Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Do not own Kubo. Do not own Kenpachi or Byakuya. Or anything.

Warnings: Language, yaoi, attempted rape,

Notes: I couldn't continue writing my other byaken fic until I wrote this one (meaning I couldn't get this out of my head to make room for other stuff) and therefore I wrote it. It's a weekend fic, meaning: Sat: Chapter 1. Sun: Chapter 2. Mon: Chapter 3. All chapters are already completed so there should be no delays.

P.S. I didn't do the dream sequences in italics because I hate reading for too long in italics and I'm sure I'm not alone; hopefully it's not too confusing for you.

PSS: If you get a chance please review and as always thanks for reading.


"Have you truly forgotten me?"

The question had definitely confused him and the pleading eyes full of emotion, more emotion than Kenpachi thought Kuchiki Byakuya had had in his entire life, had scared him into a loud grunt followed by a stuttering answer. "Eh? You- You're K-Kuchiki Byakuya. Sixth Division Captain. Head of the Kuchiki Clan. I ain't forgotten you." His answer hadn't been what the noble was looking for because in return he simply sighed and walked away muttering something that Kenpachi didn't quite hear and Kenpachi was too confused by the situation to go after him or call him back. It was a strange occurrence and although strange things occurred in the Seireitei every day this time it was something that the usual cure for the unusual good sake and the prospect of a long night of sleep couldn't take off his mind. Even when night was under full swing instead of sleeping he lay awake staring up at the ceiling and occasionally glancing out the window and up at the night sky. What in the world had the noble meant? And what had he been hoping for in return?

Kuchiki had been completely out of character. Kenpachi had never seen him act in such a way and in hindsight he probably should have suspected something sinister the result of one of Kurotsuchi's experiments or Aizen's illusions perhaps but at the time the shock had been too great for him to analyze the situation properly. It also didn't help that the noble's face had done something to Kenpachi's body that it shouldn't have. He always regarded Byakuya as pretty. Pretty, stuck-up, and brat were the words that accompanied his mental image of the noble but he had never really looked beyond the surface of the man. Who did? No one and that's what was expected. That's how the nobles preferred it to be. Except when Byakuya had looked up at him that afternoon with his long dark hair hanging off his shoulders, his smooth perfect lips pinched in nervousness, and his deep grey eyes full of sadness and hope among so many other things Kenpachi had seen that the noble, the head of the Kuchiki clan, had wanted him to go beyond his shallow exterior and see something in his exposed and vulnerable eyes. But damn it Kenpachi just couldn't figure out what that something was. He wasn't dumb like some people thought he had his own philosophies and theories, he meditated and thought deeply about many issues, and more often than not he had an opinion about what the other captains or the nobles were discussing even if he didn't always share. Still, he couldn't figure out why Byakuya had chosen him to open up to or what the noble had been talking about. Byakuya may have been acting odd but Kenpachi sincerely believed even an insane Kuchiki would not go up to him randomly speaking nonsense. No, the words had to have meant something. The words: 'have you truly forgotten me' with 'truly' and 'me' spoken with disbelief and something akin to indignation but 'forgotten' said in a quiet, uncertain, and pleading tone. It just didn't make sense. Obviously the noble was not speaking of himself as he was now after all how could Kenpachi have forgotten him? He saw him at least once week around the Seireitei, he saw him every time there was a captain's meeting, and as of late he had even shared a few missions with him so Byakuya certainly had been asking something other than if Kenpachi had forgotten who the Sixth Division captain was yet that was the only Byakuya that Kenpachi knew. He had not known him before joining the Gotei. They had grown up in completely different parts of the Soul Society, had none of the same acquaintances, and Kenpachi was sure that if he had met him sometime in his past he wouldn't have forgotten the usually cold grey eyes that accompanied Byakuya's elegant features and pretty face.

Kenpachi sighed and closed his eyes trying to get said face out of his mind. He would figure out what Byakuya had meant if only just to see that look again; the look that had made his body perk up in anticipation of intimacy and soul fill with sudden need to protect the other, the look that had been for Kenpachi and for Kenpachi alone, the look that had turned his whole life upside down even if it was only for a day. Yes, Kenpachi would figure it out. No doubt. He closed his eyes determined to wake up early and seek answers to his questions. He soon fell into a slumber that was not so much restful but instead thoroughly informative.

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He was sweeping the hall. It was extensive and despite having just swept yesterday extremely dusty. It was always dirty. The hotel rented rooms by the hour so the turnover of clientele was great and because of its high customer volume it could afford to offer cheap prices that drew the vilest of thugs and lewdest of prostitutes. It was also used as a safe haven for business transactions of the corrupt, not that anyone ever tried to enforce any kind of law in these parts, as the landlady asked for naught but cash payment and a name- be it false or not- to put the room under. Kenpachi had been working there for the better part of the last month. Normally he earned his wage through fights and gambling and other times he just took what he needed no more no less but the cold winter months were upon the Soul Society and as such it was nice to have a steady stream of income and shelter. The landlady treated him well, gave him without cost whatever scraps the clientele in the downstairs eatery left, and allowed him to work whatever hours he liked so long as he cleaned everything once a day yet he still didn't plan on staying much longer. He just wasn't the type to be tied down and he had always been rather viable on his own.

A shrill scream echoed against the walls of the hall. It didn't seem like a sound of sexual release but more like one of release from this life. Kenpachi hoped there wasn't blood on the walls as a result. Customers always asked for discounts when their rooms were stained with blood. He shrugged. He wouldn't be able to enter the room until the patrons had left anyway. Rule was: whatever happens in the rooms is not for them (meaning any employees of the hotel) to interfere with and Kenpachi was fine with that rule. Most of the murders and much of the rape was committed against people who were equally as vile as the ones who assaulted them anyway. Ignoring the scream he glanced out the only window in the long hall. The lack of light shining through told him that darkness had fallen a few hours ago, it must be past midnight, and the eatery would close soon (it closed every morning at one thirty)- at least he hoped that's what it meant but he couldn't be sure as the fog was a creature of trickery and it had been lurking about for the last few weeks. His stomach growled in protest of his negative thinking and he quickly finished gathering up the debris on the floor.

It was when he was descending the old stairs from the top floor to the bottom that he heard another scream. This time the scream was more muffled more defiant. It was the defiance, the struggle, and the unrestrained sound of life that was so out of place in the dead and hollow district that he resided in that had piqued Kenpachi's interest and caused him to turn at the second floor landing and approach the sound. He was completely out of line. If he was caught meddling in the clientele's business his job would be forfeit and his promise of a good meal that evening squashed. He heard more struggling. Whoever it was they were putting up a fight and although they were clearly losing if their muffled mouth was any indication they were not giving up. They were opposing their assailant. Kenpachi had not once heard anyone so un-resigned to death or rape or whatever it was that was being inflicted upon them and his curiosity went wild. His senses led him to the door of the room which held the defiant one and he rolled his eyes at how easy his spying would be due to the clients not having had bothered to close their door completely. They had either been in a real hurry or they simply knew the hotel's reputation of don't ask don't tell. A dull light lit his figure as he slipped his smallest finger through the door to open it just a tad more than it already was. He had oiled the doors on this floor two days prior so he knew it would not compromise him. Inside the room he saw four male figures hovering over something. The thinnest of the men pulled off a cloth gag from the object and immediately said object began to speak.

"Fools. You must have a death wish for that's all you will get in return for kidnapping me." An insolent yet refined young male voice said. Whoever it was Kenpachi could tell he had had a good upbringing and he was from somewhere far away for he carried not even the slightest hint of the area's accent.

A heavyset man with a long crooked nose began laughing. "Don' think so. No way they'll find us. We didn' tell 'um who we was or where we was taking you."

"Then how do you expect…"

"You likely thought we snatched you from your bed simply for ransom," the tallest and most likely to be the leader of the band interrupted, "who is the fool now?"

The leader walked away from the boy and crossed to the other side of the room and out of Kenpachi's sight but even if he had remained visible to him he would have taken no notice for his movement had revealed their captive to him and said captive was simply captivating. An elegant looking boy, younger than him though not grossly so, was tied to a chair that was backed up against the room's wall. The boy's long dark hair, petite frame, and dainty face made him look feminine so much so that if Kenpachi had not just heard him speak he might have mistaken him for a woman. The boy scoffed at his foe. "If you think you can bribe or negotiate anything off the Kuchiki clan you're severely mistaken. A Kuchiki would never negotiate with scum like you even if you did have the Kuchiki heir held captive. My grandfather is a captain of the Gotei and there is…."

"Shut up, kid." The heavyset man grumbled irritably. He had at some point sat himself on one of the two beds occupying the room. "Negotiating eh? I think they'll rethink tha' when they see evidence of their broken and nearly dead little heir…"

"and if they're still beyond speaking wit' our kind, or they find you too used to take back then I s'pose your grandfather is young enough to produce a new heir." Said the youngest of the men as he stroked the kid's hair in a mock caring fashion, "Perhaps we won't get anything from the Kuchiki's but that doesn't mean we won't enjoy our time wit' you."

"And I do believe," the leader of the group said as he re-entered Kenpachi's vision and made to stand in front of the boy once again, "watching your face as we destroy all bits of pride you think you have the right to is worth our efforts from tonight."

The thinnest re-gagged the boy as the leader lifted him up by the collar so that his kicking feat dangled in the air. The ropes binding him were holding his legs tight together. Kenpachi unconsciously opened the door further but luckily so entranced was the gang that they did not notice him. As the group moved the boy to the bed various members began undoing and redoing the ropes so that when he was finally situated and again in Kenpachi's view the boy was tied arms and legs spread and bound to respective bedposts.

The realization of what exactly was happening seemed to hit both Kenpachi and the captive at the same time. The other boy's face paled and his large eyes widened and filled with fear.

As the leader untied the obi holding the captive's thin sleeping yukata together he said, "Scared? You're innocent, aren't you? I'm going to be the first to take pleasure in your body, aren't I? Believe me, Princess I will take pleasure in it, and so will he…and he… and he." Kenpachi barely held back his growl at the words. It was less the fact that the men were going to rape their captive and more that they were threatening to steal the beautiful vivacity of this boy from the world. How dare they try and break the precious creature before them! He just couldn't stand for it for now that he saw it Kenpachi did not want to un-feel the light that the boy shed upon his world.

Without much thought, as was less common that one would think in regards to him, he barged into the room knocking aside a table that had been placed to block the door from opening completely. He withdrew his katana and brandished it at the kidnappers. He turned quickly to face the boy; his breath hitched as he made contact with the boy's grey and fiery eyes. He could make out that he was full of uncertainty and surprise about his arrival but he had no time to communicate to him that he was a friend not foe. Kenpachi reluctantly turned from him to face the assailants whose attention had been redirected completely to him.

It was not until the gang's bodies lay still on the floor that Kenpachi was able to face the one he came to rescue again. The men were not dead but they'd be knocked out for at least a day. He had not needed to finish off weaklings such as them and to be honest he had been rather disappointed at the amount of competitive skill they had. He shrugged to himself and sheathed his katana before walking up to the grey-eyed boy.

The instant he un-gagged him the boy gasped, "Who are you?"

"Well I believe I'm the guy who saved your ass…literally." Kenpachi grinned but the boy looked completely un-amused. Humor wasn't his thing then.

"Who sent you?" he asked as Kenpachi untied the ropes binding him to the bed.

"Sent? No one sent me. I just happened to be here."

"So you have a motive." The boy said suspiciously, "What is it then? Like I told them Kuchiki's don't negotiate with…"

"Don't fucking lump me in with them," Kenpachi, feeling a tad insulted but continuing to untie him from the bed, frowned, "I just thought what they were about to do a little disgusting and thought I'd stop it. That was my only motive, Princess."

"Don't speak to me that way. I'm Kuchiki Byakuya the heir to the Kuchiki clan…"

"Sorry. Never heard of you." He said becoming bored of the other's attitude quickly.

"I will be the head of…"

"Doesn't matter."

"Excuse me!?"

"I don't care," He said, throwing the boy's obi which he picked up off the floor, at him, "but we better get going."

"Going? Where? What about them? Aren't we going to alert the authorities? Or I suppose not seeing as you knocked them out cold. You're just as criminal as they are. I'm not going anywhere with you." The boy crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air a picture that Kenpachi would normally view as quite comical but he didn't have time and wasn't in the mood to laugh about now.

"Sorry, Princess. If you want to do things that way I can tie you back up and you can just hope that someone from your clan comes to rescue you before these guys wake up ready to have their way with ya."

"You wouldn't tie me back up." Byakuya said though he seemed unsure. Kenpachi shrugged. "I- I don't want to be here but I'm not coming with you, Peasant."

"Fine. Later, kid…" He turned around annoyed that the pretty boy he had rescued was as ungrateful as he was. He should have known better than to expect anything in return for his service but the boy's radiant beauty had momentarily impaired his judgment. The only thing he would ever be to someone of the other boy's class was a criminal or a peasant. He had given up his job, his meal, and participated in a less than entertaining fight all for nothing.

"Wait!" Kenpachi did so promptly. He mentally cursed his body for being so weak. "I'll come with you. Just…just until someone from the manor comes to get me after all it's in your best interest as a commoner to accommodate me to the best of your abilities."

He rolled his eyes again. In any other situation he would have left the kid to fend for himself but he knew the upper-class grey-eyed boy was only trying to justify his sudden dependence on Kenpachi to himself. In the end it wouldn't really matter how rude the kid was or if Kenpachi would feel guilty as hell for leaving him because he just couldn't leave him. Besides, he had nothing to lose and spending more time with the beautiful being was not an unappealing thought.

He nodded once and the kid promptly rose from the bed, shoved some waraji on his feet, and padded after him.