Chapter 4: Speechless

"Aishiteru yo, Taicho."

Byakuya stared in surprise as Renji's words washed over him with the dizzying force of a warm summer storm. The words broke across his heart and warmed him from end to end, and suddenly, all he wanted to do was to bury himself in the sweet, wonderful mouth that said such things to him. But, he reminded himself dutifully, Renji wasn't awake. The words might well reflect what was in his heart, but that didn't mean that he was ready to go blundering forward heedlessly.

It was Byakuya's way, in any case, to proceed with careful steps, testing the water before sinking in, and this instinct took over as Renji's sleep deepened again and Byakuya lifted himself away, pulling back to explore in more detail, the gift that had been set before him.

He smoothed the lengths of red hair and admired the way his face looked in the early morning half-light, relaxed in sleep and looking as though he must be dreaming. And he wondered what he was dreaming about that would make him wear that sweet half smile. Renji's smile was infectious. He made everyone smile more. He lifted the melancholy that seemed so often to set itself on Byakuya's heart and made it challenging indeed to look stoic and indifferent. Renji's smile seemed to make him want to smile. And here, in the semi-darkness of early morning, he gave in to the desire.

He gazed down at his smiling, slumbering fukutaicho and admired anew the attractiveness of the gold yukata, set against his brown skin. His eyes followed the patterns of black tattoos on Renji's forehead and the back and sides of his neck until they disappeared beneath the yukata. And after a few minutes of indecision, he reached for the tie at his sleeping fukutaicho's waist. Renji's eyes opened and Byakuya hesitated, meeting the brown eyes questioningly. But the look Renji gave him in return was a look of welcome…of acceptance. Reassured, he leaned over Renji and pulled back the edges of the yukata, revealing the full expanse of tattoos on the front of his body.

Byakuya was instantly mesmerized by the bold, intricate patterns that touched Renji's face, walked down the back of his neck, then danced down his torso, accentuating, coloring, carefully framing. He was a living work of art, never fixed, but always changing, and Byakuya was touched…moved…deeply enchanted.

"Gomen nasai," he said quietly, "I cannot help but want to look at you. And looking makes me want to touch you…but like all works of art, that which touches you may cause you to change. You must decide then if you wish for me to touch you…Renji."

The dark eyes fixed on him and waited in stoic silence. Renji's heart beat so fast that he could barely breathe.

Oh my kami! What do I tell him? What do I say? He's looking at me the way he looks at the night sky, the flowers in his gardens, that waterfall!

"Taicho…" he said, swallowing hard, "I have been naked before in front of other people, but no one has ever looked at me the way you are looking at me…like something beautiful. I could lie here forever and never get tired of watching your eyes the way they look right now, and there is nothing I want more than for you to, not just look at me, but to touch me. I must have dreamed of it nearly every day since I first saw you, but I never thought it would come true. I can't believe that it has."

Byakuya leaned over the redhead and placed a light kiss on his lips, then coaxed him onto his knees, so that they knelt, facing each other. Renji sat, nearly breathless as Byakuya moved closer, his graceful fingers tracing the bold, black markings on his fukutaicho's forehead, and the dark, smoky eyes widening. Renji didn't remember ever seeing such a sweet, curious expression in those eyes before. Always before, they had been such things as calm and tranquil, stern, angry…and on a few occasions, somewhat sad. But they had never been like this, wide and searching, following the slender, pale fingers as they moved over the tattoos on his forehead, then traveled lightly through his hair to set it gently aside and to give him better access to the tattoos on the redhead's neck and shoulder. He leaned even closer now. And as he stroked the tattoos on the back of Renji's neck, he sighed and leaned forward to give the redhead a gentle kiss. Renji loved the way those warm, sweet lips felt, pressed tightly against his…how they tasted, how they moved against his and how the noble's tongue slipped lightly between them…touching his lips, asking politely, without him ever uttering a word. Renji's lips parted in silent affirmation and his eyes closed.

He thought he might be falling and, indeed, upon opening his eyes again, he found himself lying on his back with Byakuya leaning over him, their mouths still joined and tongues still wound around each other. And Byakuya's hands moved over his body, still following the bold, black markings, the touches of his fingers light and searching, his eyes straying from Renji's to follow them as they worked their way down.

Renji shivered. He had never been touched…or appreciated in such a way. And although he was hard as a rock, it wasn't merely a physical reaction. His heart pounded furiously, threatening to explode and the heat on his skin told him that he was blushing. But none of that compared to the light, heady feeling that had taken over his mind and had fallen over all of his senses. He wanted the touches to continue…to deepen…to carry him away.

"Oh, T-taicho," he moaned softly, "If you keep doing that, I think I'll lose my mind!"

Byakuya's eyes found his.

"Hmmm," he sighed contentedly, "We cannot have you losing your mind, now, can we? I would be rather put out if I had to find a new fukutaicho. So tell me, Abarai, what can I do to restore your sanity? Do you really wish for me to stop?"

"Ohhhh, ah, hell no!" the redhead groaned as the older shinigami's fingers slid down onto his inner thighs, still tracing the black markings, but achingly slowly, "Don't you dare take your hands off of me!"

Byakuya's lips smiled against his as he kissed Renji again.

"But if my touching you will make you lose your mind, what will I do to stop it?" he asked.

"Ahhhhh, Taicho, I think you have to make me reach ecstasy. If I do that, the pressure will be released and my sanity will be restored."

"I see," said the noble, "but do you think you are ready for the consequences? I am not an easy man to love, Abarai Renji. And once I fall in love, I will be exceedingly selfish in my appreciation of you. I will not let another come near you or see this much of you ever again. My body will be the only one to pleasure yours and yours will be the only one to pleasure mine. My lips will have a difficult time telling you what I feel, and in fact, will often tell you lies to hide how much I need you. I do not like to show weakness and will avoid letting you see how your touch makes me tremble. But if you can accept all of this about me, then I will show you the meaning of ecstasy."

Renji laughed softly and kissed him back.

"Do you really think I, of all people don't know that about you?"

Byakuya smiled and brushed a cheek against Renji's.

"I know that you are aware…but it was only fair I should warn you. That way when you decide you despise me and want to leave me, I can remind you of this and make you stay with me."

Renji shook his head softly.

"I'm never going to want to leave you, Taicho…not now, not ever. I've waited too long to see you look at me like this. So go ahead and show me what ecstasy is, and I'll show you my definition. We'll see whose version is closer to heavenly."

He had to stop talking as the noble dove onto his body, his fingers touching the lovely tattoos again. And this time, he followed his fingers with lips and tongue, lightly tasting the warm, tanned skin and moaning pleasantly as he worked his way down the entrapped redhead's throat and down onto his shoulders.

Renji felt his body shift slightly, then reeled as he felt a sea of soft skin settle onto his…and the hard press of a furiously leaking arousal that found his and began to slide up and down its length. That beautifully warm mouth worked its way down to a dusky, erect nipple and the soft lips and heated breath teased it. Then the noble's pink tongue extended and tasted it with tantalizing slowness, softening and stroking it until the redhead thought he might explode. He thought that Byakuya must have sensed the approach of orgasm in his body, because the noble reached down and held his member tightly, staving off the inevitable as he continued the heavenly torture.

He tormented Renji's other nipple shamelessly, watching his face redden and his chest heave as his body begged for release. Smiling, the noble continued to hold him, and that hot, wonderful mouth assaulted the softer region of his lower abdomen, still tracing the tattoos, but pausing to sink into his navel, sucking warmly and making the redhead's back arch in response.

"Ohhhh, T-tai-cho! I can't take it anymore!" he moaned, "I want you inside me…"

"Mmmmmm," moaned the noble, closing his eyes and still holding Renji away from completion, "I think I want a part of you inside of me."

Renji caught his breath sharply as Byakuya pushed his legs open wide and moved down between his parted thighs. Still holding him, he brought his face close to the redhead's swollen erection. He looked for a moment, then tasted the fluid leaking from the tip and earned a deeper, more frenzied moan from his lover. Renji's eyes met his pleadingly and Byakuya gave him a wicked smile. He lowered his face and mouthed the soft mounds of flesh beneath the redhead's flaming hardness.

"Ah…ahhh…ahhh, T-tai…ahhh!"

Byakuya gave him, a long, slow lick.

"Say my name, Renji," he whispered.

"Huh?" the redhead managed, only half comprehending.

Byakuya's mouth wrapped around him and sank down, that wonderful, devilish tongue stroking him heavily and the noble's warm mouth sucking relentlessly. Renji groaned and wondered if he really could have heard Byakuya tell him to use the noble's first name. Byakuya was always Taicho to him. But their relationship was changing, and as Byakuya's mouth sucked harder and Renji's mind began to disappear into the pleasure, he loosed it softly.

"B-byakuya…"

The mouth on him sucked harder and a firm hand moved to his hip to control his mindless thrusting. He risked a glance and saw the unspoken command in the dark gray eyes.

Say it again, Renji…

"Byakuya…" he moaned loudly, "Byakuya!"

He almost sobbed as the noble's mouth released him, then he gasped as it moved lower and teased him sweetly. Then he moved down even farther and Renji groaned again as Byakuya's tongue found his entrance and tasted him there, as well. The insistent tongue stroked and probed until he was shaking all over and moaning the noble's name in hard, heated gasps. He thought he might be pleading, begging out loud. He'd never had a lover who could make him do that…but then he'd never been with Byakuya before. He wanted to cry when the noble's tongue stopped, but a few breathless moments later, a wet finger touched him and he couldn't help but push his hips upward. The warm digit moved slowly as the noble's mouth placed delicate kisses on his abdomen and Byakuya breathed his name in a gentle sigh.

A second finger invaded, along with the first and Renji ground onto it. He moaned feverishly and reached for Byakuya's face. Warm lips touched his fingers and the deep, soft voice of his lover soothed him as a third finger was added and the noble probed his body more deeply. The searching fingers found the sensitive place inside him and pushed into it, dragging a choked cry from deep in his throat. His whole body shook with wanting to be taken…and not just to be taken, but to be taken by this one person, the one person who had driven himself into Renji's mind and heart, making him feel so much inside that he couldn't see straight.

"B-bya! Bya…please!" he hissed.

He felt the blush on his skin at the pitiful sound of his pleading, but he resolved to save his embarrassment over it for later. He instead, gave a happy cry as the noble positioned himself between the redhead's thighs and with agonizing gentleness, pushed his way inside. He laid, panting softly against the redhead's chest, catching his breath and allowing his lover to adjust to being filled.

"I'm f-fine," Renji panted, pushing his hips upward, "For kami's sake, Bya, stop torturing me! Move! Please, kami, move!"

His mouth was taken suddenly in a powerful, seething kiss and Byakuya's tongue thrust in between his lips, sharing the erotic scent and taste of his explorations. Renji moaned loudly, thrusting upward again and nearly howling with pleasure as the body atop his finally responded and began to move.

Renji couldn't help but dig his fingers into the soft flesh of his lover's arms as he raised his hips to meet each powerful, grinding thrust. And as much as he had held back before, the noble had relinquished all restraint and attacked his writhing body with relentless fervor. He risked a glance at Byakuya's eyes and gasped at how beautifully lit they were…caught up in pleasure and all controls gone…lost in passion.

The sight was too much for him…

He screamed in pleasure as the noble's seething member found his sweet spot again. Hot seed exploded out of him and coated their sweating skin. He thought he knew now what ecstasy was, but he realized as Byakuya climaxed that he'd had no fucking idea. He howled again as he took in the beautiful, fully released expression, the hazed eyes, flushed cheeks, parted lips and gasping mouth. He held on to the noble's shaking body, moaning as heat seared his insides. He wrapped his hands around his lover's lovely white bottom and held him tightly in place. The noble's face rested at the meeting of Renji's throat and shoulder, buried in a sea of red hair. His lips touched the redhead's throat lightly as he laid, panting and trying to regain his breath.

Renji sighed softly.

"You know," he breathed into the raven black hair, "you don't have to worry about me ever having another lover. No one ever made me feel like that…ever, Byakuya."

He felt the noble smiling against his throat and the happy sigh and slight tightening of hands that told him Byakuya had heard him. His lover's body shifted slightly and their mouths met for several long, soulful kisses. Then Byakuya settled against him and they fell asleep, the noble still buried inside his body.

They woke later to find that it was still raining…and the rain seemed an invitation to linger in bed. He thought he would never tire of feeling Byakuya's head resting on his chest, so that the noble could see the rain outside the garden doors and could simultaneously listen to the steady cadence of the redhead's strong heart.

Renji's face flushed as a tapping on the door sent him diving beneath the covers. Byakuya called for the servant to enter and seemed to have no issue with being seen sitting buck naked on his bed, next to his madly blushing fukutaicho-lover. The servant showed no reaction at all to the scene and Renji had to wonder what he must think of them…

"Byakuya," he said, as the servant disappeared out the door, "isn't it breaking some kind of rule for us to be together? Isn't it breaking all kinds of rules?"

The noble nodded.

"Of course it is," he admitted, looking calmly out at the rain, "but I think that the elders have simply come to the conclusion that my heart will not be left for them to command. I will love who I choose…and I choose to love you. They may not be happy, but I don't care. Whatever I need to do to keep you with me, I will do, Renji. Aishiteru yo."

"Aishiteru yo, Bya," Renji said, still blushing.

"Now," said Byakuya, smiling coyly "Isn't there something that you wanted to show me, Renji?"

Renji didn't feel that his definition of ecstasy held a candle to Byakuya's interpretation, but as their bodies collided again, raging against each other as the rain continued to pour down outside, he was sure he gave everything in the attempt. After pleasure overtook them, shaking the two and leaving them even more sweaty and breathless. collapsed and lying entangled together watching the rain fall, he found that he really didn't care who won. As long as he held this man in his arms, it didn't matter.

It didn't matter at all.