Chapter 3: For a World Ending

Byakuya watched solemnly as Rukia and Orihime entered one of the caves within the shielded zone and the two healers entered another. Chad and Uryu replaced the noble and Renji on watch. Renji felt an odd quivering sensation inside as Byakuya's eyes sought his, and although the request was normally phrased, it struck him as having a different intent than the obvious.

"Renji," Byakuya said quietly, "I need to speak with you privately."

"Yes, Captain," said the redhead, following the noble into one of the caves and watching as Byakuya sealed the entrance to give them privacy.

Byakuya sat down and thought carefully about what he wanted to say as the redhead moved across the cave and used kido to prepare two cups of tea. He returned and set the cup in the noble's hands, then sat in front of him, taking sips of his own tea and waiting for Byakuya to begin.

"Renji," he said quietly, "I did not want to say this in front of the others. I do not think the magnitude of what is happening has quite reached the ones we are with. But a short time ago, I sensed great loss of life. It seemed centered in the Seireitei. So…perhaps Aizen's Arrancars attacked the Seireitei."

"Damn," muttered Renji, "That's bad…really bad."

"It gets worse," Byakuya continued, "If, as I suspect the Arrancars have attacked the Seireitei, they will not simply have attacked the Gotei 13."

Renji's eyes widened.

"You mean…civilians?" he asked softly, "Innocent bystanders?"

"He will have had his Arrancars target the ones he held as responsible for his situation. Sousuke Aizen was a peasant, who was born with powers beyond most shinigamis, noble or peasant, typically possessed. And yet, though blessed with abundant power, he was not recognized for those powers. The councilors of Central 46, the Gotei 13 and the noble families saw him always as less than he was, because of his lack of a noble name. It is this that caused him to isolate himself from others, to become angry and vengeful. And this, I think, is why he became corrupted. He lost his 'heart' and in so doing, he sought revenge on those forces that he felt ruined his life and left him isolated."

"But you just said that he isolated himself," objected the redhead.

"He did," Byakuya affirmed, "Think of it this way. You come from the Rukongai. You went to the shinigami academy and faced the same kind of treatment that he endured. Nobles at the academy looked down on you and Rukia for being peasant class, although you obviously had the intelligence and powers that they did. Think of how it made you feel."

"It made me want to kick all of their stuffy asses," Renji admitted.

"Of course. But you gravitated towards some who became your friends. You found solace, and by so doing, you let go of your anger and, 'took your situation in stride,' ne?"

"Y-yeah," the redhead said, nodding, "I guess I did."

"Well, Aizen wasn't able to do that. Instead of reaching out, he closed his heart. Instead of trying to band together with others like himself…to create a circle of friends…nakama, he decided wrongly, that he transcended others. He was too different and not just wouldn't be accepted, but didn't want to be accepted. He decided that he was transcendent. He didn't need anyone."

"It's what you're always telling me about how great power combined with a weak heart breeds tyranny."

"Yes. Aizen has corrupted himself and will now use his powers to come after the forces that he believes held him back from his destiny of greatness among the shinigamis. He has struck at Central 46, the Gotei 13…and Renji, I fear that he is also attacking the noble families."

Renji stared at him in silence for a moment.

"You aren't talking about just attacking the leaders and elders," he said softly.

"No," Byakuya answered solemnly, "I am talking about a cold and calculated massacre."

Renji's face paled.

"Captain…you think he would…order the slaughter of…of innocents? Women and children?"

Sousuke Aizen was once a child…and as a child, he encountered cruelty at the hands of the noble class…"

"Okay, so the noble brats were assholes," Renji said, shaking his head, "That's no excuse to go and kill people."

"His hatred runs very deep, Renji. I had a sense of this early on, when he used Rukia in his plans. The moves he has made have all been cold and smoothly calculated…everything down to luring Rukia here, to Hueco Mundo. He knew that my sister would come to Hueco Mundo…and he knew as well, that I would follow. And you heard him before he left…what he said about coming back…"

"And taking us down one by one," Renji said, nodding.

"But think, Renji. He was referring specifically to the four captains who were trapped here. Captain Unohana made it back to Karakura Town and will likely have survived. Captain Zaraki is in his element here and not a threat to Aizen, because he only longs to seek battle. Kurotsuchi too, has his usefulness as a wicked scientist who will serve Aizen as long as he is given leave to experiment freely. But, Aizen both knew I was coming here, and he knew that of the four captains, I was the one he could not turn. He wanted me trapped here for several reasons, I think. First, if I am here, I cannot protect my clan. It will be up to the ones I left in charge to protect them. I warned my cousin, Tetsuya, before I left to be prepared to evacuate the manor and estate properties in advance of the arrival of Aizen's attack forces, so he will have taken that action as soon as he realized what was happening. But back to Aizen's plans for me. He will either personally target me for death, which I cannot avoid, now that he has become a transcendent being…or he has another use for me within his new regime…a use not requiring my consensual cooperation."

"So, you think when he comes back, he'll ignore the others and come straight for you?" Renji asked, swallowing hard.

"I think that, most likely. So, I want to set in place a way to be sure that, whatever my fate, my sister will be protected."

"Oh," said Renji, "I don't think I like where this is going, Captain."

"You have been Rukia's friend and protector for longer than I have,"

"Don't do this, Captain…"

"And of all the ones here, you have the best skills for protecting her…"

"Aside from Ichigo, you mean?"

"Ichigo has been defeated. He may be dead, Renji. We don't know. In any case, there is no one else I can trust with this."

"Captain…"

"You are to guard her with your life, Renji," Byakuya said firmly, "And if a choice has to be made as to your greatest loyalty, you are to put her first."

"I am not going to abandon my responsibilities to you, Captain. I am your vice captain."

"I am not asking you to do this as your captain," Byakuya said softly, "I am asking you this as a personal favor between friends…companions."

Renji stared at him in stunned silence.

"If, as we sensed, Ichigo has fallen…and the Gotei 13 has failed to stop Aizen, our military has ceased to exist. Our forces are scattered and will need to regroup anyway. As that happens, you are to place yourself at my sister's side and make sure that she survives. And again, this is not a military order, but a request that you fulfill a promise I made to Rukia's sister…my late wife…in the case that I am unable to do so."

Renji forced down the awful feeling of panic his captain's words caused, tightened his lips and nodded. He felt tears in his eyes at the look of relief on Byakuya's face as he gave his word to protect Rukia.

"Okay," he said quietly, "I gave you my word I would protect your sister. Now…I want to protect my captain in the best way I can. What can we do to make sure Aizen doesn't get his slimy hands on you?"

Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes.

"There is nothing we can do…until the garganta opens for us," he replied, opening his eyes and meeting the redhead's eyes again.

"Then," Renji said softly, "what can I do for my friend?"

Byakuya held perfectly still, made breathless by the fact that the line so carefully placed between them was about to disappear. He held Renji's gaze, watching with a melting heart, the way the redhead's expression changed as the noble abandoned the barriers he had long held between them and folded himself gently into Renji's surprised arms. A pale arm curled around the redhead and Byakuya brought his head to rest on Renji's shoulder. He closed his eyes against the very distinct possibility of rejection, and found his heart racing wildly as Renji's strong arms tightened around him in acceptance.

He opened his eyes and relaxed against Renji, breathing in his warm masculine scent and taking comfort in that they had, at least this one moment of being together this way…this way he had long desired, but never had the courage to ask for. Renji had been one who sought to surpass him…to pursue and conquer him in battle, but slowly, day by day as their swords crossed, as they fought alongside each other, as they lived their lives and endlessly pursued other things, they had slowly bound their hearts together. And, in that time, so slowly that neither had noticed until it was too late, the redhead had conquered his captain in an entirely different way. And only now, with Byakuya curled willingly into his arms, did he see how they had always been meant to find their way to each other.

Sensing that control had been placed in his hands, Renji let out a soft breath and slipped the fingers of one hand underneath the noble's chin, stroking it lightly as he raised it to bring their lips together. Byakuya's eyes opened and met his questioningly, then misted sweetly as their lips made contact. The noble's softer, finer lips moved tentatively against Renji's rougher ones and he felt himself left breathless again as the redhead gripped him more tightly and thrust his tongue deeply into his captain's hot, wanting mouth. Byakuya's hands clenched and he devoured Renji's invading tongue hungrily, closing his eyes again and kissing Renji harder, so hard the kisses hurt. But he didn't care about the pain. He only cared about feeding that long endured hunger inside, indulging in Renji in this way he had never dared hope that he would. Renji met his kisses forcefully, holding nothing back as they pressed against each other and their power flared softly all around them.

Their hands loosed enough to fumble with each others' clothing, to let it fall away so that they could feel the heat and need that had waited so long to be embraced. Byakuya lifted himself, smiling as Renji's hands wrapped around his soft, white bottom, helping his position himself as he parted his soft creamy thighs and brought the redhead's thick arousal to his virgin entrance. Renji held still so as not to cause any unnecessary pain and moaned heatedly as Byakuya lowered himself in slow, measured thrusts, onto his vice captain's heated member.

"Oh…kami, Captain!" Renji gasped, giddiness sweeping over him, "You're so…so hot inside. It…feels so good…like you're holding me so tightly!"

"I need to hold you tightly Renji," Byakuya whispered back, "I was afraid to say it before…while my places as clan leader and captain held me back. But everything is falling apart now. The Gotei 13 has been decimated, and I don't even know what is left of my clan. All I know that I still have left is Rukia…and you, Renji."

"And I'll stay with you, Captain," Renji whispered, his voice rough with arousal, "Even if everything else falls apart, I will stay with you. And I will protect you…not as your vice captain, but because I love you!"

"Renji!" Byakuya hissed, moving his hips and dragging a needy groan from the redhead's lips, "Renji, I love you too!"

They went silent then, their mouths busied with deep, wet kisses and Renji's hands wrapped around the noble's soft bottom as it rose and fell on his swollen length. Byakuya's fingers tightened, the fine nails digging into his skin and sending small, erotic splinters of pain through his body. Renji moaned into the noble's biting mouth and bucked his hips upward, moving one hand to wrap around his captain's inflamed arousal, to slide up and down the flushed shaft and to tease bits of pearly fluid from the wet, leaking head. Byakuya moaned almost incoherently, still holding onto the redhead painfully tightly, and rising and falling on Renji's length with brutal speed and strength, gasping and panting as Renji pushed upward thrusting deep inside him and finding the bundle of sensitive nerves within. He struck the same place repeatedly until Byakuya gave a hard cry of surrender and collapsed against him, his body shuddering uncontrollably as pulses of hot seed erupted from his length and splashed onto their skin. Renji's fingers dug in, where they held his hips in place. The redhead pushed deeply into his captain's hot core and with a growl of intense pleasure, sent his searing release into the noble's body, dragging a final, deep and resoundingly beautiful sobbing cry from Byakuya's lips. He fell on those sweetly flushed and sadly smiling lips, kissing them more softly as their passion-hazed eyes locked and their bodies registered deep, mutual satedness.

"I love you Captain," Renji whispered, nipping at his earlobe.

"Byakuya," the noble whispered back, "I won't have my lover calling me by my military designation."

"Except at work, ne?" Renji joked.

He felt Byakuya stiffen slightly and a jolt of realization passed through him that their division, along with all of the others might not exist, they might never go home, and even if they did, it would be a long time…or maybe they would never again sit in that office, drinking hot tea and doing paperwork, talking about schedules and stealing quiet glances at each other. All that they knew was being swept away, and there were no promises they could honestly make to each other for the future. But they could comfort and love each other. That hadn't been taken away from them yet. So Renji held Byakuya against him, his length still buried in the noble's body and gave his lover what he needed the most.

"Byakuya," he whispered, kissing the noble's white throat, "I love you, Byakuya."

He felt the tension go out of his captain's body and Byakuya went quiet and still in his arms, his eyes closed and his body wrapped in Renji's comforting strength.

"Arigato," the noble replied in a weary, but grateful tone, "I love you too, Renji."

The redhead held Byakuya against him and remained awake, even as Byakuya slept peacefully in his arms. It was inexplicably sad to him that they were in a place where morning could never come, where natural sunlight would never shine, but he pushed that aside and focused on the beauty he held in his arms, the love that continued its soft echoes between them, the promise in their touches and kisses, and the solemn hope they pinned on something so fragile as chance.

He wondered what would happen next, who had survived and what Aizen's plans would be for dealing with them. He wasn't sure how, or even if there was a way to fight him, now that he had overcome the Gotei 13. He wondered then if Aizen had reached the spirit dimension and if the king was alive or dead. He had always thought that somehow they would know if the king fell, but there was only darkness and silence in the cave, and a deep uncertainty in the redhead's heart. So he held on to what was certain. He held on tightly as Byakuya slept, and comforted him with kisses and gentle touches and words when the noble moaned and shivered, gripped in the clutches of some kind of nightmare. But the nightmare became all too real when Byakuya's eyes opened wide in panic, and he hissed a sharp command to Renji as they reclaimed their clothes and dashed out of their small haven and back into the darkness of reality.

They heard a hissing flash step as Yoruichi Shihoin appeared in front of them. Her presence sent new hope through the small group of survivors, but her quick warning snapped them into instant action.

"Come with me quickly!" she called to them, "We have to get out of here now! He's coming!"