Love the Demon

By Spunky0ne

Chapter 1: Trail of Blood

"Here is your tea, Kuchiki taichou," Tetsuya said, setting a cup of hot green tea on his cousin's desk, "I am finished with everything assigned to me."

"Very well," Byakuya said, a slight smirk on his face as he observed the impatience held just beneath the surface of his younger cousin's sapphire blue eyes, "You are excused for the evening."

"Arigato, Kuchiki taichou!" Tetsuya said, turning immediately and flash stepping out the front door of the sixth divsion.

Renji looked up from his desk, unable to hold back a soft chuckle.

"What was that about?" he asked curiously, "He seemed in a hurry to get out of here. Was it something I said?"

"No," Byakuya said, glancing at the door as it closed behind the departing third seat, "Actually, he received a hell butterfly earlier that seemed to set him off. He was somewhat distracted ever since it arrived."

"Well, it didn't stop him from doing his job," Renji said, shaking his head, "I don't get why he's a third seat, Taicho. He has buckets of practical knowledge, strong powers and a bankai? He should be a fukutaicho at least, ne?"

Byakuya shook his head gently.

"Tetsuya does have a great deal of technical and tactical knowledge from his years as our clan's head of security and acting as my bodyguard, but this is his first time holding a post in the military. He must adjust to the chain of command here and widen his focus from just protecting me."

"He seems to be enjoying himself. And he's doing one hell of a great job too. I'm uh...getting kinda nervous," the redhead laughed, "I know you've been wanting me to promote..."

"And you will," Byakuya said with certainty, "While we wait for that, it makes good sense to work with Tetsuya to acclimatize him."

"Ah!" Renji exclaimed, "Right, so when I go, he is all ready to step in."

"I hope for it to be a smooth transition."

"I think it will be," Renji stated with certainty, "He's coming along great."

"That is partly due to your involvement," Byakuya said gratefully, "You have put a great deal of effort into assisting Tetsuya in settling in and training for advancement."

"Heh, it doesn't take much effort, really," Renji chuckled, "Just point him and that fleabag horse of his in the direction of trouble and he's all over it. He damned smart, Taicho. He'll make taicho someday."

"Perhaps," Byakuya said, an edge of deep pride leaking into his voice.

"So, what was up that had him so flustered?" Renji asked, looking back at his work, "You'd think he had a hot date or something."

"Something of that nature. The hell butterfly was from the Hiromatsu clan, most likely his fiancé, Hiromatsu Shirohoshi."

Renji blinked in surprise.

"Tetsuya's getting married?"

"Yes, although it has not been officially announced. It is an arranged marriage sought by the Hiromatsu clan. They are impressed with Tetsuya's abilities and reputation, so have sought his hand for their heir, despite Tetsuya being half-noble.

"And how does he feel about that?" the redhead asked, frowning, "I mean, for nobles I guess it's more to be expected, but for us common folk..."

"Tetsuya is accepting of the union, and in fact has bonded well with his affianced already. They are careful to adhere to the rules of courtship, but it seems that they are very much in love with each other."

"Huh," Renji mused, shaking his head, "I just can't imagine something like that."

He sighed softly as he returned to his work, but looked up with a curious expression a moment later.

"Hey uh, Taicho, you think that now that Ichigo is heir of the Shiba clan that he will have to have an arranged marriage?"

"It is a distinct possibility," Byakuya said, nodding briefly, "With the revelation and acceptance of Ichigo as the Shiba heir and the return of the Shiba name to the rosters of the noble clans, the Shiba clan and mine are equal in power and status. It is very likely that other clans wanting to forge a positive alliance with the Shiba clan or desiring to improve their status among the noble houses will seek Ichigo's hand for one of their kin."

"I wonder how he's gonna handle that," Renji mused, taking on a pensive look as he addressed his work again.

Byakuya's eyes lifted and observed the redhead quietly for a moment before lowering again.

"Renji," he said, making the other man look up in surprise, "Why don't you just tell him how you feel?"

"Wh-wha...you...you know, Taicho?" Renji stammered, "But I...!"

"Oh, do not worry," Byakuya assured him, smirking slightly, "It is just that I work very closely with you, and that Rukia has also noticed something in your behavior. You needn't concern yourself that you have become too obvious. But...I think that if you have serious intentions about Shiba Ichigo, you had best speak up about it now, before his hand is spoken for."

"Y-yeah," Renji sighed, biting at his lip, "Well, we know how that would go, ne Taicho? You married a commoner and your clan got pretty much up in arms about it."

"But they accepted it," Byakuya explained, "And I believe that Shiba Isshin and Kukakku are not the type to overlook honest love in the name of clan relations. That is part of the reason why the Shiba clan got itself into so much trouble."

"Right," Renji said, looking even more troubled, "Well, you know, I don't want to cause any trouble for Ichigo. He's having to do a lot of adjusting to things as it is. He needs a friend now, and that's what I'm being for him."

"I understand," Byakuya said, giving him an oddly warm and sympathetic look as the redhead left of the conversation and addressed the papers on his desk.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Now, you wait here and do not stick your fuzzy nose into our business!" Tetsuya scolded the tall, black Arabian stallion as he slid down off of the lovely creature's back

Arashi snickered softly, blinking in the bright moonlight.

As though I would be interested in your secret rendezvous with your lover, the stallion's wispy voice whispered into the young noble's mind, I will see that you are not disturbed.

"By anyone, including you this time!" Tetsuya answered reprovingly.

I don't know why it matters. The two of you will be married shortly, and anyway, it is not like you are going to be able to keep your preg-"

"Hush!" Tetsuya hissed, looking around, "Did you hear that?"

What?

"I do not know. It was an odd whistle of some sort."

Arashi scanned the area briefly, laying back his ears and stamping discontentedly.

Perhaps you should not meet him tonight, Master. Something doesn't feel right.

"Well, he is expecting me," Tetsuya explained, "And I have to tell him. We have to make plans for concealing it until after our wedding."

Right. Well, off you go, then. I will stand guard.

"Arigato," Tetsuya said, nodding, "Just you mind you do not cause trouble yourself."

I will attempt not to, the stallion laughed softly as Tetsuya flash stepped into the trees.

He stepped more slowly into the cover of brush and trees and scanned the area, first with his sharp eyes, then by extending his reiatsu. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, he flicked his ears about, listening intently. Still on guard, he lowered his graceful head and nibbled at the field grasses.

A sudden rise in reiatsu startled the horse as a powerful reiatsu field rose around him.

What? Master?

The stallion's sapphire eyes widened and he reared, giving an equine squeal of rage.

Master!

Does he not hear me?

TETSUYA! They are...!

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh!" Tetsuya gasped as a warm arm wrapped around him from behind and a line of kisses were run up the side of his throat, "Shiro-sama, how do you...d-do that? I did not even sense you!"

"Eh," said the Hiromatsu heir, nibbling on Tetsuya's soft earlobe and sending sweet shivers through him, "It's a family ability. We've become very good at moving around with stealth. That's why so many of my relatives make it into the second division."

"Right," panted the blue-eyed noble, squirming free and turning, only to be met with a melting kiss, "Sh-shiro-sama!"

"Stop calling me that," the other young man complained, "It is just Shiro to you, Tetsuya."

"Ah, but using that now might lead me to slip and say it that way in public. We have to be discreet until we are wed, Shiro-sama."

Shirohoshi laughed and tightened his arms around Tetsuya, sinking into his mouth and kissing him until he swayed unsteadily on his feet.

"I have overcome my sweet Tetsuya," he chuckled, reaching for the tie at his lover's waist, "Now, you will surrender to me?"

"In a moment," Tetsuya said breathlessly, peeking through fallen strands of wavy black hair at his brown-haired counterpart, "There is...oh!"

He lost his breath as Shiro kissed his way down a fine-carved collarbone, then glanced up into Tetsuya's flustered expression.

"Sorry," the Hiromatsu heir laughed, loosening his grip on Tetsuya, then admiring the happy expression on the younger man's lovely face, "I just cannot help but want to devour you the moment I see you, Tetsuya."

A blush rose on Tetsuya's face and throat, prompting a growl from the Hiromatsu heir and another bout of heated kissing.

"Sh-mmm-shiro!" Tetsuya panted, "There...is something that I have to...ah...hah...I have to tell you!"

"Oh, very well," sighed the other man, letting him go again.

Tetsuya swallowed hard, still flushed and slightly muddled.

"What is it? Byakuya-san hasn't changed his mind about letting you marry me, has he? I'll kill the man!" Shiro said jokingly.

"No," laughed Tetsuya, "It is nothing like that. Byakuya-sama is very pleased that we are going to be married. I think if you hadn't proposed, I might simply have died single. It isn't as though there were that many noble families seeking my hand. I suppose if my name was Shiba Ichigo..."

"Stop right there," Shiro said reprovingly, "Don't say things like that, Tetsuya. I love you. I loved you even before my family sought our marriage."

"But they only accepted me because they learned of..."

"Shh, it doesn't matter to me. I love you, and I would love you even if you weren't going to be going to serve in his majesty's Kishu someday."

"Arashi and I have the potential," Tetsuya corrected him, flushing more deeply, "but we are not there yet."

"It doesn't matter," Shiro insisted, his dark brown eyes fixing Tetsuya in place, "Whether you are or not, I love you, Kuchiki Tetsuya. Now...what is it you had to tell me?"

"I..."

He paused and the two men laughed softly at the arrival of a hell butterfly just in time to halt Tetsuya's admission.

"Shirohoshi-sama," said the dour voice of one of the Hiromatsu elders, "An emergency meeting of the clan elders is about to commence and your presence is required. Please return to the manor as soon as you are able."

"Forget it," Shiro sighed rebelliously, "I am not giving up making love to my sweet Tetsuya so that I can go and be bored to death by those ridiculous old men!"

"Nonsense," Tetsuya said, shaking his head and shoving the other man away gently,"We are not even supposed to be seeing each other without our attendants! This is already risky. We shouldn't push our..."

Tetsuya's breath was taken away as he was brought down onto a soft fall of plum blossoms that fluttered up off of the ground and into the air as the two young men came down upon them.

"Shiro!"

"Sorry!" his lover said, nipping at his lips playfully, "I just really don't want to go back there. Will you slip out and spend the night with me?"

"I am supposed to leave for a two week mission in Karakura Town in the morning," Tetsuya said, shaking his head.

"Well, you need to meet with me before then, or I will be driven crazy wondering what you were about to tell me."

"I was going to tell you that I am..."

He went silent as Shiro disappeared and his echoing voice called back.

"Meet me later at the lake cabin!"

"Sh-shiro!"

He let out a flustered breath and shook his head again, smiling helplessly.

"Shiro..." he whispered affectionately.

He let out a happy sigh and rested a hand on his slim belly.

"Well, you see what he's like, ne? Let us hope that you will be a bit less heedless than your father."

He looked around, reaching out with his senses, and frowned as he failed to locate Arashi.

"Arashi?" he said in a tentative voice, his hand straying to his weapon.

An uncomfortable twinge gripped him at the lack of a response.

He moved back onto the trail he had followed into the forest and emerged where he had left the stallion only a short time before.

"Arashi?" he said again, reaching out with his senses.

His heart started to race as he spotted the stallion collapsed within the brush near the edge of the forest.

"Arashi!" he cried, flash stepping towards the stallion.

M-master, no! They are...too strong. Run, Tetsuya!

"No!" the noble cried, letting his reiatsu swell around him and summoning his power, "Bankai, Koori no bakuha, Re-kuhime!"

He was steps from Arashi when the hum of power warned him of an impending attack and he swiftly sent copies of himself running in several directions. Kido blasts erupted all around, beginning to destroy the myriad of decoys.

"Arashi," Tetsuya panted, falling onto his knees beside the stallion and quickly assessing his injuries.

Kami, he is hurt too badly. I am going to have to fight them off somehow.

He loosed several volleys of ice blades in the direction from which the attacks were coming, but the enemies quickly moved into new positions and continued attacking.

I am going to use the rescue form that we keep at the manor, he told the collapsed stallion, laying his hands on the beast's heaving belly, Hold on, Arashi!

He focused on the waterform that he left for emergencies in a corner of the barn where Arashi was stabled. But as he invoked his power, something struck the shielding that surrounded the two, forcing Tetsuya away as the stallion suddenly disappeared. Tetsuya reacted immediately, sending a crippling burst of ice blades in all directions, then shifting to use of his shikai to send another group of decoys in all directions. But even as he shifted from form to form to escape, kido blasts erupted again all around him, destroying them before he could break free of the area.

A shock of kido struck his body from behind, sending him crashing to the ground. He rolled to his feet, bringing up an ice shield, only to be caught by an attack from the side. Thrown off his feet again, he dragged himself back onto his feet and found himself surrounded by seven cloaked and hooded figures.

"What do you want?" Tetsuya demanded, his chest heaving as he shifted nervously, trying to watch all directions at once for incoming attacks, "Why are you doing this? Who are you?"

He forcibly relaxed his legs and arms, continuing the slight movements to widen his field of vision. His enemies waited until one of them nodded, then all of them attacked at once.

Tetsuya's power exploded around him, throwing deadly ice blades in all directions as he spotted an opening and flash stepped madly. The enemies flooded the area with kido blasts, destroying the ice and making the air cloudy and cold. Tetsuya disappeared into the mist, but was struck with several kido spells at once and crashed down near the edge of a drop off.

He heard his attackers calling to each other and gathering to search for him, and he crawled towards the cover of the trees, setting more waterforms as he went. He traversed the distance painfully slowly, fearing that at any moment he would be found. His worst fears were realized at the fringes of the forest, when a dark figure appeared suddenly in front of him and fired a kido blast at point blank range.

In a last ditch effort, Tetsuya shifted to a waterform he had set back along the ridge. Back in front of his enemy, Tetsuya's body collapsed and dissolved into a puddle of water. Tetsuya crawled along the edge, looking desperately for a safe place to drop down. But just as he spotted a small ledge down below, strong hands took hold of him and kido blasts destroyed the last of his waterforms.

"You done, half-blood?" a rough voice rasped at him.

Tetsuya gritted his teeth and glared back at the hooded man as a band snapped onto his wrist, sealing his powers.

"Why are you doing this?" Tetsuya asked, groaning as a knee was driven into his abdomen.

He dropped to his knees, then was dragged to his feet and struck forcefully enough to take him to the ground again. Painful shocks of kido jolted his fallen form, bringing him to the edges of consciousness. He heard vicious laughter and a low, hissed order, then everything went mercifully black.