Chapter 4: Foxtail
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(Thanks going out to Timewaster123456789 (Will do!), Sariniste (He may have been dead, but Gin is definitely still Gin, and he will have his own ideas about his path form here. He may still be in love with Aizen, but he isn't going to be manipulated without a fight. And you know how Aizen loves a challenge!), Wildwind13 (Gin's got some moxie, and that will be on full display, as well as his game play.), Willow (Got you covered!), SesshomaruFreak (Gin is back and he will be causing all kinds of trouble now!), TheDrunkenWerewolf (Yes, Mayuri is a creep. Unfortunately, Kyoraku seems to favor using bad types when he has to, like using Aizen to combat Ywach. I guess that's why no one's dumped him back in the Maggot's Nest, despite his obvious lack of morals. Ah yes, Gin is in love with Aizen, and that is something that will be present in their dealings, but they have a little clearing the air they have to do! lol. Kisuke isn't going to give up, but you're right that he'll have to change his tactics. And Byakuya will be there, looking sternly at both of them as things progress.), Winterheart2000 (Thanks so much! *is flattered*), PrivateCaller (I'm enjoying it, but I'm having to stretch to get the game play right. I'm not that good at it, myself, I just have observed these characters and learned from them!), Caroline9999 (Here you go!), Aizenfan6969 (Yes, he is!), Tmp3475 (Ah yes, Kisuke will uncover some things, if he can get Tetsuya to open up. That will take time and Aizen, of course, will take advantage if he can.), and Will Hell Minna -Sophia Isobel (Yay, thanks so much for the support!) Enjoy the new chapter! Love to all, Spunky)
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"Give it back, or you'd rather stay dead?" Aizen mused, his reiatsu flickering under the thick bonds, "You truly do have an obsession with that ridiculous woman, don't you? I find it a bit disturbing that the first thing you thought upon being reawakened was wanting something for her. But, you lied to me about killing her, then you tried to kill me for taking that bit of her soul. Not to save Soul Society. Not to do the right thing. You wanted revenge for her! You should be thankful she's not here and close enough for me to reach. I would kill her right now."
Aizen's breath caught at the sly smile that he sensed had risen on Gin's lips.
"Oh, aren't you dangerous," he laughed softly, "Are you jealous, Sosuke?"
"Do you want to die for good this time?" Aizen asked, his eyes blazing under the bonds, "I could make your entire body turn to dust in a moment."
"That's definitely the scary man I remember," Gin said, smirking, "but you don't really have to be jealous of Rangiku. She's only ever been a friend of mine. It's just that I only have one friend, so I'm a little protective."
"Protective enough to kill your lover?" Aizen asked, scowling, "But then, there was never anything but games between us. All of the time, you were simply chasing the way to get that piece of her soul back."
"And all of that time, you were using me to help yourself to evolve," Gin said, his voice dropping into a deadly serious tone, "Did you think I was surprised to see you strike your own last few Espadas down? To see you turn Tosen into a splash of blood on the broken buildings he landed on? I expected you would try to kill me, at some point, too. I only planned to kill you first. Can you really hate me for that? Besides, didn't you say while you were invading my dead body…that you would call it even, if I did?"
"Hmm…but then, your first words went right back to where we left off, didn't they?"
"Well, it's clear you don't have to worry about me betraying and murdering you. You can't die, can you?"
If he hadn't been completely in tune with Aizen's unspoken signals, Gin would have missed the moment of hesitation. He carefully feigned unawareness and looked down at their still joined bodies.
"I wonder what game you want to play now, Sosuke," he sighed, looking pensive for a moment.
But he brightened quickly.
"Everything is on the table, isn't it?" he mused, "And if you want to call it even, then I will also…with one caveat."
Aizen's lips curled slightly and Gin could sense the fire in the man's eyes that he couldn't see through the bindings.
"Give it back."
He was sure he heard a little snarl escape Aizen, and his smile widened again.
"Give that piece of her soul back, and I will be happy not to ever try to kill you again."
"Ah, well, that would work better for me if you were in a position to actually kill me…ever," he said, recovering his own smirk.
He made a sound of surprise as Gin's lips sought his amorously. Even more surprising was how easy it was to return the silver-haired man's kiss. Gin's hips moved provocatively, setting off a second, and much more delicious exchange of frenzied thrusts and tantalizing moans between the two.
"You are so much better at this when you are alive," Aizen teased, "I'm almost tempted to forgive you for your shameless fixation on that woman, and not kill you again."
"Almost?" Gin repeated, writhing even more sensuously, "Come now, Sosuke, you can't still be holding a grudge. I like Rangiku. She is my only friend. I'm not sleeping with her. I just want to give back to her what you took. You know that if you hadn't stolen that piece of her soul, she would have achieved bankai. I would so much like to see Heineko's true form. I don't understand why you would need to hang on to that piece of her. If she's as ridiculous and useless as you say, then why?"
Gin felt a sharp rise in the reiatsu around him and sensed too late the line he had stepped over. He wrapped his arms tightly around Aizen's bound body, pressing his cheek to the prisoner's and closing his eyes as they climaxed together.
"I like Rangiku, but you are the one I love," he whispered, flinching at the angry sting on his skin that Aizen's anger caused, "If you think I'm shamelessly devoted to her, then just imagine what lengths I would go to for the man I love…"
A throb of intense fear radiated suddenly through the length of Gin's body as Aizen's power wrapped around him, and he was sure that the man joined with him had simply reached the ends of his tolerance and was about to carry through on his threat to vaporize him, then and there. But, although he felt some kind of change in his body, he knew he still lived and breathed. Something wrapped around his throat and he grabbed at it, sure that he was about to be strangled by whatever it was.
He blinked in surprise and stared down at the stunning red pendant that hung on a silver chain around his neck.
"What is this?" he asked, tilting his head to look more closely.
His heart skipped painfully in his chest as he felt the familiar touch of Rangiku's friendly reiatsu.
"It is what you asked me for," Aizen said calmly, "You were so insistent, I didn't feel we were going to get anywhere with that in between us. So…"
"So, what is the catch," Gin said, his lips unsmiling.
"The catch," Aizen said, smirking again, "is that you will not be able to give that back to her until you carry out a task for me."
Gin breathed out a huff of air through his nose and his frown deepened.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked skeptically, "I do hope it's nothing too boring. I've got things to do, now that I'm alive."
"Of course," Aizen agreed smoothly, "I understand. After experiencing death, you want to fully enjoy being alive again. And so, you will. But…I want you to join me in renewing my efforts to reach the royal realm."
Gin gave him a measured look.
"Still focused on that, eh?" he sighed, "Really, Sosuke…you already know that you need the king's key to get into the royal realm. You couldn't make it last time. What makes you think you'll have any more success this time? I'm sure if Ichigo beat you once, he can beat you again."
Aizen laughed softly.
"You missed a few things while you were dead," he commented.
"So, it seems," Gin agreed, "What's the story now? The king is worse than the prisoner in a crystal prison that he was before?"
Aizen's smile became wicked, and his eyes gleamed.
"I sensed his death," he whispered, "while I was briefly freed to assist the shinigamis in killing the quincy king, Ywach."
"Ywach," Gin repeated, "Oh, I remember us going to see him. I didn't like him at all!"
"It's all right," Aizen purred, "He's dead too."
"Good."
"If I understand the situation correctly, I imagine that Squad Zero has harnessed the power of his body, and they are using that to maintain the balance."
"Good heavens," Gin mused, "that's worse than the barely living king we had before. I don't like that a bit. I mean, who's running things now? Central 46? The ones who gave me to that Kurotsuchi bastard to play with?"
"I thought you might be willing when you learned that," Aizen chuckled, "I don't know about you, but I think that those lying noble lords need the firm hand of a king who can actually lead them. Wouldn't you agree, Gin?"
Gin took a deep breath and released it slowly, sliding off Aizen's lap and stepping back, carefully out of the man's range.
"I'll have to think about that, for a bit," he said, the edges of his lips curving upward, "After all, I'm not transcendent like you. The hogyoku isn't protecting me, like it protects you. If I help you, you're just going to kill me, at some point, when I'm done being useful to you."
"Wrong," Aizen replied, making Gin stiffen and stare at him in silent wonder, "When I gave you that pendant, I also bound your soul to mine. You must have felt it, didn't you?"
Gin stared back at him, wordlessly.
"Your fate and mine are entwined. What one suffers, the other will suffer as well. It seems the only way to ensure we both keep up our end of the bargain we make, ne Gin?"
"But even if you can't kill me, someone else could, couldn't they?" Gin countered, "I know you would never leave yourself so vulnerable."
"I'm not so vulnerable as you think," Aizen said slyly, "because with the hogyoku, I have made you transcendent also. There are still some things that can kill us, but those are few and far between. Ichigo is certainly one, although he probably wouldn't unless we directly threatened his family or friends."
"I'd rather not, if you don't mind," Gin said, smirking, "I sort of like Ichigo."
"Don't tell me you're going to have another friend you want to protect," Aizen said dryly.
"But you seemed to like him too," Gin pointed out.
"So I do. But we will have to be careful of him. Squad Zero could prove troublesome, and of course, in the royal realm, there are some spirit demons with sufficient chaotic reiatsu to be a danger. But mostly, we shouldn't be troubled with threats of death, at least not until we reach the royal realm."
"And how do you plan to get in? Are you going to make a key?"
"No. I don't need to make one. I know where to find one."
"Oh, is that right?" Gin asked, beaming, "Where would that be?"
"I think I'll just keep that to myself, for now," Aizen chuckled, "Release me, and we'll go right now to get it. You do want to give back that piece of Rangiku's soul as soon as possible, right? And I know that you entered my cell without using the guarded door, so you must have a way out, ne?"
"I do," Gin said, grinning, "See, Kurotsuchi wanted his dead Gin toy to be efficient at moving around without being seen, so he programmed in all of the secret tunnels here. I can get in or out at any time. He never expected me to come to life, so I can go where I want."
"We should go then, preferably before the next guard change. The ones coming on are cowardly, but they enjoy tormenting me from a distance."
"How rude," Gin mused, rubbing his chin, "I do so hate the idea of someone helplessly being used against his will."
Aizen laughed softly.
"Well, in all fairness, you were dead, so you didn't have a will. And it was Kurotsuchi who turned you into a zombie and abused you. I brought you back to life."
"By invading my body, for whatever reason, without asking," Gin reminded him, tilting his head slightly, "You were pretty brutish, yourself. Besides, someone like you doesn't need the likes of me to escape. I'm ready to bet my new life that you can get out, now that I'm giving you some real incentive."
"Gin…" Aizen growled.
Gin laughed and removed the keys from the locking mechanism, then he looked back at Aizen's fully bound body.
"Goodbye for now, Sosuke," he giggled, "Don't keep me waiting too long, okay?"
Oddly, despite the chaotic fury that radiated all around the bound man, he couldn't quite suppress a smile as he heard Gin's footsteps fade into the distance.
Well played, my sly little fox. And you were right. I do have a way to escape. I will see you soon, Gin.
He bristled as he heard the guarded door to his cell open, and the footsteps of several men approached.
What a nuisance. But, there is always the chance that one of these foolish ones will come too close.
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Tetsuya crossed Kuchiki Manor gardens, heading up, onto the wooden walkway, where he paused in the doorway to Byakuya's study and bowed respectfully.
"Byakuya-sama, you…"
He paused, blinking in surprise at finding Byakuya absent, and the Karakura shopkeeper kneeling on a pillow in front of his cousin's table.
"Oh, Urahara-san, I thought that my cousin called me to report here."
"He did," Kisuke said, smiling at Tetsuya's confused expression, "Byakuya-san and Renji had to go pretty suddenly to see Kyoraku sotaicho, so your cousin asked me to accompany you to Central 46 for Aizen's next health check. I'll be taking notes on Aizen's condition, and Byakuya-san wants you to heal any injuries after they're documented."
"I see," Tetsuya replied, looking down at the floor and shifting uncomfortably, "Very well. Arashi is outside. We can leave now, if you wish."
Kisuke paused, studying the younger man's conflicted expression briefly before continuing.
"Tetsuya-san, maybe it would be good for the two of us to talk a little, before we leave," he suggested, "Will you come and sit down for a minute?"
Tetsuya hesitated for a moment, then nodded and moved to join the shopkeeper at Byakuya's table.
"Koji," Tetsuya intoned softly, "will you bring tea for two to Byakuya-sama's study?"
A young man with short black hair and friendly green eyes appeared in the study doorway.
"I will be right back with that, Tetsuya-san," he answered.
"Thank you, Koji."
Tetsuya turned his attention back to the waiting shopkeeper. He bit his lip gently, blushing as he spoke.
"I owe Urahara-san an apology for my rudeness at the waterfall. I was just…surprised by you, and I reacted improperly to your questions."
"Well," Kisuke said, his smile brightening, "I wasn't exactly being polite, myself. I should apologize to you for my rudeness. I shouldn't be butting into your private business."
A guilty look overtook Tetsuya's face, earning him a curious look from Kisuke.
"I have to admit," Tetsuya confessed, "it is because of my capacity here, as Byakuya-sama's head of house security that I know more than the average person, about Urahara-san and his…activities as a scientist in Karakura Town. Although I rarely leave Soul society to travel to the living world, I am briefed on everything that crosses Byakuya-sama's desk, and I am one of the sources he uses for gathering information. In short, I saw notes on the research you did on the vizard taichos when Aizen Sosuke corrupted them. I know that your intention, then, as it usually is, was to help them."
Tetsuya paused and took an uneasy breath, but he let it out again as Kisuke laid a warm hand on his.
"It's okay," Kisuke assured him, "So, you know that I step over the lines of propriety at times, and that bothers you. It's okay to say that to me. I happen to be pretty comfortable with people not always agreeing with my methods. It's not important for us to agree on that."
"It's not?" Tetsuya mused, giving him an uncertain look.
"No," Kisuke assured him, "You can dislike what I do. What I don't want you to do is to be worried that I will do something hurtful to you, or to the people you care about. Because, that's really what's making you uncomfortable, isn't it? You were held in a prison, and awful things were done to you and to people you cared about, by scientists who knew that they did not have to answer for any damage they did, ne?"
Tetsuya took a little breath and nodded, relaxing slightly.
"I think if you look a little differently at the two, you'll see that I may use some unsavory methods, at times, but I only do so when there is no other way to solve extremely big problems, like…how to avoid Central 46 killing the taichos that Aizen infected and hollowfied, how to stop surviving bounts from destroying the Seireitei or how to stop an Aizen or a Ywach from taking over. You see, I do step over lines, but I try to stay within them as much as I can. And I swear to you that I will never lay a hand on you without your consent, or if you are too injured, your cousin's. I want you to feel safe when you are with me, and right now, you look at me like I'm a threat."
"I don't mean to," Tetsuya, "I just feel a little strange when I'm near you."
Kisuke's smile warmed and his eyes softened.
"Well, I have a feeling that what you and I are being affected by…is some pretty strong resonance."
Tetsuya looked ready to object, but at that moment, Koji entered the room, bearing the tea tray. He set it on the desk and poured out the tea, his green eyes taking quick note of the slightly flustered look on his master's face, and the smile on the Karakura shopkeeper's.
"Thank you, Koji," Tetsuya said quietly, "That will be all."
He waited as his attendant left the room, then he turned his attention back to Kisuke.
"Urahara-san," he said, forcing calm into his voice, "what exactly do you want from me?"
"Ah," Kisuke said, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, "how about we start by being friends? You know, you call me Kisuke and I'll call you Tetsuya."
"I…I don't know…" Tetsuya stammered, blushing more brightly, "I…"
"It's easy," Kisuke laughed, "Try it. Hello, Kisuke."
The two looked up as Byakuya appeared in the doorway with Renji at his side. The Kuchiki leader's dark eyes took in the shopkeeper's smile and the flustered look on his cousin's face and his reiatsu thickened noticeably.
"Urahara Kisuke, were you and Tetsuya not supposed to go to Central 46 to see to Aizen's health check?"
Tetsuya gave Byakuya a helpless look and Kisuke smiled and shrugged.
"We got delayed," he explained, "I've never worked with Tetsuya alone, and I wanted to get to know him before going into Aizen's cell with him. I mean, you must also think it's important that I know your cousin well enough that I would be able to recognize if Aizen starts playing with Tetsuya, while your cousin is healing him, right?"
"Well, as we have returned early, I will just accompany Tetsuya, myself."
"You don't want a little backup, Taicho?" Renji asked, flinching at the stern look the noble gave him in reply.
Kisuke nodded in agreement with the redhead.
"It's probably advisable to have someone hang back a little and observe," he suggested, "and you did ask me here to assist you with this particular task."
"Hmm," Byakuya mused, frowning and glancing at Tetsuya, who looked quietly down at his folded hands, "Tetsuya, what would you prefer? Do you wish to go with me alone, with Renji, or with…him?"
Tetsuya paused, thinking carefully, then met Byakuya's eyes squarely.
"I think we are safer with Urahara-san there," he answered, glancing at the shopkeeper.
Renji cleared his throat and nodded.
"I'll uh, just go back to headquarters and wait for your there, okay, Taicho? I'll have dinner waiting."
"Very well. Thank you, Renji."
Byakuya watched his fukutaicho leave, then headed towards the garden doors, with Tetsuya and Kisuke following.
"Hey," Kisuke said under his breath, "Tetsuya, thanks for the vote of confidence."
"You are welcome."
"But, can you just call me Kisuke?"
"No," Tetsuya whispered, "You are my elder by a bit, and I know that look my cousin was giving me. Byakuya-sama wouldn't like it."
"Ouch," Kisuke snickered, "Okay."
He bit his lip to hide a smile as Byakuya looked back at the two of them, then continued on to where Tetsuya's stallion stood waiting.
