A/N: Well, this is the last of it. Sorry for the delay. Let me know what you think, reviews always inspire me. Thanks, Mia, for beta-ing this for me :D

Kuchiki Byakuya sat perched in a tree, rough bark pressing uncomfortably into his spine. From his vantage point, he looked over Seireitei, searching for that elusive flash of red.

The night had started with the noble being awoken by the disappearance of Abarai's reiatsu, the normal indication that the redhead was readying for bed. However, the odd nagging feeling that the captain used to track the younger shinigami never manifested. Worried, Kuchiki threw back his covers and quickly dressed. He was still pulling on his haori as the he left the room. There was no time for the kenseikan, nor for the heirloom scarf he normally took everywhere with him.

Without wasting time, the captain flash stepped to the last place he had felt Abarai's reiatsu. Unsurprisingly, he found himself outside Abarai's quarters in the Sixth Division barracks.

There was no answer when Kuchiki knocked.

Carefully, he tried the handle, not surprised to find it unlocked. He pushed the door open and peeked inside. The room was cluttered, but empty. The captain stepped into the small room.

A single bed, unmade, sat packed in one corner, leaving the rest of the room open. There was a cushion in the middle of the floor that looked like it had seen much better days. Judging by the marks on the walls, the captain assumed that this was where Abarai communicated with Zabimaru. Finished with his cursory glance around to room to make sure it was empty, the captain took a deep breath.

It smelled like him.

Kuchiki put that thought away and focused on the lingering reiatsu in the room. Abarai's energy seemed permanently pressed into the walls. Even so, the captain could feel that it was faded. It had been some time since the vice-captain was in this room.

Looking again around the room, the noble found himself surrounded by his essence, from the beaten pillow to a basket full of multi-colored bandanas. Everything fit his personality so simply, the captain felt unwelcome. There was no place for the noble in this tiny space. He felt intrusive, like he had stumbled upon something secret and personal.

As he turned to leave, something caught his eye.

Taped to the back of the door was a photograph. In it, Abarai was standing behind the captain, an arm thrown over his shoulder. The noble was looking at the camera with a faintly annoyed expression, one eyebrow raised inquisitively. Behind them, the sky was gloomy and dark. Kuchiki moved to look closer at the picture. There was a faint blush high on the younger shinigami's cheeks, though his huge smile was genuine.

Byakuya reached out to touch the photograph. Here was something that made him feel like he had a place in Abarai's world. As he stared at the photograph, that day bubbled to the forefront of his mind.

All morning, Abarai had been strangely jumpy and distant. The captain understood, having woken up wrapped in his arms that morning. It had been a unique experience, one that was all together not unpleasant. The noble couldn't remember the last time he had awoken so warm and comfortable. However, there were two sides to the situation. Out of courtesy, Kuchiki kicked the other man and feigned sleep when he woke, disoriented and confused, letting him make his own decisions. The noble watched through his eyelashes as acknowledgement dawned on the redhead's face, replacing the drowsy look of sleep. It took all the self-control he possessed not to react as the vice-captain fell from the bed in shock. The captain rolled over and pressed his face into the pillow that Abarai had been monopolizing to hide a smile, only to be assaulted by his unique scent. Shortly after Abarai had returned to his own bed, Kuchiki got up and began preparation for the day.

That picture marked the first time the two had even gotten close that day.

"Taicho! Say cheese!" was all the warning the captain got before Abarai had snaked both arms around his shoulders, one hand holding the camera, and pressed himself against the shorter man's back.

With the amount of surprise that full body contact had induced, the captain was glad that it only came across as faint annoyance in the photograph.

Kuchiki dropped his hand just before touching the picture. As quickly as he came, he left, nothing but the faintest hint of sakura to show he was ever there.

Leaving the Sixth Division barracks, the captain began a systematic search of Seireitei. He stopped random shinigami, asking after Abarai. Time after time, they shook their heads and offered their apologies.

That brought the noble to where he was, high in a tree. In all of Seireitei, there was not a trace of Abarai's reiatsu, nor a soul who had seen him since the sun had set. Kuchiki turned, looking out over the wall. That was the only other place he could be.

Dropping from the tree, the captain started for the nearest gate. Once outside, he headed for the river, but something told him that the redhead wasn't there. He pressed on anyway.

Kuchiki stopped at the edge of the river where he had first found the sleepwalker. Already, the captain was panting. Disregarding that, he began flash stepping down the bank, searching both sides of the river for any sign of his vice-captain.

As he ran, a feeling like a punch in the stomach made him stagger to a stop. The captain doubled over, holding his stomach, and tried to catch his breath. He looked around for his attacker, before realizing that the knot of pain deep in his stomach was the same feeling of unease that he was used to, only multiplied.

That was new. Having that uncomfortable feeling so concentrated, it was hard for the captain to focus for a second. It set off so many alarm bells.

The captain began running again, pushing himself faster. Branches cut into his face and neck as he ran, but he didn't notice. He no longer followed the path of the river, instead forging his own path through the forest. Panic blinded him, his feet falling only in accordance to the pain in his chest. He had to find his fukutaicho. That single thought propelled him forward.

He ran, not paying any attention to where he was. The trees passed by in blurs. He didn't mind the grays, browns, and greens. He was chasing that fiery red that had eluded him all night.

When the trees stopped, so did the noble. He skidded on gravel and looked around.

A huge lake spread out before him, the rocky shore coming almost right to the tree line. The surface was calm, dark waters reflecting the waning moon a thousand times over. An old pier extended to the middle of the lake, almost reaching where the moon was in the water. As soon as the captain saw it, he began flash stepping again, ignoring his irregular breathing pattern.

There, at the end of the pier, was the shadowy figure of Abarai, shirtless with his red hair billowing in the wind.

As the captain turned onto the seemingly endless dock, he called out, trying to awaken the other man. The redhead looked up, his back to the water. However, no voice could wake him, only turning for the night wind. A smile spread across his face and he lifted his arms.

"RENJI!" The captain called desperately as the younger shinigami fell backwards into the water.

Byakuya didn't know if time slowed down, or if his ability to process what he saw simply sped up, but to him it took ages for the redhead to reach the water. His face was so peaceful, as if he had found what he was looking for in the water's cold grasp at last.

The splash he made sounded so final.

Still running, the captain shed his haori. Reaching the end of the dock just as the water stilled over where Renji disappeared, he didn't hesitate and dived in after him.

It took everything the captain had not to gasp as he hit the water. Instantly, his muscles and even his bones began to ache in the cold. He opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Still, he swam deeper. Just as his lungs began to burn, there was a shadow in the murky water and just the faintest hint of crimson. Renewed, the captain dived after the figure.

Renji's face was slack; bubbles escaping his nose as he slowly sank. Byakuya reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him up. He wrapped an arm around the larger man's waist and began kicking for the surface.

The noble had no idea how long they had been underwater, but by the time they made it to the surface, his lungs felt like they were made of lead. Gasping for air, he began swimming for the shore, trying desperately to keep Renji's head above water.

This man could literally sleep through anything.

What seemed like eons but could have only been moments past. Finally, the captain dragged the larger man onto the shore. Renji's legs were still in the water, but Byakuya could not summon the strength to do anything about it. The redhead was heavy enough without being soaking wet. The wind kicked up, making both men shiver. Byakuya stared at the prone body of his fukutaicho for a moment, his mind completely blank. Then his emergency training kicked in and the captain lost himself in the procedures.

Renji wasn't breathing, that much was obvious.

Carefully, the noble tilted Renji's head back, clamping his nose shut. He closed his eyes as he sealed his lips over the open mouth of his vice-captain, breathing out. Pulling away, he watched Renji's chest, checking to see if he was breathing on his own.

The well-muscled chest did not move.

Again he repeated the process, searching for any signs of life.

"Renji, don't you dare die on me," the captain ordered, slapping his face, trying to wake him. He pressed an ear against his cold chest, listening for a heartbeat. Finding it, weak and quiet, Byakuya started another round of CPR.

As their mouths met again, Byakuya felt the younger shinigami begin to stir. As he breathed out, he could feel the other man breath in. When he pulled away, Renji's eyes were cloudy, but open. A hand fisted itself in the captain's kosode, pulling him down.

Renji pressed his lips against Byakuya's for only an instant before rolling over and coughing up water.

Shocked, the captain simply rubbed his back as spasms shook Renji's body as it rejected the water he had swallowed. Eventually the violent coughing subsided and Abarai rolled onto his back, gasping.

The noble felt drained, the adrenaline that had kept him moving finally running out in face of such major relief. He leaned over the younger shinigami, bracing his hands on either side of his head.

A drop of water slid down his nose and dripped onto Renji's face.

"Are you okay?" Byakuya asked, his voice cracking. The redhead nodded slowly.

The noble sighed in relief, his arms giving out. He laid his head against Renji's chest, comforted by the contact.

"Good," He murmured as his eyes closed against his will. "You can't leave me. I don't want you to go." He breathed in, practically tasting the cold in the air, and sighed, asleep.

Byakuya woke up warm with the feel of long fingers trailing through his hair. For a moment, he was disoriented. The feel of the coarse sheets and western style bed beneath him was foreign. The hands in his hair were gentle, coaxing out tangles and teasing his scalp. The captain tensed up for a moment in the unfamiliar situation before he realized why it felt so warm.

The entire room was filled with Renji's reiatsu.

The noble slowly opened his eyes. The room he was in had become familiar in the past few months. He was lying in Renji's bed, the ceiling above him as scarred as the walls. Long fingers continued to wind themselves through his hair. Byakuya sighed in contentment. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Renji sitting at the bedside.

The vice-captain stared at the far wall, his face peaceful. His long hair spilled down over his shoulders, contrasting with the dark t-shirt he was wearing. He was humming a faintly familiar tune, one the captain remembered from his childhood.

Byakuya turned his head to get a better look. The redhead jumped, falling silent and removing his hand from his captain's hair.

His scalp prickled at the loss of contact.

There was a blush high on Renji's cheeks. The vice-captain looked awkwardly at his hands folded in his lap. He looked comically oversized sitting in a small fold out chair.

"Taicho!" He said, his voice jumping oddly. He cleared his throat and continued. "How do you feel?" He continued staring at his fidgeting hands. He looked up suddenly when the captain reached out and placed a thin hand on a tattooed arm.

"I am fine, Renji, just tired. Help me sit up."

The blush on the redhead's face deepened, spreading to the tips of his ears, but he still stood to obey. He slipped an arm around Byakuya's shoulders and carefully maneuvered him into a sitting position. The captain flinched as his muscles stretched painfully.

"Are you okay?" he asked again, nervous. The noble fought to keep his mask in place.

"Yes, Abarai. I assure you I am feeling whole and well." The captain looked down to find he was dressed in an oversized yukata. "Did you change my clothes?"

Renji's face turned roughly the same color as his hair. For a moment, his mouth opened and closed like a fish before he finally found his voice.

"I made tea," the younger shinigami stated before disappearing behind a small divider. "It's not the stuff you're used to, but it's warm." He returned carrying two chipped cups. He handed one to the captain and perched lightly on the edge of the bed.

A long silence descended as they sipped their tea. The noble thought of saying something first, but simply returned to his tea.

Renji had something to say. He could see it in his eyes. The captain knew that if he said something that the burning in his vice-captain's eyes would fade as he hid behind a different conversation. The only way he would hear what was on the younger shinigami's was if he waited patiently for him to begin speaking.

He didn't have to wait long.

The redhead looked up from his tea, meeting his captain's gray eyes bravely.

"How long have you known?"

The captain smiled into his cup. No beating around the bush, right to the point. Subtle as a brick to the face. He toyed with the idea of skirting the question. Meeting the taller shinigami's shining brown eyes, he decided against it.

"A few months." Byakuya calmly sipped his tea as his vice-captain processed that. He expected anger, frustration, anything but the defeat that appeared on the tattooed face.

Renji rubbed his neck awkwardly. "So, you're the reason I stopped getting reports from Unohana-taicho."

The captain nodded. He did not elaborate on how often he had dragged the sleeping man back to this room. He did not explain the feeling that kept him from sleeping until the vice-captain was safely back in bed. He did not say anything about the feeling that went beyond duty that kept him so close to the other man. In fact, he decided as he drank the slightly bitter tea that he wouldn't say anything unless the redhead specifically asked.

"How did you find me tonight?"

"The same way I found you every night before that." The noble looked up just in time to see the look of confusion cross the redhead's face.

"Every night?" He asked, incredulous. "You mean you, personally, tracked me down every night?"

Byakuya nodded again, waiting in silence for the next question. He finished his tea and looked around to find a place to set the empty cup. Renji took it from him, their hands grazing, and set both cups into the recently abandoned chair.

"Wow," Renji said, turning back and looking at his hands. "And to think I thought that I had been keeping it such a good secret."

The dark-haired shinigami reached out and placed a thin hand on a tattooed forearm, deciding to ask a question of his own.

"What do you dream of that makes you wander so far?"

The vice-captain looked up, wide eyed. Something deep in his auburn eyes hardened. The look of resolve was tempered by the blush developing on his face.

"What did I dream of?" He asked himself, shifting on the bed and moving closer to the older man. "I dreamed of the real world. I dreamed of moon kissed waters and impossibly vibrant coral. I dreamed of fire and ashes, oil and porcelain."

Renji reached out and treaded his hand through his captain's hair.

"I dreamed of you."

Byakuya couldn't process anything as the redhead leaned forward and covered his lips with his own. The feel of his soft skin shattered the finely made noble's mask. The older man wound both of his hands into the fiery locks they had itched to touch and pulled the other man closer.

The captain felt as if he was underwater again, this time drenched in fire. They breathed each other in, fashioning air from a wish. He clung to the larger man like a life raft in the middle of the storm. He didn't pay attention to anything that was around him, they might as well be back in those dark depths. All that mattered was the feel of Renji's body over his own and the sweet kisses passed between them as if one kiss could save the world.