Byakuya waited for the sounds of struggle to fade before sitting down on the bed. His dark eyes took in the sight of his adjunct- a face far too pale, a chest that rose and fell too slowly covered in bloodied bandages, a life fading much too quickly. He shifted so he lay next to the man he had loved from the first time he had seen him, only to have been too afraid to confess that love.
His lips moved; words pitched for only one to hear. "Come back to me, my Renji," he whispered. His lips brushed the tattooed brow as the slow beeping became a shrill scream.
Byakuya stared out the window at the grove of cherry trees, watching the wind create an illusion of his Bankai. His fingers brushed lips that remembered the touch of cool skin and the sound of a whispered plea. A crystal tear traced its way from dark eyes to fall on the silken scarf that lay in his lap.
It had nearly killed him to watch another one he loved leave him. This time had hurt so much more then when his wife died. This time he had to watch his love surrender to death because of his damnable pride. If only…
"Master? All the guests have arrived." The servant interrupted Byakuya's thoughts, speaking through the closed door. The captain turned to see the shadow of the man outside his room.
"Good. Please seat them and make sure they are comfortable. I will be along shortly."
"Very good, Sir. Shall I also inform-?"
"No. I shall see to that detail, myself."
"Of course." The servant bowed and left to see to the guests.
Byakuya sighed. They would be waiting for him. Ichigo, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi, Kira, Momo. Renji's friends.
Renji.
Byakuya stood and walked to the door. He paused to take one last look at the cherry trees only to remember the first to survive his Bankai. The one his heart knew he could never intentionally kill. His fingers once again brushed his lips in memory of that fateful kiss. Then he turned back and left the room walking down the hall towards the guestrooms.
He could still hear Ikkaku's words, "You killed him! He died because you couldn't say three tiny words to him!"
They had pierced his heart like mini daggers forcing him to turn away from the angry man, leaving the room or risk Ikkaku seeing him break down. He had killed the one he loved as surely as if he had delivered the fatal blow himself. Perhaps he had.
Byakuya found himself standing in front of the guestroom, unable to slide the door open. A voice on the other side of the slider spoke softly registering in the back of Byakuya's mind as Aggie, one of the older female servants. Memories, still raw and open, came rushing back as another voice answered.
"Captain Kuchiki?" Captain Unohana's gentle voice had interrupted Ikkaku's in his head as he turned to face the serene woman. "There is something you need to see. Now!"
Her voice had been so urgent, so unlike her, Byakuya had been forced to follow her. Even now, just the memory of those softly spoken words jolted him into action. He reached out and silently slid the door open, slipping in completely unnoticed.
"I asked her what was wrong and she replied to that her best friend had died. I swear I've never seen the girl cry as hard as she had that day."
Aggie's words were spoken true. Rukia had been there with Ikkaku and Yumichika in the waiting area. One look had said everything. Tears had welled up in dark eyes, heart breaking as one of the two people she trusted left her. Without a word, she had fled.
Aggie looked over her shoulder but was silenced by her master's finger to his lips. Stealthily, he took over her task of brushing their guest's hair. The old woman smiled knowingly and left the room as silently as Byakuya had entered.
"I've never seen Rukia cry," the guest said quietly. Recent injuries caused the normally loud voice to soften, though the harsh tones were still present.
"It is a sight I hope never to see again," Byakuya said with a smile.
Silken strands of long hair were yanked from his loose hold as red eyes latched onto dark ones. "Captain!"
"I thought I told you to address me as 'Byakuya' when we are away from work."
"I'm sorry." The pale face lowered, vision cast to the floor.
The captain let his slender fingers brush the strong jaw before gripping it, forcing the guest to look him in the eye. "You have nothing to be sorry for, my love."
"I do. I hurt so many people by giving up-" The rest of what was to be said was lost to a passionate kiss.
"Then I am the one who owes everyone an apology, especially to you, my Renji. I love you."
A shy smile appeared on pale lips. "I know ya do. That's why I came back, I couldn't leave ya. I love ya."
"Then thank you, for giving me a second chance. I want to make up for lost time…" Byakuya trailed off, leaving a line of butterfly kisses down Renji's jaw and the back of his tattooed neck. The redhead moaned in pleasure.
"Ca…Byakuya…." Renji tried to pull away. "We have people waiting for us…"
The dark-haired man nipped the spot where shoulder joined neck before dragging himself away. What he wanted would have to wait. He wanted it to be special, for both of them. And for that he would need more time then could be had with just this stolen moment.
"Fine. I will wait until after dinner. But after that-" He made his point with a searing kiss that almost melted Renij's resolve.
Byakyua broke the kiss and Renji looked up at him, more then just a hint of the old, mischievous smirk on his face. "Do ya think they'd mind skipping desert?"
Byakyua chuckled. "Renji, let them have their desert. We have the rest of our lives to make up for lost time."
Red eyes lost all humor. "Promise?"
"As long as you promise to never again leave me," Byakyua replied, equally solemn.
The shy smile returned as Renji sealed the promise with his lips on his captain's.