Chapter 2

Byakuya was in a foul mood by the time the sun set, but considering he was nursing several bruised ribs anyone would understand why. Ukitake had really let him have it, bluntly driving home the point that in hand to hand combat Byakuya was a novice at best and incompetent at worst, and when Renji came back to the barracks with the scent of ink on him Byakuya's mood only worsened. He'd sensed Shūhei show up and he'd been there for less than a minute before Renji had left with him and he gritted his teeth at the thought of what the two must've been doing for the hours since. Byakuya refused to examine the reasons why he felt so jealous of Shūhei for having Renji's time, but he could only conclude that he envied their freedom to choose each other if in fact that was what was going on. Byakuya shook his head to try and clear it, but the scent of ink that seemed seeped into Shūhei's pores clung to Renji like a second skin and Byakuya felt jealousy flare when he saw the slightly tender way that Renji was moving. It seemed Shūhei had put Renji through the ringer as well, though not in quite the same way.

Byakuya moved off towards his room with the thought of getting a hot bath and packing for tomorrow, but when he changed into a bathing robe and went outside to the hot spring he was just in time to see Renji drop his pants. His eyes went wide then slowly narrowed when he saw the new and evidently still healing tattoos on Renji's back, dozens of tiny pink flower petals that were scattered throughout his existing black tattoos from his shoulders all the way down and over his lightly bronzed ass. They appeared to swirl and move as Renji folded his clothes and put them aside, and as he walked to the hot spring and stepped into the water Byakuya felt senbonzakura's presence shift in his mind

/He's branded himself with dozens of tiny markings/ his zanpakuto observed /and each and every one of them speaks your name/ Byakuya froze at that, disbelief instantly bringing a denial to his mind but his zanpakuto anticipated his response and countered /Can you think of any other reason he would brand himself in such a color? Renji is wild, a truly powerful man, can you imagine how humbling it would be for someone like him to willingly choose the color pink and how much you must mean to him to choose not just a single petal but 50 or more scattered all over his back and chest?/ Byakuya was suddenly having trouble breathing, disbelief and several other emotions chasing themselves around in his head until he finally took a step back to retreat to his room. He slowly closed the door, cutting off his view of Renji and trying to give himself some time to think, but as Senbonzakura had pointed out, there was no other reason that Renji would have done such a thing. The lieutenant was never seen around females unless in the company of at least one other soul reaper, and if he had a lover then the only one he'd spent exclusive time with had just been proven to be his tattoo artist of all things. Byakuya couldn't help himself, he peeked out the door again and watched as Renji wiped a bit at his shoulder with a damp cloth, leaving small bits of blood coloring the water, and Byakuya couldn't help but wonder just why his lieutenant was soaking before he'd had a chance to heal.

Renji rose from the hot spring after he'd washed, his movements a bit smoother now that he'd had a chance to start healing and soak, and when he got out he wrapped a towel around his waist and was about to go to his clothing when Byakuya suddenly appeared to his right. He glanced over at him and immediately closed down his expression when he saw Byakuya staring at his chest and the numerous new additions scattered there, and he reached for his clothes and shrugged his shirt on which seemed to break whatever trance Byakuya had been under. He looked up at Renji's face and the lieutenant was immediately aware of the suspicions that must be running through Byakuya's head but he couldn't bring himself to voice them. Renji stepped into his pants and inclined his head in a show of respect and moved to leave but was stopped by Byakuya's voice

"How long will it take those to heal?" Renji didn't turn back, not daring to when he'd heard something he could only call interest in Byakuya's voice

"They won't affect my duties," he assured his captain, but stayed when he could sense Byakuya wasn't done

"Is there… anything I can do to help?" Renji couldn't decide if he was horrified or elated at his captain's sudden question

"Not unless you want to help me put some salve on the ones I can't reach," he half muttered and went to his room to do just that, but when he fetched the salve from his dresser and turned back to his bed where he'd planned to sit while working the stuff into his skin he realized that Byakuya had followed after him and was standing in the open door way. Renji blinked in surprise then looked away and wandered towards his bed, shrugging from his shirt and letting his pants drop figuring that would be enough to scare Byakuya away, and as he sat and opened the jar he'd gotten from Unohana in preparation for these very tattoos he was startled to feel the bed dip behind him and Byakuya settled himself behind Renji before reaching over Renji's shoulder and plucking the jar from his hand. He began to dab the salve on the tattoos that scattered over Renji's upper shoulders, working slowly Renji couldn't help but notice, and once he'd put a small amount on each all the way to his shoulder blades he put a small amount in his hands and began to smooth them carefully over all the dots he'd already placed which immediately soothed the sting of the new marks. Byakuya did the same from where he'd stopped all the way down to his hips, and as he smoothed his hands over the new patch of skin Renji closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to luxuriate in his captain's careful attentions

"You were foolish to do this without giving yourself time to heal before we leave, the sand in hueco mundo gets everywhere if you'll recall," Renji's eyes slowly opened as he smiled to himself

'Moment's over,' he mused ironically and shook his head "With this stuff Unohana gave me they'll be fine by morning, and the larger one… Well, I'll just make sure to keep it clean till it finishes healing," he finished a bit gruffly, not believing he'd said that much, and he felt Byakuya's hand pause on his back as he no doubt looked over Renji's back in search of the larger one he'd mentioned. After a moment he felt Byakuya shift back a little ways before he ordered

"Lay on your stomach," Renji glanced back at him and couldn't help but notice the slight flush to Byakuya's cheeks

"Captain?" Renji questioned, part of him not daring to hope that this was going where it seemed to be going, but Byakuya didn't relent and Renji slowly obeyed as he kept a wary eye on his captain who immediately scooted closer again and Renji shivered when Byakuya began to gently dab the salve onto the markings on his ass and upper thighs. Byakuya worked silently but Renji was pleased to see that he continued to work slowly and carefully, his hands hardly even shaking when he put the jar to the side and gathered a bit in his hands, and Renji closed his eyes when he felt Byakuya smooth his hands over his ass and thighs in an almost massage that was making Renji hotter than hell 'Kami, get a grip will you?' he snarled at himself, but he knew better than anyone that it was hopeless; Byakuya had never tended to him before unless he'd been unconscious on the battlefield and his hands felt too damned good to not react. Byakuya smoothed his hands from Renji's thighs and up his back to his shoulders then down again before his hand moved to Renji's hip and the lieutenant immediately stiffened when he felt Byakuya exerting a bit of a pull on his hip bone as if urging him to flip over "I-I can reach those ones on my own, captain," he protested and was intensely aware of the fact that Byakuya didn't remove his hand from Renji's hip

"I've already started, you might as well let me finish," he said and Renji prayed he wasn't imagining the slightly softer tone to Byakuya's voice even as he fought the urge to do just as Byakuya asked of him

"It's alright; I can manage just fine so you should go ahead and enjoy your bath captain,"