Chapter 2: Little Sister

Renji stepped out of the Fifth Division office and turned toward the Sixth Division. He walked with an easy, relaxed stride and hummed softly to himself, enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon and looking forward to spending the evening having a quiet dinner at home and playing with Hajime, before taking their evening walk and settling down with Byakuya for the night.

A soft shiver went through him as thoughts of Byakuya entered his mind. Lately it seemed as though he couldn't get his life partner out of his mind. Even after having been with Byakuya for over fourteen years, he was still very affected by Byakuya's beauty…even more so than usual, recently.

He wasn't sure why, but whenever Byakuya crossed his mind, all he could think about was touching his silken black hair, staring into those dark, gray eyes and feeling the touch of that soft pale skin on his. It was even worse when it wasn't just thought. When he was actually with Byakuya now, he noticed everything about the noble. Just that morning, he had come upon Byakuya in the gardens, lying on his stomach on the grass and staring into the koi pond with a beautiful, dreamy expression on his face. He only meant to greet Byakuya and be on his way to work…but somehow they had ended up in bed together. It happened so quickly that Renji wasn't sure who seduced whom or how they got to the bedroom. And that same exchange was happening with increased frequency…not that he minded, but he did wonder why it was happening.

The Sixth Division office appeared before him and he passed through the front door, turning to greet Rikichi. The vice captain was at his desk, completing the last of the day's report filings. He looked up and smiled as Renji walked in. Renji was surprised to see that Byakuya was not at his desk.

"Hey, Renji," Rikichi greeted him, dropping the report he'd been reading into the finished pile, "How's it going?"

"Good…real good. I was just coming to meet Byakuya. Did he get called away or something?" Renji asked.

"He left early. He said nothing was wrong, but he looked kind of fatigued. He's been that way for the last week or so. I've been meaning to ask you about that. I was curious, because everything has been exceptionally quiet the last few weeks, so I don't know why he seems so run down lately."

"Well," Renji said, thinking, "he was sick a couple of days ago, but he said he felt better. Maybe it's just that. Maybe he isn't quite over it."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe you should try to get him to take a day or two off and just get well. I have a couple of days before I have to report back to Hueco Mundo. I can watch over things here," Rikichi suggested.

"I'll talk to him about it," Renji said, turning to leave.

He left the Sixth Division and made his way down the streets of the Seireitei and back to Kuchiki Manor. His step was faster than before and his reiatsu, he realized, was a bit disturbed. But as he passed through the entry doors, he found he needn't have worried. Byakuya sat at the table on the garden patio with Hajime, smiling at the boy and looking completely normal. Renji gave a little sigh of relief and moved to join them.

"Hey, I thought you were going to meet me after work. Did you forget?" he asked the noble.

"No," he said, looking up at Renji, "I finished everything I needed to do and decided to come home and spend some time with Hajime."

Renji looked down, noticing for the first time the pot of tea, the plate of still-warm cookies and the small bowls of frosting, sprinkles, and other decorations.

"What's this?" he asked, "Were you two baking?"

Hajime nodded.

"We made sugar cookies and ginger cookies. The sugar cookies are for decorating and the ginger cookies make Daddy Bya's tummy feel better," the boy said.

Renji's eyes narrowed.

"You're not feeling well again?" he asked Byakuya.

"I'm fine, Renji," the noble assured him, "I just thought that since we were making cookies anyway, the ginger cookies would be soothing."

"Here Daddy Ren," Hajime said, handing him a decorated cookie, "I made this one for you. Daddy Bya's has a smiley face and black hair, and yours has red hair and a smile with teeth!"

"Thanks Hajime," Renji said, taking the cookie and giving the boy a gentle squeeze.

"And I made this one for my little sister," he said, handing Byakuya a decorated cookie, "but she can't have cookies yet, so you can eat it for her."

"Still imagining about that sister you want, huh?" said Renji, chuckling, "you haven't stopped talking about it since that day at the waterfall. You really have a one-track mind, kid."

"Hajime has a fascinating imagination," Byakuya said, firmly, "He has been making up interesting stories all afternoon. Perhaps he could tell you one."

Hajime shook his head.

"Storytime isn't again until bedtime. We have to go wash up for dinner."

He hopped down from the chair and ran back into the house. Renji looked after him, laughing softly.

"Baking cookies and eating sweets. And not only eating sweets, but sweets before dinner? What's going on, Bya?"

Byakuya shrugged.

"Hajime wanted to do something different…something fun. He suggested it."

"That's not the part that surprises me. You've been kind of…different lately."

The dark eyes rose calmly to meet his.

"Different?"

"Yeah, ever since the twins left. I don't know. I thought it was just me, but Rikichi said the same thing. He said you've been looking fatigued."

"Rikichi worries too much," Byakuya said, biting into the cookie Hajime had given him for his little sister.

It's such a silly thing to notice, Renji thought to himself, but even watching him eat is making me feel…

"Renji?" Byakuya queried softly.

Renji looked up, feeling a bit startled.

"Huh?"

"You're staring. Is there something wrong?" the noble asked, taking another bite.

Renji swallowed hard.

"Ah, no. It's just…wait, I thought you didn't like sweets. And you said the ginger cookies were for you. Bya, I'm getting a little confused here. What's going on?"

And he was noticing everything again…the slight tilt of Byakuya's head, the eyes lit with late afternoon sun, the slight glisten of sweat on his skin, and the way he was gazing at Renji with a very curious expression. He noticed there was a small bit of frosting on the full, sensuous lips and leaned forward to lick it away. And then the noble's mouth opened and Renji found himself in the midst of a very heated kiss…a kiss that tasted of tea and sugar, one that took his breath away.

He spotted Rukia approaching and muttered something to her about watching Hajime. Byakuya looked up at him in confusion.

"Renji…what is it?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, "Privately?"

The noble nodded and followed Renji into their room. As Renji closed the doors, Byakuya looked on, mystified.

"Renji…what…?"

Byakuya suddenly had his breath taken away as he was lifted for a moment, then brought down onto the bed. The redhead's hungry mouth bit down on his, the eager tongue plunging inside and searching again for that delicious sweetness. His hands tore at the noble's clothes and he felt his own being swiftly removed as well. The light scent of cherry blossoms struck his senses and Renji felt dizzy.

He released Byakuya's mouth and attacked the slender throat, nipping it teasingly, then biting down and sucking, sinking into the intense softness and sweetness of the noble's flesh. He heard Byakuya moan softly and felt a strong reaction in his loins. And before he quite realized what he was doing, Renji buried himself in the noble's beautiful body and began moving in and out with fast, deep, trembling thrusts. Byakuya clung to him, his head thrown back and his eyes closed, moaning and panting in pleasure. He released Renji's name in a soft, passionate hiss and the sound of it broke over the redhead, sending him careening into the abyss. He collapsed heavily onto the noble's chest and lay there in a daze, caught up in the soft pulses and heat of release. He pressed his lips warmly to his lover's lightly glistening skin and moaned contentedly.

"Damn!" Renji said, when he could speak intelligibly again, "Byakuya, I just can't get enough of this!"

He was shocked to feel the tremors of soft laughter that passed through the noble.

"You don't hear me complaining, so I wouldn't worry about it. It's probably just that it's so much quieter around here with Takeo and the twins on assignment. We can focus more on each other," Byakuya suggested.

"Yeah, I guess," Renji sighed, resting his head on Byakuya's shoulder.

"Renji," Byakuya said, after a few minutes, "could you let me up now? I need to shower before dinner and I'm already starving."

"Starving?" Renji repeated questioningly, "I thought you and Hajime spent all afternoon eating cookies and drinking tea."

Byakuya gently pushed Renji aside and sat up.

"We did. I don't know why I feel so hungry."

Renji smiled.

"Must be all of the sex."

"Could be," Byakuya said, suppressing a smile.

He leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes. Renji blinked in confusion.

"Bya…didn't you just say you were hungry?" he asked, gazing at the dozing noble.

"Hmm…" he mumbled in return, "now I just feel tired."

"Tell you what," Renji said good naturedly, "You get some rest and I'll bring you something. Any idea what you want?"

"Mmhmm," Byakuya yawned, stretching, "Iced water with lemon slices and some of those ginger cookies."

"No dinner? Cook's making chicken and vegetables with steamed rice tonight."

"Okay, I'll have some of the steamed rice as well."

"All right," Renji chuckled, "Iced water with lemon, ginger cookies and steamed rice."

"And Renji?"

"You want something else?"

"Mmhmm…hurry."

He leaned over and gave the noble a warm kiss, then shook his head, slipped back into his clothes and left the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

"That reiatsu pulsation was coming from somewhere near here," Takeshi told his sister, "you look over there in that park and I'll go this way."

Chisaki nodded and shifted to hawk form. She soared over the park, reaching out with her senses and finding nothing. She made several passes, each yielding the same result. Finally, she turned back and reached out with her senses to try to find her brother's reiatsu. She turned toward it and swept off to her left, spotting him quickly and swooping in for a landing next to him. He was studying something and frowning.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to look over his shoulder.

"It looks like some hollows came through here, but they didn't close the garganta all of the way. It's not good to leave it open like this. It will attract more hollows. We should check what's just on the other side, then try to close it…or get Kisuke or Yoruichi to close it."

He used his zanpakuto to push the edge open wider and peeked through.

"Nothing much on the other side," he commented, "just looks like an old base. I see Las Noches to the south, but it isn't all that close. Huh…I wonder…"

He trailed off, staring.

"Takeshi?" Chisaki queried, her eyes widening with worry.

He didn't answer for a moment. His eyes went wide and a moment later, Takeshi was pulled through the opening.

"Takeshi!" Chisaki cried, trying to go after him.

As she reached the partially opened garganta, the edge sealed, leaving Chisaki staring at the place where the garganta had been.

"Takeshi!" she gasped again.

She turned toward Kisuke's shop, shifting to her bird form and flying at top speed. In moments, she was swooping down to land and shifting back to her shinigami form. She ran inside, yelling for Kisuke.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke just as the sun was rising, groaning softly and feeling nauseous. He rolled over, pulling free of Renji and took a sip of the lemon water, then coughed and paled. Renji's hand touched his shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked sleepily.

Byakuya nodded.

"I'll be fine. It's just that stomach ache again."

Renji chuckled.

"I told you not to eat all of those cookies!"

"Renji…please don't talk about food, right now," Byakuya groaned, lying down again.

He turned onto his side and curled around a pillow.

"Sorry," Renji said sympathetically, "Can I do anything to help?"

"Yes," Byakuya replied softly.

"How can I help, Bya?"

"Don't get between me and the bathroom," Byakuya gasped, jumping out of bed and flash stepping across the room.

Renji shook his head and grimaced at the sounds that issued from the bathroom.

"Ugh, looks like someone's not going to work today," he muttered.

He knocked softly.

"Bya, are you okay?"

"I'm fine now, Renji," Byakuya assured him, "I feel much better now."

"Shit, I hope so! That sounded nasty."

"Renji?"

"Huh?"

"Shut up…"