A/N: Meh. I just wanted to write something with Byakuya in it for his birthday today, and since I've absolutely adored ByakuyaxYoruichi ever since watching that part with them in the Turn Back The Pendulum arc (17-minute mark of episode 208), I decided to write this. Kinda plotless, but oh well.


Cutting Losses

"What do you say to a game of tag, Byakuya-bo? Win, and I'll be yours. Lose, and you'll be mine."

How had he gotten himself into this? It had been well over a hundred years since he'd last played tag with this woman, and here she was, challenging him to yet another round of that childish game.

Before he could even refuse, she said, "Now, catch me if you can!"

And just like that, Shihouin Yoruichi was off. Her adversary was quick on her tail, his flash steps remarkable and flawless, and yet, it wasn't enough.

Like it had always been with her, Kuchiki Byakuya remained just a step behind.

Their endurance of flash steps continued through the Seireitei until they finally ended up in the garden of the Kuchiki manor, where Byakuya remembers training his skills with a sword, despite being repeatedly disrupted by a certain 'guest.' It had often been the starting point for many a game of tag, too. And now, here they were again.

"You lose, Byakuya-bo." Yoruichi had that arrogant smirk planted across her face—the one he's always despised. His response to that came as almost as much of a surprise to him as it did to her.

"So what?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Come again?"

He knew she'd heard, and he was not one to repeat himself. "I will not play these games with you anymore, Shihouin Yoruichi."

"Is that so? Well, you already played this round. Time to pay the consequences of losing." She chuckled. "You're mine, Kuchiki Byakuya."

Before he could object, she already had a grip on his shihakusho, and lightly pushed him to the ground, the back of his haori falling against a wide spread of grass.

"Yoru—"

"Uh-uh-uh." She wagged her finger from side to side in disapproval, as if reprimanding a small child, and said, "A loss is a loss."

He attempted to sit up, but she was suddenly on top of him, her legs on either side of his hips restraining him from going anywhere. He narrowed his eyes at her. "This is immature, Yoruichi. I am not a child anymore."

"Oh? Then why don't you prove it?" She lowered herself on him with a little added force, the cleft between her legs grinding against his manhood. The organ suddenly awoke, rising and stiffening in accordance to Yoruichi's lustful tease.

"Yoruichi," Byakuya said, coating his horrified incredulity with strict discipline, "what do you believe you're doing?"

"Hmm?" She added more pressure in her movements, and he inwardly shuddered. "Isn't it obvious?" she said. "If you've really grown up, show me. Be a man." She pressed her lips up against his ear, and smirked. "Fuck me."

Byakuya's eyes widened like never before. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Come on, Byakuya-bo…" Impatient, Yoruichi undid his sash, her hands faster than his, and pulled open his shihakusho to reveal himself to her. "Mm, not bad," she commented, sporting a sly grin as she trailed a hand down his well-toned chest. "Not bad at all…"

Byakuya made to grab her wrist, but she snatched it away before he could even graze her. "We are not proceeding with this," he stated, quick, dismissive.

She laughed. "What, scared? Worried you won't be able to measure up to a real man?"

He refused to be swayed by her shameless goading. "I told you, I am not playing these games with you. Now, leave," he ordered.

"And if I refuse?" She returned her hand to his chest and this time worked on stimulating his nipples, rubbing and rolling and tweaking them whichever way she pleased.

"Unh… Yoruichi…" He ground his teeth then, and stood his ground. "Leave."

She lowered her face to his. "No," she said, just before pressing their lips together for one long moment. And it was then that he realised, she wasn't doing this out of pure lust. "I'm tired of running away," she confessed, staring down at his frozen expression of quiet shock. "I'm tired of running from you."

Suddenly, he realised he wasn't as opposed to the idea of giving himself to this woman as he had first believed. But, he certainly was opposed to letting her know that—and seeing that smirk on her face grow ever-wider.

So he answered, "Once. But it will mean nothing."

Yoruichi had always known the man would rather swallow a lie than swallow his own pride. "Whatever you say," she complied. As long as she got what she wanted, she was content, even if he insisted on denying the truth.

She leaned back a little and brought her hand down to his waist. Working her way down, she took the hem of his hakama in her fingers, and pulled, lowering them until they were no longer of inconvenience to what they were about to do next.

"Byakuya…" she drawled as she ran the tips of her fingers against his already-hard member. "I've been waiting."

"You don't wait," he argued, keeping his voice detached. "You keep people waiting."

"Maybe so. But, be that as it may…" She slid down so that her mouth was on level with his shaft, and deftly flicked her tongue out for one brief moment to brush against its tip. "I've been waiting for this."

With that, she took his length into her mouth, needing only two goes to engulf its entirety in her orifice. She toyed with it, teasing it moistly with her tongue and teeth, which drove Byakuya out of his state of stoicism and earned her the privilege of hearing him moan, low and deep. She continued, adding a little more momentum, dipping and mounting along his stiff, long organ.

Byakuya bit back against the sounds leaving his throat, with little success. Eventually, he lost the power to control himself, letting the sensations run through his body and letting himself embrace them. And it was around then that he hit his peak. It was invigorating and intense, and even he couldn't suppress how strongly it came.

Yoruichi felt his juices gush into her mouth, assaulting her palate with a taste both salty and bitter. She swallowed the first few gulps, so as to free up space for the rest of his release, and then raised her head to look up at him, her mouth still full of his essence. She made a face, like a young child who's just been forced to eat their vegetables, because she knew it'd piss him off. She then considered spitting the stuff out, knowing it'd insult him further.

In the end, she decided against it, swallowing the liquid bit by bit but making sure to keep a sour look on her face while doing so. When it had all been devoured, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand and said, "See. Losing isn't so bad, Byakuya-bo."

Byakuya just lay there, catching his breath, while she crawled up over his chest so that their eyes were level again. Raising a hand to stroke his face, she asked, "Ready to go all out?" He nodded mutely, and she beamed. "Wonderful."

She removed her pants and underwear, and then moved to straddle his hips once more, aligning her sex with his. She was soaking wet, and he was quickly hardening again; all the pieces were there and ready for them to play.

"Prepare yourself, Byakuya-bo." However, just as she had said that, she felt herself being turned onto her back. She had let her guard down, and Byakuya was always one to take advantage of an opening.

The hint of a smirk pulled at his lips. "Oh?"

"Huh. Well played." She raised a superior brow at him, mock colouring her expression. "So? You gonna make your move?"

He narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Watch me," in an almost-whisper.

He took a moment to assess his position and assure his confidence; he looked around, making sure there was no one nearby, and—

"Oh, it's just a game, Byakuya-bo. Loosen up, will ya?"

His attention was diverted back to her, and he suddenly felt the urge to wipe that smile off her face. And so, he played her game; he slammed himself into her.

He felt her breath catch in that one instant—an instant in which he finally held the upper hand—as he experienced being inside her for the first time. He stilled himself for a bit, adjusting to the upshot of the motion, before proceeding to move again—pounding in deep, retracting back steadily, and repeat.

"That all you got?" Yoruichi ribbed, after feeling him pull out again. He gave no response or acknowledgement to her, continuing his process instead. Yoruichi waited until he was buried within her once more, then she turned him over on his back, switching their positions just as he had done before.

She rode him roughly, unpredictably, keeping no particular rhythm. It was like a game to her, and everyone knows that you can never win in a game where the opponent can guess all your moves. She slid up slowly, slammed down hard, then waited a few seconds before rising again and moving down at her leisure. She played it very differently from him, and that ground his nerves to no end. He couldn't deny that it felt good, though. As a matter of fact, they were both closely reaching their limit, but he wasn't about to let her surpass him in yet another field that easily. Before she knew it, he was on top again, and he was stubbornly changing his approach to try and match her volatility.

And therein lies the foundation of their little game. They were pushing each other over the edge in the most intimate way possible; fighting against each other whilst closing all distance between them at the same time.

Their play continued for what must have been hours. If a far-off onlooker had caught the event on camera and were to play the tape in double time, you'd see what would look like two kids rolling about together on the grass, aggressive but playful—which is quite the contrast to what was actually happening, but certainly a more appropriate scene to share than the reality.

"Yoruichi," Byakuya grunted as he came for the fifth time beneath her. "Remember, this means nothing."

"Heh," she snickered. You and your pride. "I never said it did."

When it was all over, they untangled themselves and allowed each other to dress and refine their appearance, hiding all evidence of their little playtime.

They were all ready, and Byakuya was about to make his way out, back to his squad, when Yoruichi called to him, "Yo, Byakuya-bo, how about another game? Same stakes, same odds."

She didn't expect him to agree—she was dealing with a Kuchiki here, after all—but it was worth it just to rile him up.

"Get off my property."

She smirked, disappearing away in a flash. She'd be back, and when that time came, he'd be waiting for her—though he'd be too proud to admit it.

And once again, she'd win.

He'd say it was because this was her game, but she'd disagree.

It wasn't her game; it was theirs.