Chapter 3: Breathless Beauty

Byakuya was already awake and gone when Renji was roused by an attendant the next morning. He was buoyed somewhat by a seeming return to something resembling normality as he was led to a lovely bathing room and undressed for his bath. Byakuya stood facing a window on the other side of the pool and looking out over the gardens, saying nothing to anyone and standing perfectly still as his attendant bathed him. He finished just as Renji was beginning and walked by his vice captain as though not seeing him. He wondered why Byakuya would just ignore him that way, but a moment later, he felt the brush of the noble's mind against his and remembered their soul bonding. He focused on their connection, but all he could sense in the guarded noble was a fleeting shiver of fear.

I was wondering yesterday if Byakuya ever felt fear…and now I feel that he is afraid of something, but what? What are they going to do to us that he would fear? Or is it a fear of the unknown?

He continued to wonder as he watched out of the corner of an eye as Byakuya's attendant dressed him in a simple white yukata and led him away. Renji turned toward the window and let his eyes focus on the blue sky and puffy clouds as his body was cleansed, then he was led to the edge of the pool, dried and dressed in a white yukata as well. His attendant led him back to the King's Garden, where a small table had been prepared in the gazebo where they had been wed the day before and Byakuya sat with a meal set before him that he seemed not to notice. Renji sat down opposite him and noticed again how distant and unfocused he seemed, not at all himself as he picked absently at his food and didn't even look up at Renji. Sensing that his spouse was feeling overwrought, he employed a bit of levity to try to lighten the noble's mood…or at least to gain his attention.

"Hey," he said softly, "I knew married people often complain they never talk, but this is ridiculous. Do you even know I'm alive?"

"I am aware of your presence," Byakuya said quietly, "I had thought you were angry over our forced marriage and did not wish to interact with me except as necessary."

"Ah…" Renji muttered, flushing slightly as he remembered the unpleasantness before, "Well…like you said, it's not like you wanted this any more than I did, right? So…I guess I shouldn't take it out on you that we're stuck in this nightmare together."

Byakuya looked at him for a moment, then looked away again, saying nothing in response. Sighing in resignation, Renji ceased trying to get Byakuya to talk and ate voraciously. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was. He had no idea what they would be doing that day or how soon they would eat again. In addition, the food was delicious and despite Byakuya's reluctance to speak to him, the garden was a nice place to spend the morning. After finishing breakfast, he left Byakuya still sitting silently at the table and took a long walk with his attendant. All too soon, the attendant turned him back in the direction of the gazebo and the ritual continued.

Byakuya rose as Renji returned to the gazebo and Renji couldn't help but notice that, first, his captain had barely touched his food and secondly, Byakuya seemed completely closed down emotionally. His face, while not looking distressed, was anything but calm. Again, he had a sense of Byakuya being afraid of something, but had no idea what could be making him feel that way. He inadvertently brushed up against the noble as they were led to the palace, and felt a shock of repressed terror. He wanted badly to ask Byakuya what was going on, but there was no time as they were led back inside and into the throne room. The head captain and the other captains waited in the center of the room where an examination table had been placed. Renji was made to climb onto it and sit with Byakuya sitting in front of him with the noble's back rested on his chest and Byakuya's face close to his. Renji felt a bit odd at the positioning of their bodies and it registered that it looked as though he was meant to hold or restrain Byakuya through the next part of the ritual. Uncertainty crept into his heart again as he realized that although he managed to look serene and unruffled on the surface, Byakuya was trembling.

"Are you okay?" he whispered to his spouse as attendants moved forward and placed the noble's wrists and ankles in soft restraints.

Byakuya took a light breath and nodded briefly, the tremor in his body disappearing and Renji felt him press slightly closer to him, as though seeking a measure of comfort. He felt glad inside that he had been able to do something to help Byakuya, who seemed more uncomfortable than Renji had ever seen him. He wished there could be a moment for him to speak with the noble to ask him what had him so unnerved, but Yemon stepped forward, his face solemn and the head captain and captains closed in around them and the ritual moved forward.

"Byakuya Kuchiki," Yemon said, his voice tinged with anticipation, "before you can receive the king's coalesced power, your body must be completely emptied and your soul protected from coming into contact with his majesty in this state. The head captain and captains will place your spirit in this pendant and your body will then be infused with his power. When the raw power has been rendered by your body, you will consummate your marriage and thus fill the King's Vessel with his developing form. When that form has stabilized, it will emerge from the vessel and the king will complete his rebirth."

All of a sudden, Renji understood why Byakuya had been so unsettled.

He knew about this beforehand. Thinking back, it seems like he expected other things too. It's seemed all along he's known more about what was going on than me. And yet, he didn't tell me anything…and I have to wonder, was it because he wanted to keep those things from me because he thought I couldn't handle knowing ahead of time…or was he thinking that not knowing was actually better for me…

A soft jolt of something that felt like protectiveness flared inside him as the head captain stepped forward and accepted a blue star pendant from Yemon. He stood at the foot of the table with the other captains gathered around, and he held the pendant over Byakuya's restrained body. And Yemon's words came back to Renji with unexpected force.

He said Byakuya's body had to be emptied…but his powers have already been removed…so what is left?

He felt the swell of the combined power of the head captain and captains and felt Byakuya's head turn and a soft flutter of wet eyelashes against his throat as the noble's eyes closed and a soft shudder went through him. Renji realized suddenly what it all meant and his heart froze in his chest.

Oh my kami! They're going to…remove his soul? Shit! No wonder he's…

He knew there was nothing he could do to stop it, so he let his hands slide down Byakuya's arms, over the bound wrists and laced their fingers together as the captains' power rose around them. He focused on the connection between their minds and forced his own mind to stay calm. He might be scared shitless, but it was Byakuya whose soul was about to be pulled from his body, so he forced down his own feelings and projected calm as Byakuya's fingers tightened and his body jolted reflexively. The noble sucked in a dragging breath, more like an inward gasp and his body seized. The captains' power raged around them now, sounding in Renji's ears like a hurricane. Byakuya gave a low groan and his body jolted one last time and fell still. Renji felt a soft exhale of breath against his throat and then Byakuya stopped breathing altogether. Panic rose up in Renji's mind as he held the noble's unresponsive body and stroked his nerveless fingers. He was vaguely aware of the head captain leaning forward and placing the pendant around Byakuya's neck and then the captains withdrew, leaving Byakuya and Renji with Yemon.

"Do not worry, Renji Abarai," Yemon told him, "although his body shows no signs of life, the king's power sustains it. Take him and follow the attendants to the transitioning room."

Powered more by necessity than by conscious thought, Renji climbed off of the table and waited as Yemon released Byakuya's restraints, then lifted the noble's limp body and followed the attendants out of the room. It seemed odd to him that not so long before he had felt comforted that Byakuya had been named King's Guardian because he thought that meant Byakuya would be using his powers to protect him. And yet the noble was now powerless, unconscious…not even in his own body, and, Renji realized with a shiver, when he woke, the two of them would be having sex for the first time.

His soul isn't even in his body, because it can't be allowed to come into direct contact with the king's raw, unrendered power. I wonder if he'll even know what we're doing…if he'll have any awareness…

They reached the transitioning room, which turned out to be a huge suite with a large, comfortable looking bed. Renji's stomach twinged uncomfortably as he considered what was going to happen in that bed. He had been so focused on what Byakuya was experiencing, he hadn't had time to think that particular part of the ritual through. But there was no time left. He was led into the room and told to place Byakuya in bed. Then Yemon bowed deeply and wished him goodnight and he and the attendants left him alone in the room with Byakuya's still form.

It was strange being in the suddenly silent room and feeling so alone. He hadn't really had time to think much about what it would be like to be with Byakuya sexually, and now that he was left with too much time, his stomach jolted uncomfortably and he couldn't get the thought to leave his mind. He had been with a few women over the years, but had never been with a man. And being that he had been named King's Vessel, it didn't take much imagination or intelligence to know that he was the one who would be taken. He had heard that it could be painful and it occurred to him that he didn't know if Byakuya had ever been with another man either. It was unnerving enough to know he would be taken…and even worse to consider what it would be like if his sexual partner was not gentle enough or experienced enough to keep him from feeling pain. He pushed the thought away and moved closer to Byakuya.

The noble lay perfectly still on the bed, his eyes closed and the lovely silver hair splayed out around his head and shoulders. Again, Renji was keenly aware that Byakuya was a beautiful man…beautiful and dangerous…and now his life partner. He tried to imagine what living with him would be like. Would they be expected to sleep together at night? Would Byakuya want for them to have sex often? He could barely stomach the knowledge they would be having sex just this once. If the noble demanded more…

Renji pushed the thoughts away and climbed out of bed. He walked to the window and gazed out at the moon and stars, missing the familiarity of home, the comfort of routines, the steadfast ways of his life that seemed to have escaped him and might never return. He had been told that upon completion of the ritual, that he would be free to return to his life, but there were some things that would be forever changed…and he wasn't sure how to handle that. He shivered softly and sighed. He would just have to take things one day at a time. He was still plenty scared, but as tended to be the case in his life, the survivor inside was rising up to carry him through. It would sustain him through the end of the ritual…and what happened after? Well, he would have to deal with that as it came.

He heard a sound behind him and turned. To his surprise, Byakuya now knelt on the bed, his body still showing no signs of breathing, but animated by the king's power. He said nothing, but his head lifted and the silver eyes opened and began to glow softly. Swallowing hard, Renji walked back to the bed and stood for a moment, looking down at Byakuya. He knew what was expected, but couldn't seem to make himself take that last step. Byakuya was still staring at him, a dangerous hunger in the silver eyes. He waited expectantly, his eyes raking Renji's body, making him shiver with dread. He wanted to console himself with the fact that this was Byakuya, that however stern his captain might be, Byakuya had never been deliberately cruel to him…but, he reminded himself, Byakuya's soul rested in the star pendant and his body was controlled by the king's power now.

"Lie down…" Byakuya said, his voice echoing strangely.

He could hear the impatience in the noble's voice and knew better than to delay any longer. He climbed onto the bed and started to lie down on his back next to Byakuya. As he moved, Byakuya moved with him, placing a hand between his shoulder blades and forcing him down onto his stomach. He turned his head to the side and felt the noble's body pushing his legs apart and positioning itself behind him.

Whatever Renji had prepared himself for, this wasn't it. He could imagine what it would be like to have Byakuya take him sexually, but he had imagined they would at least exchange a few kisses or try to connect with each other. He hadn't expected to be brought down, forced onto his stomach and taken from behind. Worse than that, there was a disjointedness, an odd urgency to Byakuya's movements and he didn't even bother with any kind of preparation. He wasn't forceful or cruel, but there was just no way that he could take Renji in such a way and not have it hurt. Renji shut his eyes tightly and groaned uncomfortably as Byakuya's hands took hold of his hips and he felt the noble's swollen and leaking member touch his entrance and begin to push forward. He could feel the king's rendered power now, pulsating within the confines of Byakuya's body and impatiently awaiting implantation in Renji's body. It was this, he understood that was making Byakuya behave this way. He knew that even at his worst, Byakuya wasn't this cruel…but somehow even knowing that, he couldn't help but feel the awful sting of what was happening to him.

Byakuya pushed forward, holding Renji's hips in place and groaning impatiently. Renji knew he had to make his body relax and tried to do so, but he couldn't seem to stop shaking, to catch his breath, to make his body calm. And still, Byakuya continued to push harder. Renji made a sound of pain and his body recoiled. The noble's fingers dug into his skin and held him tightly. He pushed forward steadily.

"You must relax your body," the strange, echoing voice told him.

"I'm trying to…" Renji panted.

The noble's fingers tightened again and Renji felt more pressure. He felt a heavy shock of pain and the deep invasion of his body and his arms collapsed. His upper body dropped down, but his lower body remained in Byakuya's grasp. The noble's body had begun to thrust in and out of him immediately, soft sounds of urgency escaping the pristine lips and sending hard chills down Renji's spine. He wondered briefly how aware Byakuya was of what was happening…if he cared at all about what his body was doing to Renji. He tried to connect with Byakuya's mind, with his emotions, but the king's power buzzed and throbbed all around, making his mind hazy…dull…unable to connect with Byakuya's at all. The noble's body continued the harsh thrusting and began to emit low sounds of pleasure, though for Renji, there was nothing pleasant about what was happening. He felt a sudden tension in the body behind his, then Byakuya thrust in hard, his fingers digging in painfully and holding Renji in place. Renji felt a hard jolt of heat and pain, an explosion of sensation inside him that he was totally unprepared for. The king's power flared wildly around their two joined bodies and Renji felt himself being forcefully filled with it. He screamed in pain now, unable to hold it back anymore. Again and again, the hardness inside him pulsed, sending the rendered power into him and leaving his insides burning furiously. He felt tears on his face, but couldn't move to wipe them away. His breath came out in hard gasps and his voice had grown hoarse from screaming.

Renji felt something change suddenly in the body that had invaded his. There was a small flare of power, the sound of glass breaking, then he felt a puff of breath on his back as Byakuya exhaled. The noble made a sound of confusion and dismay, and pulled away from Renji, sliding out of him…hands loosening and releasing, allowing the stricken man to collapse the rest of the way onto the bed. Renji lay still, his insides still blazing, his back aching and an odd stickiness on his bottom and thighs. He opened his eyes and caught sight of Byakuya's face, his coloring returned to normal as the king's power left him, but a horrified look of revulsion on his face. He sat still, his jaw clenched, his body shaking and his eyes wide. With trembling hands, he set his yukata back in place.

"R-renji," he said, his voice sounding normal again, "are…are you…?"

But Renji was beyond answering. The king's power seethed inside him sending everything into a long, dizzying spin and sending him spiraling into the darkness.