Author's Note: I greatly apologize for letting my life get in the way of my writing. I had two jobs and I was working on a hard MBA class (Damn finance...) and I was so busy that I forgot all about this story. Now that my life has slowed down considerably, I've picked up writing again. I figure that this story will be finished in about two chapters. Thank you for bearing with me, and I apologize for how short this chapter is.
Renji looked up from his book for the millionth time and looked at Byakuya, who hadn't moved. How could he not have moved? It had been, like, a whole minute since he'd looked last! Renji was fidgeting like he was at work right before the tea break. Not that the bath he was in wasn't nice just… watching someone be so still was soooooooo uncomfortable.
Not as uncomfortable as it would be if Byakuya realized that Renji could see him through the little window in the room. It had been placed there so that the bath-taker could see the garden during his bath, but Renji had just the perfect view of Byakuya sitting on the bench reading his book… he wanted to reach down and touch himself… but since the walls were made of paper Byakuya would hear. So… he was antsy.
Byakuya was just beautiful in the midday light! His long black hair hung down his back in a soft cascade, the lighter brown highlights showing only where the sun hit them directly. His white yukata clung to his thin form snugly, showing off his broad shoulders and his thin waist. The soft features of his face, at least what little of it Renji could see from the back, were drawn back in a tiny smile of amusement. Clearly the book he was reading was more entertaining that he'd let on the previous night.
Aww… for Fuck's sake… He slowly lowered one hand into the water and gave himself a gentle stroke. Then another. Then he gripped his hardening dick gently in his hand and started fiddling with the tip. He couldn't let himself be heard, but it felt good to see the handsome figure sitting on the bench enjoying his book. Byakuya never enjoyed doing paperwork with Renji – Kami knows that Renji hated it, too. Seeing his Captain's cheek pulled up in an amused quirk was just…
Shit! With a sudden jerk Renji came into the tub. His hand had progressively increased the friction on his dick until just the thought of Byakuya's smile had sent him over the edge. Man, he had it bad! Fuck, he need to get laid, if he came with just a few quick rubs and a thought about a smile he couldn't fully see.
With a groan he leaned back in the tub far enough to submerge his head. He couldn't be that pathetic, could he?
When Renji came up for air, it was to find a servant in the bathroom. The young man – more a boy if Renji was any judge – had huge eyes that were bugged out and his posture was stiff with surprise.
"Uh… yo," Renji said, raising a peace sign to the startled youth.
The boy managed to regain his composure, but Renji could still feel the smile on his face at the humorous sight. Then the kid bowed and said, "Master sent me. Would you like a massage?"
What? "Uh… no, thanks," Renji said as he started to raise out of the tub, pulling the drain with his toes as he did so. No need for the kid to see a tub full of milky water, even if that one detail was hardly noticeable without knowing what had just happened. Renji grabbed a towel and started drying himself off.
"In that case, Lord Byakuya requests your presence in the garden for tea.
Renji looked down at himself and then back at the kid. "I'll be out in a few minutes."
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"Renji, I'm surprised that you weren't interested in a massage," Byakuya commented as Renji approached the bench where the black haired noble still sat.
Renji shrugged. "I like them, but it was weird hearing a boy offer it," he admitted. "He was a little nervous."
"Ah. Kazuya hasn't learned tact quite yet. He's still new."
Renji felt his eyebrows rise. "You're being awfully nice about it," he said with a smile twitching his lips up. "You're quite a bastard at work, you know."
"I prefer to be nice to nephews of my Head Butler who have only been working here for a week," Byakuya said after a brief hesitation, causing Renji to laugh.
"Who would have thought that you were such a nice guy?" he asked as he sat down next to his boss.
Byakuya's lips seemed to twitch, but the sparkle in his grey eyes only served to prove that he had seen the humor in what Renji had said. "Well, his uncle was the butler here when I was a child, and when nobody else is around he never hesitates to remind me that he paddled my ass when I was a kid and he's not afraid to do it now if he feels it's necessary."
"He must be a formidable man," Renji commented with a grin.
"Yes, he can be… when he's well enough to stand. These days he is mostly retired, running my household from his office a few days every week."
It really was touching to see how much Byakuya cared about his staff. Without thinking Renji put his arm around Byakuya's shoulders and pulled him in. "Oh, just admit it, Captain, you keep him around 'cuz you know you need someone to pummel your ass every now and then. If you don't you turn into a right bitch, and then Rukia comes to me to whine about it. So, I know you keep him around for my sanity."
Byakuya seemed to stare at the hand that was on his shoulder for a moment as Renji spoke before looking Renji dead in the eye. "I do not."
"Oh, yes you do, Captain!" Renji rebutted with a smile. "I know you secretly love me and adore me and think I'm an awesome Vice Captain, but you're too big of a horse's ass to admit it, so you keep your favorite butler around not only because you love him lots, but because you don't want Rukia to hurt me. And I thank you for that."
Byakuya just stared wide-eyed at Renji before he seemed to grit his teeth and sigh. "What is it with you and asses?" he asked, resignation in his voice.
Renji shrugged and gave Byakuya a peck on the cheek before patting the man's back and retreating –using shun-po – out of arm's reach. "I guess I like them… just a bit," he said before he disappeared out of sight.
What… the HELL… had that been about?" Byakuya wondered as his cheeks lit up red like a sunburn.
