Hi everyone, I'm *so very sorry* for uploading the wrong 1st chapter. Really. Here's a faster-than-planned update in lieu of apology Me, I'm all thumbs sometimes. I promise to be more careful with all those buttons.
Chapter 3 – Strategy and tactics
The snow melted, leaving the unpaved areas of Seireitei a muddy morasse. Kuchiki-taichou picked his way through puddles and ice of the paved streets with quiet resignation. He'd change his wet shoes and socks once he got to the office.
A movement to his right caught his attention – a familiar streak of red and black. Renji.
Renji was not only up and about at this early hour, he was…running. A group of divisional recruits followed in his wake, their hakama hiked up and bound, legs wet and muddied well past their knees. He briefly wondered whatever possessed his fukutaichou to carry out outdoor exercise while it was still practically dark outside, yet that question was only a surface query. It disguised a deeper, more troublesome aspect of what he witnessed. Something was off about Renji. Something…recent. Before he could refocus on the object of his scrutiny, the group of runners turned the corner and disappeared.
Renji looked a sight and he knew it. He knew he was late. His knuckles grazed the wood of the office door as he let his reiatsu flare a bit to announce his presence.
"Come in, Abarai." His captain's eyes lifted from his writing, scrutinizing Renji for that single, out-of-place feature he noticed earlier that morning. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, though – everything was off. Renji was splattered with mud up to his kosode, his wet hakama clung to his thighs, his chest was smeared with wetness of indeterminate origin and his hair was up, bound by a mud-splattered rag. The expression on his face was one of exceptional satisfaction.
"Good morning, taichou."
"You're late."
"Yes, I am, taichou." Renji stepped inside the office and closed the door. "I took the unit for morning exercises before breakfast today and we broke into some calisthenics afterward. They were all crazy with cabin fever, taichou. I figured with this mud, if everyone gets dirty training first thing in the morning they'll have a chance to clean up and change before work."
"But you didn't clean up and change, Abarai."
"Sorry, taichou. I tried to pick up breakfast at the cafeteria and the line was so long, I let the unit go first. Then they ran out of food. I should have just headed for the bath house." Renji shrugged. "It's not gonna kill me."
A Hell butterfly landed on Byakuya's desk. Renji listened to the message.
"There's an emergency captain's meeting, Abarai. I have to go." He looked him up and down. "If you go to my captain's quarters, you'll find dry tabi in the chest. My uniforms are unlikely to fit you. Unfortunately that's all I can offer you until I get back."
"Thank you, taichou." Renji's face lit up with a genuine, grateful smile and his eyes caught the grey of his captain's for a brief moment before Byakuya turned, only a stir of air marking his passing.
That man. Byakuya was livid with himself. Excruciating, exasperating, stubborn, messy, childish… His string of mental invectives only served to suppress the wild, happy feeling at seeing Renji's wet uniform cling to his wet body, a smudge of dirt streaked up his jawline. The mud. Byakuya found the look of mud disturbingly arousing.
Renji's happy grin reminded him of other times he saw that careless expression. Renji skateboarding. Renji cheating at cards. Renji with a glass of cognac in his hands, his eyes closing in delight at that dark, chocolate mousse…
Abarai is developing a relationship with somebody else. It's just as well. There is no need to complicate matters.
Yet the thought of Renji with Ayasegawa-san hardened Byakuya's gaze and set his jaw tight, so much so that his blustery arrival to the captains' meeting hall drew veiled interest. Unohana kept gently smiling. Ukitake glanced at Kyoraku, who raised his eyebrow. Kenpachi grinned. Whatever riled Kuchiki Byakuya's composure must have made a fine story indeed.
Unohana-taichou presided over the meeting with Yamamoto-soutaicho's blessing, advising captains on the measures adopted to keep the troops clean, dry, and healthy.
"Especially with the younger recruits who do are not able to control their body temperature using their reiatsu, illness can develop if the body is kept wet and cold. Therefore…" Byakuya tuned her out, his thoughts meandering back to the wet, wild, mud-splattered spectacle of Abarai Renji.
XXXXXXX
Byakuya never knocked on his own office door. As he was removing his wet wooden geta which so efficiently kept his last dry pair of tabi dry, he felt a spike in Renji's reaitsu.
"What did you promise, Renji?"
"I know…look, this is an exceptional situation."
"You said you'd obey me. I don't see you obeying me now."
Voices grew hushed for a bit. Byakuya strained his ears.
"If you don't do as I say I'm cutting you off, Renji."
A loud sigh followed, then heavy silence. "I am sorry, Yumichika."
Byakuya allowed his reiatsu to flare with an icy blast as he walked through the door. The two men at Renji's desk startled. Yumichika Ayasegawa stood behind Renji, his hands on Renji's hair. The red, silken tresses were down as Yumichika finished braiding the sides, catching the thin plaits back in a length of black silk ribbon.
"I will thank you for not harassing my fukutaichou during office hours, Ayasegawa-san." Byakuya's voice came out colder, harder than he intended and his reiatsu filled the room with heavy, aggressive pressure.
"My apologies, Kuchiki-taichou. I just came to deliver these completed mission reports." Yumichika picked up a bound stack of paper off Renji's desk and glided over to Byakuya, placing them in his hands with a discrete bow.
As he was leaving, he shot a look in Renji's direction. "Later, Renji."
Renji's riled, disordered reiatsu warred for space with Byakuya's, each one politely not seeing the distress of the other.
Unreasonable, pompous peacock. Like I could lead exercises in this muck with my hair down. Like I had time to go wash up and change.
Renji seethed. The 13th division sake party was this weekend, and Yumichika wanted him to wear one of his new outfits.
Ye have to get out of your comfort zone, remember?
Zabimaru chuckled in the back of his mind. Renji felt the world was conspired against him. A loud sigh escaped him.
Byakuya slid his glance toward his fukutachou. It pained him to see Renji look so defeated. He wondered why. Although Ayasegawa-san had a good point – Renji was splattered in dry mud, his uniform disordered. He wondered at Renji's chafe at having to obey Ayasegawa. Obey in what way? Was their relationship unhealthy? His fukutaichou should bow to no one.
Having centered himself, his fierce anger receded and jealousy carefully filed away until later, Byakuya turned to the red-haired man.
"If you go bathe and change now, Abarai, you'll still have time for lunch."
He saw Renji lift his head, their eyes carefully not meeting. "Yes, taichou."
"If you come have lunch here in the office, I'll be happy to return the favor from last week."
Now Renji met the wide, grey eyes. The storm seemed to have passed, the clouds in those eyes having warmed up, reminiscent of warm, summer rains.
"Thank you, taichou. I'll be back soon, then."
Byakuya returned to his work, but his gaze strayed. The cherry branches in their humble sake container, perched on the corner of his desk, were in full bloom.
XXXXXXX
By Friday night the streets were almost dry, the snow gone, temperatures back to the cool winter climate maintained at Seireitei this time of the year. Renji obeyed Yumichika to the letter. He went home after work, showered, brushed his hair just so, and donned the green yukata with purple fish. It was a bit loud, but Zabimaru liked it. It felt odd to dress up just to go drinking with friends, but at least he wasn't doing it alone. Both Yumichika and Ikkaku promised to change out of their uniforms so Renji didn't feel too conspicuous.
"You have to actually practice wearing the clothing," Yumichika informed him in no uncertain tone. "The fit isn't the same as our uniforms. The sleeves are wider, the body's more fitted. You have to get the hang of it so you don't dip your sleeves in food and knock cups over." Yumichika spoke like one who knew this from experience, and Renji complied.
"Oooh, nobody told me we're dressing up!" Rangiku pouted her full, lovely lips. "I'll be back in a bit."
"Is she going back to change?" Renji asked, incredulous.
"No doubt. Rangiku will never miss out on an opportunity to get out of her uniform," Kira laughed, his eyes showing sympathy.
"Next thing you'll be dressing up," Shuuhei stuck his elbow in Kira's side.
"I just might," Kira said, his face serious.
Few hours later, Yumichika's laughing violet eyes met Renji's.
"It's time."
"No way…too early." Renji reached for a bottle to refill his cup, and Yumichika was gratified to see that his lessons bore fruit. Renji's sleeve draped with natural grace, his movements fluid. He lifted his cup to his lips in a smooth motion and sipped.
Ikkaku snickered. Yumichika glared at him, then turned his hard eyes at Renji again.
"You promised."
"Yeah yeah I'm obeying already." Just to be contrary, he knocked the rest of the sake back with his old vigor, and grinned.
"What's with you, guys?" Rangiku looked both confused and concerned.
"I need my beauty sleep," Renji said. "It's a heavy price to pay…"
Kira, Shuuhei, and Matsumoto exchanged looks as the three left the inn.
"Something's up," Rangiku said. "I want to know what it is. Anybody wants to come with me?"
XXXXXXX
"I really don't see why we need to go home so soon. It's only midnight." Renji leaned against the stone wall, reticence barely hidden in his deep amber eyes.
"If you lean against the wall in this kosode, you'll fray the silk trim."
"This is a pain in the butt, Yumichika."
"You're quitting already?" Yumichika's voice was taunting, challenging.
"And tomorrow you want me to wear a long kimono to Kyoraku's party. You're nuts. I'll stick out like a sore thumb."
"Renji. I thought our relationship is pretty well established by our mutual agreement."
Renji sighed. He was the recipient of Yumichika's considerable expertise at personal grooming and carriage, his excellent ideas at catching his captain's eye once again, his and Ikkaku's extensive wardrobe and logistical support. He never knew how complicated looking beautiful could be. But all that support came at a heavy price.
"Yes, Yumichika. I promised to obey you." Renji grinned, his sarcastic expression not tainting his submissive tone. He swung a soft fist at Yumichika, who deftly dodged the friendly cuff.
"Off to bed with you, then," Yumichika said, his voice light and cheerful.
"Yes, master."
Byakuya could hardly believe his ears. His reiatsu tightly wound around his center, his nighttime walk took him to the walled garden when he detected the familiar, warm reiatsu of his fukutaichou. And the controlled reiatsu of Ayasegawa-san. He felt the resentment emanating from Renji. Then, the words of submission. Byakuya frowned. He didn't know much about the relationship between his lieutenant and Ayasegawa, but he didn't like the implications of Renji's promise to "obey". This attitude, this relationship could spill over into Abarai Renji's work life. Into Byakuya's life. Not for the first time, Byakuya experienced a pang of regret for having rejected Renji's advances several weeks ago.
He didn't know how to take those words back.
XXXXXXX
Matsumoto Ranjiku walked between Kira and Hisagi, her arms looped through theirs. She enjoyed the warmth of their bodies. They tried their best to be quiet.
"We should sneak up."
"There is no cover."
"Ikkaku already went to his room, though."
Their eyes followed the taller redhead, his hair spilling over the unusually bright, green top. Yumichika walked next to him and event though he reached only up to his shoulders, Yumichika seemed very much in charge.
"I wonder what's going on." Hisagi Shuuhei's voice was dark with worry. Few things would upset him as much as seeing his friends in pain, whether inflicted by the enemy or by themselves and their stupid love triangles.
"They went to Renji's room," Rangiku stated the obvious. "We could eavesdrop."
Hisagi was about to object when Kira's bright blue eyes met his, melancholy replaced by mischief.
"Let's, Shuuhei."
Not long after, the three were huddled on the porch, their heads almost touching the shoji door leading to the courtyard.
"Put it on." Yumichika's voice was encouraging, soothing.
"Awww, c'm on, Yumi. I'll feel like an idiot.
"This part goes here, like this." Yumichika slid a kimono sleeve over Renji's arm. "And this goes here…" The long, elaborate garment settled on Renji's shoulders.
He handed Renji a simple, well-made obi.
"Yeah, and this goes in the middle." Seeing himself in the mirror, he took another appraising look. He liked what he saw. He moved around some. "It doesn't feel as bad as I feared, Yumi."
"See? Nothing wrong with trying something new." A few beats of silence.
"Ow! Yumi, that's too tight!"
"Shh, just align yourself a little better…there…hush. How does this feel?" Yumichika's tone was solicitous, soothing.
"Ahh...yeah, that's totally hot. I never knew you could do shit like that…" Renji turned before the mirror, inspecting himself, his carriage proud, his slim hips and broad shoulders accentuated by the tightly-wound black obi.
"Again?"
"Again." Practice makes perfect, and Yumichika didn't plan on being handy to dress his friend and student every day.
Hisagi tugged on Kira and Rangiku's sleeves. They detached themselves only after some hesitation. When enough distance spanned between them and the building, Kira said.
"What are they into? Bondage?"
"Yumichika is definitely in charge," Rangiku said. "In charge of what, though?"
"I wonder if Ikkaku knows," Shuuhei said mournfully. "Man, this is gonna hit him hard."
The dark, cloaked shadow in the corner of the courtyard heard every word. His displeased expression wasn't quite a frown, his tightly bound reiatsu didn't betray his presence nor his emotions. This is what he wanted…didn't he? Abarai Renji in the hands of another lover, off his hands, off his heels. So why did it feel like something deep inside him was breaking…like tomorrow didn't matter much, like his days were destined to be filled with pain and regret regardless of his actions? A sense of hopelessness infused him. His feet carried him away, not home but through the Seireitei for another one of his sleepless, restless walks. Two hours later, when all decent people were deep asleep, he noticed a light burning in the captain's quarters of the 13th division.
His feet carried him there absently. He knocked on the door frame and it opened, a vision with a halo of mussed, white hair and a smile looking at him with searching, brown eyes.
"Come in, Bya-kun."
Two pairs of arms settled him down into a nest of pillows, hands pressed a small, warm cup into his cold hands.
"Thank you. I just…don't sleep well lately." His eyes were haunted, staring into emptiness.
Ukitake and Kyoraku locked their eyes knowingly.
Kyoraku smiled.