Chapter 7: Entwined
(Aaaaand another Aizenchapter! Only a few days left until this bad boy's big birthday, so I will keep'em coming. Thanks to a guest (Not to worry! I am not abandoning this!), Anon (Welcome! I am glad you like it!), Aizenfan6969 (You have no idea how doomed Gin is...muahahahahahahaha!), Alabirdie (So glad I made your day!), SairaKanzaki (You've got it! Here you go.), MySilv on AO3 (Oh yes, answers are forthcoming.), PlayMyPoisonousGame (Aw, I love Gin too and really hate that he was killed off without any real closure for Rangiku and him. But he lives on here.), Sariniste (Okay, another chapter and another will be along soon!), and Princess Moon Shadow (Aw, thanks!) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)
It's dark.
But even though it's dark, I don't feel cold. If it was there, it would freeze the blood in my veins. I take in what is around me. I have always done so. Where I grew up, it was cold a lot and there wasn't much to eat. But, being like a snake, I just moved slowly and learned to survive on less.
But I was always hungry.
I was always lonely.
I was always cold.
Until I no longer expected food, water, company or a warm place to sleep. The single comfort I had was Rangiku. And when Sousuke stepped on her, I did what any snake would do, I coiled and prepared to strike. But no snake ever spent longer, biding its time, observing its foe, planning his betrayal as I did. A snake strikes because doing so is instinctive, because it will do whatever it needs to do to survive.
The strange thing is...I don't feel that instinct anymore.
Being near Sousuke and feeling his hatred made me numb and empty inside. But I could live with that because one thing inside me told me that his hatred was a lie. There was something in me that whispered that some part of him still loved me.
Yeah. The baby only happened because we both wanted something very simple, but it was something we were afraid we would never have. The hougyoku felt that desire and made this happen. At first, I was scared. I was sure that Sousuke would just try again to destroy what we both wanted, because of what we did to each other. I was even more scared when we came into this pocket dimension. I was sure he'd let me be killed in some horrid way and he was happy to indulge me in growing that fear. But there comes a point when a guy knows he has no way to defend himself against something bigger. He knows he's going to die in some awful way and that fear is so big, he just goes numb inside from it. He loses the ability to move and just stands still and can't fight anymore.
I was like that for a moment...frozen, empty and sure it was over for me.
Why don't I feel that way now?
Is it because of what he said when he thought I was really gonna die? He said he was sorry. Sousuke apologized to me for not being able to protect me. When he did that, I suddenly felt like a snake again and I felt strength pour into me again. I wasn't scared or frozen or empty anymore. And I wanted more than anything to live.
And now, I'm lying in his arms. His hands are possessive again where they hold me. I can feel his heartbeats and his warm breath tickles my skin. Those are real simple things, but those are the kinds of things that make me feel alive and warm. Maybe he still hates me a little, but he doesn't want me or this kid to die.
I like that feeling.
I won't let myself trust it to much. It could change and he could go back to hating me. He might still kill me when we get to the royal realm.
Especially when he meets that guy who helped us. I wonder if Sousuke will wait to hear an explanation, or if he will think I betrayed him again. And I wonder if this guy is who he says he is. I only have the hougyoku's word on that, and that guy is the one who really created the hougyoku. He needed Sousuke to make it and bring it to him, and the hougyoku said that it would be able to help Sousuke defeat the king if he...
"What is that dark, worried expression?" Aizen's voice breathed in Gin's ear, jolting him out of his thoughts, "Are you still thinking about what happened before?"
"No. I am fine," Gin said, starting to sit up.
He was pulled back down immediately and his mouth roughly possessed. He knew better than to bother arguing, so simply relaxed in the other man's arms and returned his hard, biting kisses with like enthusiasm. He remained unresisting as Aizen's commanding hands bared him and dragged him onto the former taichou's lap. Gin winced as he was hastily prepared, then flipped onto his hands and knees, and entered from behind in a single, hard thrust. He groaned wantonly, enjoying the slight pain of Aizen's fingers that dug into his hips, holding them tightly as he lovingly assaulted the silver-haired man's yielded bottom. Gin's head bowed his eyes tightly closed and his fingers clenching as he raised his hips eagerly to meet each melting thrust. His mind went nearly blank and his body quivered all over as Aizen found that most sensitive place inside him and struck repeatedly until the coil in Gin's belly snapped viciously and he collapsed beneath the other man, panting and moaning heatedly.
He flinched and his slitted eyes opened slightly as he felt Aizen's lips caress the back of his neck and one of his hands reached around to caress the swelling bump on his abdomen. His breath nearly stopped as Aizen's deep, contented voice sounded in his ear.
"Are you all right? I think I was overly vigorous."
"Don't worry," Gin chuckled, "I won't break."
"No, you are surprisingly resilient, aren't you?"
"Do you still wish I had died?"
"Oh, I assure you that if I still wished that, you wouldn't be alive and breathing, little snake. And understand that if you ever betray me again, I will end your life in a moment. But...for now, while we in this place, it is best for all of us if you and I work out our differences and bond properly to keep the child you carry stable."
"Is there something wrong with the baby?" Gin asked quickly.
"No. The baby is fine as far as I can tell. But if something did go wrong, we have no healer. I can heal some things, but more advanced healing will require someone more knowledgeable."
"Ah, of course," Gin sighed, closing his eyes as Aizen's hands caressed his belly, infusing the area with his reiatsu.
By the time the infusion ended, Gin was fast asleep in the other man's arms, leaving Aizen looking up through the branches of a blooming plum tree and into the darkening sky. He continued to rub the other man's belly as Gin slept, then rested, himself as Gin woke and took the next watch. Late into the night, the two rose and continued walking through the darkness, their eyes focused on the path ahead of them.
Every step closer we get, the more I wonder if I should say something to him, Gin thought, And as much as that guy is the reason I was saved, I really don't know if he was telling the truth.
The more he considered it, the stronger his apprehension grew, until he could bear it no more and touched Aizen's arm gently to stop him on the trail.
"Sousuke," he began, "There is something..."
He paused, wincing as a sharp pain passed through his head and he swayed unsteadily for a moment.
"Gin?"
"Ah...I don't feel so..." the silver-haired man began.
He paused again as a sharper pain passed through his belly and his eyes clouded ominously.
"Gin!" Aizen said more stridently, catching him as he started to collapse.
He carried the slighter man to a small cluster of boulders, concealing the two of them in a reiatsu cage, then leaning over Gin and checking his vital signs.
"The baby's reiatsu seems fine," Aizen said, mostly to himself, "Perhaps you have just overextended yourself. Rest a bit, then."
He left Gin concealed in the reiatsu cage and foraged briefly in the area for nuts and berries, then returned and warmed some tea before nudging Gin into semi-wakefulness and feeding him sips of the tea and a few of the berries.
"What's happening?" Gin asked sleepily, "I can't seem to keep my eyes opened."
"Likely, everything is just catching up with you," concluded Aizen, sliding in behind him and offering him another stabilizing infusion, "You know, you were nearly killed. You weren't healed all that long ago. Then, to be thrown into this long trip on foot. And you were attacked before. It is surprising you have held up so well."
Gin made a sound of surprise as Aizen gathered him up in his arms, then shattered the protective cage.
"What are you doing? I can walk," he objected.
"Be quiet and rest more," Aizen chided him, "Don't waste your energy being difficult."
He had to admit to himself that he rather enjoyed the feeling of being held in those strong arms and carried, his head rested wearily on Aizen's shoulder and his arms looped around his lover's neck. He enjoyed, too, that several times as he closed his eyes and rested, he felt Aizen's lips touch his and heard whispers of reassurance. But weakness continued to nag at him and by the time they stopped so that Aizen could rest, he was sweating and feverish.
"What's going on?" he asked sleepily as Aizen set him down and looked him over before offering him another infusion.
"I am not sure," Aizen admitted, "The baby seems stable, but your body seems taxed. Still, the hougyoku indicated that we are close to the crossover point. I will just carry you there. Will there be someone to heal you when we arrive."
"I'm not sure."
A touch of kido sent him back into a comforting haze and he was lifted again and carried through the eerily quiet environs. Gin lost track of time, then, only waking briefly when Aizen stopped to offer him food, water or infusions of reiatsu, or when the other man raised a reiatsu cage to allow them both time to sleep. Gin wasn't sure how many hours or days might have passed that way. But some time later, he woke to find that Aizen had stopped again. The other man set him on his feet again and watched as he swayed for a moment, then steadied.
"The hougyoku indicated to me that it has sensed the crossover point," Aizen informed him, "You will need to open the way.
Gin nodded briefly, causing his head to spin for a moment. Aizen's hands steadied him, and Gin felt another flicker of guilt pass through him.
I should say something. But what am I supposed to say?
"Be careful," he said finally, "You should keep your guard up."
"I always do."
Gin bit his lip gently.
"I meant that even though your benefactor healed me and has helped us reach this point, we..."
"...would be reckless to assume that it's safe to lower our guard. I know," Aizen informed him, "You don't need to worry. I never had any intention of being fully trusting. Whoever this is, could just be trying to steal the hougyoku. And even with the hougyoku still fused with my soul, as you said earlier during this journey, there may be things in the spirit realm great enough to kill me. I understand. But we need to cross over."
"He should be waiting nearby on the other side," Gin said warningly, "but you will want to remember too that if you attack him, you are likely to be sensed by the king. We will be vulnerable to that after we pass over."
Aizen nodded briefly.
"Go ahead, then."
Gin extended his senses and found the crossover point, then touched a palm to the hougyoku, flinching and staring as a glowing door appeared in front of them and slowly opened. The two stepped through and paused to gain their bearings. Instantly, five flash steps sounded and five dark, malevolent looking forms appeared, surrounding them. Aizen started to react, but was stayed by Gin's touch on his arm.
"Wait."
"Why?" Aizen said in a low, angry tone, "Who are these...demons? Are these the ones you were working with? Do you have any idea...?"
He did as I directed him, the hougyoku whispered in Aizen's mind, He did not betray you, nor did I. You see, these five are not what they appear to be. They have been made into demons by the soul king.
"By the soul king?" Aizen mused, "What do you mean? Who are these people if they are not demons?"
These are the former royal guardsmen...Oetsu, Hikifune, Ichibei, Kirinji and Shutara, made over into demons by the one who attacked the king.
"The...?"
The true king, the hougyoku went on, You see, some time ago, there was an attack on the true king and ever since, he and his guardsmen have been banished here and waiting for the chance to reclaim their places. But to do that, they needed me and they needed you.
"That is why I am here? To return the old king to the throne?" Aizen mused, "Why would I do that? I was here before. I knew of the old king and I plotted against him. Why would he ever think that I would help him? I wanted to kill him!"
"Nevertheless," said Ichibei, the largest of the demons facing him, "His majesty wishes to speak with you. You are free to take what action you will after you speak to him."
"You should come with me," Kirinji said to Gin, "You look about done in."
"Gin is not to leave my side," Aizen said firmly, "If you wish to heal him, then you will do so in my presence."
"Hey, no need to get testy," chuckled Kirinji, "Just because he changed our form doesn't mean we've lost our minds. We eventually will, if we stay in this form too much longer, but right now, we are stabilized."
"Fine, but Gin stays with me."
"Whatever. Let's get going."
Aizen moved forward, surprising Gin by lifting him off his feet again.
"You don't have to do that," Gin complained, "I am feeling all right."
"Just shut up and let him carry you," Kirinji said shortly, falling in with them, "It'll keep you quieter and let me heal you as we walk."
"How much farther is it?"
"Oh, not far," ichibei assured him.
"Here," Hikifune said, handing the two shinigamis each a large rice ball, "That should help you pick up and feel better. You must be tired and hungry after such a long trip."
Aizen studied one of the rice balls for a moment as Gin held it, then he nodded briefly.
"I don't sense anything dangerous," he concluded, smiling briefly as Gin fed him a bite, then took one, himself.
The group walked quietly through the darkness, passing through a quiet forest and emerging into a valley dotted with hills, cliffs and a number of dark caves.
"We cleared this area of the demons that nested here," Shutara explained, "and we made a place for ourselves here. I placed a barrier the usurper cannot sense us through, so once we passed through it back there, we became reasonably safe from discovery."
"So, this usurper still seeks to do you harm?"
"He would keep trying to kill us," Ichibei said darkly, "Turning us into this travesty was only a half-step to destroying us, which is what he really wanted."
"But you say that the hougyoku can free you?"
"In part, it is what we need, but his majesty will explain when we arrive. It isn't much farther."
They crossed the quiet valley, their feet scraping softly on the rocky ground they covered, then began a short climb up one of the rocky hills. They reached a cave entrance and moved inside, following a trail into a maze of tunnels.
"We are careful not to leave a clear path, even though the barrier is some protection," Ichibei explained.
The guardsmen moved out ahead of Aizen and Gin, leading them out of the maze and into a small room that opened into a larger one. As they entered, a taller demon with dark red skin and glowing golden eyes stepped into their path. He locked eyes with Aizen as the former taichou set Gin back on his feet and observed the transformed monarch appraisingly.
"Welcome home," the demon said, looking into Aizen Sousuke's eyes, "segare (my son)."
