Chapter 2: Hello, My Name is...
"Do you ever get bored, Taichou?" Renji asked, startling the noble out of the reverie he had entered to pass the time.
"What was that?" he asked, blinking to bring him back to the cold reality of their circumstances.
"Sorry," Renji said, quieting his voice, "I asked if you ever get bored."
"Usually not," the noble said, looking up at him, then looking down at the spot on the cave floor that he had been contemplating for what might have been hours, Renji thought, even days!
"What do you think about...to keep you from getting bored?"
"Various things," Byakuya answered, "Why do you ask?"
Renji gave a soft laugh that ended in a pained cough. Byakuya gazed at him quietly, assessing, then moved forward and infused him with healing reiatsu.
"Oh...don't make me laugh, Taichou. Laughing hurts like hell," the redhead groaned.
"My apologies," the noble said, focusing on Renji's injuries, "I wasn't attempting to be humorous."
"I know," said Renji, "That's usually when people are funniest...when they're not trying to be."
"Hisana made that observation once," Byakuya commented, "about me amusing her without even trying. I didn't understand at all."
"No," said Renji, smiling, "Probably not."
"Are you making fun of me?" asked the noble, frowning.
"No, Taichou," Renji answered, "I just think that it's funny that Hisana probably thought you were as cute as I think you are when you say something like that."
"Like what?" asked the noble, looking mildly annoyed.
"Well, you asked me why I asked you about what you think of when you're bored," Renji answered.
"Which amuses you, because...?"
"Because the answer is obvious. I'm asking you that because I'm bored!"
"So, do something you normally do to cure your boredom."
Renji sighed.
"Well, I really can't. I can't eat, because there's no food. I can't train, because my body is still being held together with baling wire and glue...and I can't have sex, because, even if my body could manage it, the only one here besides me is you...and I'm thinking you're not that interested in exploring your sexuality with me."
"That would be correct," Byakuya said, a blush rising on his face and throat, "But you are welcome to ease your frustrations if you need to."
Renji laughed again and made himself cough harder. He grabbed his stomach and groaned, trying to stop himself, but unable.
"Really, Abarai!" the noble said, shaking his head, "You are going to make yourself ill. Stop that."
"Then, s-stop being so damned funny!" Renji chuckled, "I mean, Taichou...you just...hah, just told me that I can masturbate in front of you!"
"I won't watch," Byakuya said, trying not to blush, but only blushing more furiously, "I can tune you out."
"T-tune me out?" Renji laughed, coughing heavily until Byakuya moved closer again and wrapped an arm around him, infusing him with healing reiatsu, "S-sorry, Taichou, but you're killing me here!"
"I might be tempted if you continue to make fun of me," commented the noble, his eyes darkening.
"Oh...okay," said Renji, stifling a dangerous giggle and biting his lips, "I...you know, let's just forget it. I'm not so bored anymore."
"I am glad we headed that off," Byakuya said dryly, "though in the future, I would rather do so without you getting so riled. Considering your injuries, it is quite reckless of you. Considering also, the lengths to which I went to keep you from dying, it borders on insult."
"What did you to save me?" the redhead asked, furrowing his brow, "I hope it was nothing...dangerous to you, Taichou."
"That is between me and the boulders, and does not concern you, Abarai. Now, lie down. It is time for a more thorough infusion. It will take some time."
Renji laid down on his back, watching quietly as Byakuya leaned over him and opened his yukata. His graceful fingers traced a path over the redhead's chest and abdomen, finding each of his spirit centers and treating them to a gentle swell of healing power. Renji's eyes blinked and he started to doze off. And as he drifted on the edges of sleep, he wondered if the light flush he saw on Byakuya's skin was just from the effort of the healing, or if...
I probably embarrassed the hell out of him, but he's not wanting to make a big deal of things because he's still worried about me.
Renji stopped himself.
Taichou is worried about me?
And looking up at Byakuya's lovely, but tired face, he saw then the sadness in his calm, gray eyes. He felt the intensity of emotion in the hands that sought to strengthen him. The noble's reiatsu flickered unsteadily, and Byakuya paused for a moment, brushing a few beads of sweat from his brow.
"Why don't we stop now?" Renji suggested, "You look kinda worn down."
"I am fine," Byakuya said, the emotion disappearing from his expression.
But as he pulled his hands away, Renji could see that they were shaking softly.
"Taichou..." he said, taking one of the noble's hands in his.
"It's to be expected," Byakuya said calmly, "I will recover somewhat with rest."
He turned away and laid down, going quiet again. Renji tried to rest quietly, but couldn't help feeling fidgety. The light scent of sakura reached him, and a question popped into his mind. Before he could stop himself, it came out of his mouth.
"Taichou?" he queried softly, "Could you tell me something?"
"Hmmm?"
"I just noticed. We've been in this cave for over a month now."
"Yes."
"And there's no water, so I know you haven't been bathing."
"I am aware of that."
"But...you still smell good."
He blushed at the words and hastened to clarify.
"I mean, you smell like sakura."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"All members of the Kuchiki clan are scented with sakura. It dates back to the earliest days of the noble families. You see, the first noble lords, though shinigami, were not made in the way of other shinigamis. They were each made from some element within the king's gardens. For example, the first Aomori clan leader was spun from the silk of a great silkworm within the gardens. And they are the artisans who make the king's clothing. My ancestor, Kuchiki Hajime, was constructed using a donated branch of an ancient sakura tree that is dear to the king. Our relatives tend his gardens. We are all blessed with the gift of being able to cause things to grow."
"You can make things grow?" Renji asked, "Then...can you just grow something here? Or do you have to have..."
Byakuya sat up, gazing at Renji through suddenly hopeful eyes.
"I wouldn't be able to make a plant sustainable, but I might be able to grow something enough to produce a small yield of something I could eat," he mused.
He leaned forward and placed his hands on the floor of the cave. A soft green glow, much like his healing power, rose up around him, but almost immediately flickered and died. He tried again, but got the same result. He stared at his hands, a look of frustration on his handsome face.
"Hey," said Renji bracingly, "You know you're tired out from that infusion you gave me. You should rest and try that later."
"You are probably right," Byakuya agreed, gazing unhappily at his hands, then lying back down.
"You know, what you were saying before, about the ancient sakura tree, I never knew any of that."
"My father told me the story when he taught me how to use my gift for growing things," Byakuya explained in a soft, sleepy voice, "You might not know this either, but the gardens at my home are newly designed each time a new clan leader comes to power. Each new leader changes the gardens in some way...and watches over them until the next leader emerges. When Hisana and I were married, we looked forward to passing on that gift to our child. But...unfortunately, she was too fragile to manage her pregnancy, and she and the child died."
"Hisana was pregnant?" Renji asked softly, his heart aching at the pain that had risen in the noble's gray eyes, "I didn't know that."
"We were overjoyed when we found out. We knew that she was delicate, but we had no idea how much her life in Inuzuri had weakened her. I worried when she asked me to find her sister, that it might be the same with Rukia. She was lucky to have found her way to you. You helped her to become strong enough to endure that life, and still survive. I am grateful to you for that. I am just sorry that I didn't realize, at the time, what taking Rukia out of her environment was going to do to the person who had already been the protective brother Hisana wanted for her sister."
"Hey, you didn't know," Renji said, shaking his head, "And I didn't give you any chance. I hated you for taking her, even though I didn't know you...even though I knew she would have what she needed. I was just pissed because I would miss her...and she...wouldn't need my protection anymore...because she had you."
Byakuya sighed.
"I think we both know what a well-meant disaster that turned out to be. I couldn't even look at her without seeing Hisana. I sent her away to the 13th division and avoided her. I was no brother to her. That is one of the reasons why I chose you to be my fukutaichou. You were well qualified for the position, or I wouldn't have considered it. But I also knew that if you became a fukutaichou, you would be able to approach her again."
"I didn't even know you remembered seeing me that day."
"I remember everything about that day...every last detail. It was...indescribably painful, don't you agree?"
"Yeah."
Byakuya went quiet for several long moments, then leaned over Renji and examined him briefly.
"You feel feverish."
Renji nodded.
"I feel dizzy."
Byakuya studied him more closely and his eyes darkned with concern.
"You have some sort of infection. You need a more powerful infusion of reiatsu, but I cannot manage that as I am now."
He gazed down at the redhead, thinking deeply. Renji groaned and tried to speak, but his words ran together and made no sense.
He's deteriorating so quickly. He needs that infusion now...
He placed a hand on Renji's bare, sweaty chest, seeking out his spirit centers and touching each with a small flicker of power. His heart sank as he realized that none were responsive.
It is ironic. I have the spirit centers, but have depleted my reiatsu. He has the reiatsu in his body, but his spirit centers do not function at all. If only there was a way to force the reiatsu from his body into mine...
He caught his breath painfully as an idea occurred to him.
But...I cannot do that...
He bit at his lips, watching with increased worry as Renji grew more and more uncomfortable. Finally, he couldn't bear to allow it.
It will be painful, and there could be consequences, but...I have to save his life.
He leaned close to the redhead.
"Renji?"
"Mmmmmmm," the redhead moaned, blinking and looking up at Byakuya, "Who are you? Cause you look like my guardian angel."
"You're delirious," the noble said, letting out a frustrated breath, "Renji, listen. There is something I have to do...to...be able to restore my powers. I need my powers so that I can heal you. It is...the only way."
"C'mere Angel," Renji sighed, pulling the stunned noble down on top of him, "Lips that rosy were meant for kissing."
Byakuya froze as Renji's lips fastened on his. His eyes widened, but he didn't resist as Renji turned and rolled him onto his back, still kissing him.
"You're mouth is sweet," he mumbled, kissing Byakuya harder, "Better hold on to your halo, because I'm taking the two of us right to heaven..."
"Really, Abarai..." Byakuya muttered, as the redhead thrust a lusty tongue into the noble's cool mouth, "Stop. I don't think I can go through with this."
"Don't worry," Renji said, laughing dizzily, "I know what I'm doing."
"What an ironic declaration," Byakuya mused as Renji's hand slid down beneath his yukata and touched him more intimately, "Renji, I know that this is the only way to restore my powers, but I think that..."
"Shh," Renji said, touching a finger to Byakuya's soft lips, "Don't think. Thass usually your first mistake."
"You don't know what you are saying, much less what you are doing. Please Renji...stop...before..."
Renji's mouth invaded his more roughly, and his hand teased Byakuya's body shamelessly. The noble's eyes widened, and he flushed a deep pink. Renji attacked the blushing skin voraciously, leave Byakuya light-headed and panting softly.
Hisana's kisses were never so hard and passionate as this. We never touched each other in anything but a gentle way...
"Renji..."
"Don't be so tense, Angel," the redhead whispered, licking his earlobe and sending a hard shiver down the noble's spine, "Everyone's nervous their first time. Just close your eyes. Let me do all the work."
"But you are ill," Byakuya objected, feeling as flushed and feverish as the redhead was, "I don't want you to make things worse..."
Renji's tongue plunged into his mouth, silencing him, and the redhead's strong hands held him down.
Even with his spirit centers shut down and so many injuries, he feels strong...
"Do you trust me?"
Byakuya looked up into Renji's hazed eyes and paled. He couldn't make himself answer. But he found he needn't have worried, as Renji blundered on, not seeming to notice his resistance at all. Byakuya gasped and tightened his hands on the redhead's shoulders as Renji began to slowly prepare him for their lovemaking. His mouth assaulted the noble's face and throat, leaving him unable to speak, barely able to breathe. Byakuya made a sound of pain as the redhead continued, but Renji's mouth devoured the sounds, and managed to dull his awareness of the discomfort. By the time, Renji finished the preparation, he was more relaxed.
Until Renji shifted and he got a look at how big the redhead was. His eyes went wide, and he tore away from the other man, all too aware that there was nowhere to go. Renji stalked him on hands and knees, his body shivering and his eyes glazed with fever. He slowly back the noble into a corner, then captured him and started kissing him again. He held the noble's face gently in his hands, forcing Byakuya to look into his beautiful, senseless red-brown eyes.
"I won't hurt you," Renji said, lowering him onto his back.
Byakuya went quiet and still, loathe to think about how it might hurt. But what pain there was, was tempered by the gentleness with which he was taken. Renji worked his way inside, then paused and smiled at him.
"See..." the redhead panted in his ear, "That wasn't so bad, ne?"
"Shut up," Byakuya said, turning his head away as Renji began a slow, rhythmic movement.
He hadn't ever...not ever in his life imagined doing something like that. But if he had to be completely honest, he loved feeling Renji's powerful body moving on top of him that way. It made him moan and pant, and cling harder to the redhead.
But if I didn't know that he was delirious and out of control...that he won't remember any of this, I could never have...
His thoughts disappeared as Renji gave a hard groan and stiffened on top of him. He felt an odd twitching inside, then a flare of intense heat that made his own body seize and shudder beautifully. Byakuya took a surprised breath, his spirit centers drinking in the power and flaring to life. He met Renji's mouth for a stormy exchange of those hard, penetrating kisses. Then Byakuya touched a hand to the redhead's face, incapacitating him.
Renji collapsed on top of him, and Byakuya rested quietly beneath him, his head spinning with pleasure and black spots dancing before his eyes. He took slow breaths until his vision cleared, then carefully turned Renji onto his back and cleaned away all traces of what had taken place. He bent over the redhead and gave him the deeper infusion of healing reiatsu he needed. Then, he touched a palm to the ground, invoking his power to make things grow, and watching as a plant sprang to life and grew just enough to yield several small pieces of fruit. He devoured them hungrily and sighed in relief at the end of the feeling of hunger he had endured. He raised Renji's consciousness enough to allow him to drink the juice of one of the fruits, then watched as he fell into a more contented sleep.
Thank goodness that worked. I was worried that it might not, but...now, at least we can sustain ourselves.
And he never has to know what lengths we had to go to.
Or the price for taking those steps.
It was my decision.
I will pay the price willingly.