He was standing in front of his office, reluctant to knock. Why knock?

"Come in," said the familiar voice from behind the door.

Byakuya was surprised to see Renji leaning over a heap of papers. That was the first time Byakuya noticed he had a tray in his hands and a terrible knot in his gut. Renji just kept perusing the files in front of him. The redhead had no intention of acknowledging his meaningless man-servant.

Byakuya stood motionless, confused, not really knowing what was going on. When Renji lifted his cold gaze and asked: "Why are you still here, Kuchiki?" he felt something stirring deep inside of him, something beyond his ability to cope. The dream walker was not ready for what happened. The anger, the bruised pride and aggression encumbered him beyond the intensity he thought was feasible. He could not understand how it was possible for Renji to deal with this intensity, to control it every time he stepped into his office.

"Kuchiki," Renji said, standing up, "you are bothering me, leave the tray and make yourself scarce."

Byakuya was overwhelmed by Renji's transferred feelings and in an instant everything went black. When he came to, he was lying on the floor, Renji's strong hands were wrapped around his neck, squeezing the life out of him. The redhead's eyes were glazed over with vicious ferocity and hate. Renji grinned eerily and squeezed harder.

"You motherfucker," Renji hissed at his victim, and Byakuya could hear the bones cracking, he could feel the fingers burrowing too deep. He tried to speak, he tried to beg Renji to stop strangling him, to stop hating him. But Renji could not. The only way that he could control his anger towards Byakuya was by punishing him in his dreams. Torturing him, hurting him over and over again.

He woke up terryified, gasping for air, checking that his neck was still there. Byakuya sighed, and slumped onto the bed, unable to fall asleep. Renji's stifling anger still had its hold over him.

Renji sat in the common room, protected by darkness. He felt abject and pathetic. He most certainly did not feel like a man. He knew his dreams were a sad way to save his pride, to take revenge. But the grip he had over Byakuya's existence felt so damn good, and he could not let go.

It was impossible to fall asleep, and Byakuya decided to go to the common room. A drink of cold water will not cure his insomnia, but it might help him clear his head and wash away those residual feelings Renji gave him. Unfortunately for the dream walker, the redhead was trying to alleviate his own insomnia in a similar way; his weapon of choice was sake.

When their eyes met, Renji knew that his master was aware of the punishment he received almost every night. Almost. Byakuya felt Renji's feral glare on his back, and he could not help but swear at his luck for seeing the redhead so soon after that terrible dream. He could still feel his fingers in his flesh.

"Can't sleep?" Renji asked. He needed a semblance of a normal conversation in order to chase away the echoes of his dream. Byakuya turned from the window to face the redhead. It still felt much like he was in Renji's dream, because he would not normally sit down to talk.

"Yes. It would seem so. I suppose you have the same problem?" Byakuya said, taking a sip of water. He was still utterly surprised at his own willingness to make small talk.

"Yes," Renji smiled, "it happens every so often. Bad dreams."

"So, that was a bad dream?" Byakuya asked. What on earth was he doing? Admitting to visiting Renji's dream? He expected Renji to burst into an angry fit, but the redhead sat calmly, rolling the empty bottle across the table.

"I don't really like violence. I just have a short fuse. I guess I can't control it subconsciously," the redhead replied.

Within a few moments of silence, the residual anger from the dream was replaced with melancholy calm in both of them.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Renji offered.

"It's fine. I understand."

The moment Byakuya accepted Renji's apology, he woke up.

It took him the rest of that sleepless night to accept what has happened. He was tricked into believing he was awake. Byakuya was angry. In all his experience as a dream walker, even during his training he had never mistaken a dream for reality. There was something about Abarai Renji that made him lose his grip on the world, on both worlds. Still, he was glad that his secret was still safe.


A few days passed. Renji still harnessed his anger, and Byakuya still ignored the redhead's presence as much as he could. He had the best intention to readjust his attitude into that of polite disdain, but it proved impossible. Byakuya learned that he was incapable to look at Renji for some reason. And as much as he tried, words coming out of his mouth were arid. He tried to forget the feeling he shared with Renji in that last dream, but it would not leave him. Why was he unable to look at him? Did he even remember what Abarai Renji really looked like? Was his hair red? Was he tall and strong, his sinews covered in beautiful tattoos? Was that Renji, or was it some figment of his imagination, a creation of his own dreams which refused to ease up since the day he rescued the stranger?

A knock.

"Ukitake-sama is here to see you," Renji announced to Byakuya's back.

"Show him in." His voice actually trembled.

Jushiro bowed his head to greet Renji. He still felt apprehensive in the redheads presence, because he could feel the untamed passion lurking beneath the surface, becoming more dangerous by the day. Molten lava – those were the words which popped up into his brain every time he saw Renji.

"Kuchiki-sama, I only wanted to inform you that the Takasugi issue has been successfully handled by Madarame."

Byakuya did not feel like facing Jushiro. Probably because he felt like he was on the verge of breaking into small pieces. The fact that Abarai Renji made him lose his focus haunted him constantly, invading every thought he had.

"I'm glad to hear that. Madarame-san has proven to be quite the deacon, has he not?"

"Yes, Kuchiki-sama, I have to admit I am quite proud of him."

Byakuya swallowed, in order to manage another perfunctory interjection.

"Is that all, Ukitake-san. I'm rather busy."

"That is all. Thank you."

That was the conversation which made Jushiro certain that there was something wrong in the Kuchiki household, and he felt that, as the Third, he had a duty to investigate the matter and find out just what was going on. Byakuya was one of the foundations of the Yumearuku order, and if he was shaken, so were those foundations.


A sleepless week was behind Byakuya. He had the best intention of working, but he had no mental capacity for it. He had decided not to enter Renji's dreams again. Not because he did not want to see more, but because he was scared of it, of what other terrible feelings he might be responsible for. At two o'clock Renji knocked and announced that lunch was served in the common room.

"I'm not in the mood for eating," Byakuya said, his tone attempting to dismiss Renji.

"Kuchiki-sama, are you well?" Renji noticed the day before that the Second looked ill. He was slower than usual, his voice muffled by signs of exhaustion.

The sound of concern in Renji's voice made him sick to his stomach. It killed that little appetite he might have had. For the first time in weeks he looked up at Renji, revealing his tormented face.

"I'm fine, Abarai. Leave."

If Byakuya had not shown him his face, Renji might have obeyed him. But the sight of the man shook him, and he had no intention of leaving him alone. Renji sat down.

"What? I told you to leave." Byakuya showed more agitation than he wished. He was so tired, he needed to sleep, he needed to spend a few hours away from his flaying consciousness, but he was too afraid of his own dream world, of the betraying desire which materialized mercilessly every time he tried to find peace.

"You look terrible... Actually, you look worse than that. When did you last get some sleep?" Renji asked.

"That is none of your business. Leave me alone, I have work..."

"Kuchiki-sama. I am here to serve you, whether you like it or not. Whether I like it or not. If you don't want me to talk to Ayasegawa about your decrepit state, you will take a bath, and go to sleep, immediately." There was something in Renji's blackmail that made Byakuya feel like smiling. He opted out, choosing his usual way of communication.

"Abarai. You forget your place. I..." his voice trailed off and he felt dizzy. He saw Renji jump from his seat to catch him before he fell.

"Aba-rai..." he whispered with the last strand of consciousness.

"It's ok, Kuchiki-sama. I'll take care of you. I owe you that much, don't I?"


He woke up from a dreamless sleep, to find himself in his bedroom, in his night gown, his hair dancing wildly across his face. It took him some time to remember what had happened, and when he did, he swore. Weakness was not something he enjoyed showing to anyone, let along a servant. It was still dark, and the only sound he could hear was rhythmic breathing coming from the northern corner of his room. He strained his eyes and managed to recognize Renji's outline. He was sound asleep. Dreaming.


Renji loomed large over the tied dream walker. He grinned at his master's attempts to free himself.

"What is it, Byakuya?" The redhead laughed at his master kneeling in front of him, hands tied to his ankles behind his back. The dream walker did not feel like a master.

"I know you like this," Renji said, holding Byakuya's chin and forcing him to look up at him. He did like it. Renji made him enjoy the pain, he made him enjoy being subdued, under his servant's control.

The redhead's eyes turned soft and he smiled mildly, unbefitting the situation in which he held his master a captive. He knelt down to whisper into Byakuya's ear:

"I'm sorry Kuchiki-sama. But this was the only way I could make you listen, or look at me."

Renji removed the cloth from Byakuya's mouth, making the dream walker understand why he silently endured the torture. But even after the gag was removed he did not speak. Renji sat on his heels, and stared at his master, trying to decide what was an appropriate course of action. He was in no hurry. It was nice seeing Kuchiki-sama stripped of his control and his clothes. Renji reached out to caress his master's naked shoulders, his arms, his thighs. Byakuya moaned at the touch and his muscles betrayed him. He fell into Renji's hands, which travelled to his restraints, removing them in an instant.

"Kiss me, you disrespectful bastard," Byakuya finally spoke, his free hands grabbing Renji's shoulders, pulling him into a deep kiss.

He woke up, panting, unsure whether to regret having entered Renji's dream. He turned his head and he saw Renji was as perplexed as him, staring, eyes wide open.

"Did you...?" Renji blurted at him rising from his corner. That dream was strange. It felt like half of it was not even his. Byakuya just stared at him, speechless.

"That's forbidden, asshole!" Renji bellowed, grabbing Byakuya, pinning him against the futon. Byakuya had no idea what to do, how to react. He probably should apologize, but he knew saying he was sorry would have been a lie.

Renji kept his eyes trained on Byakuya's, and he felt as is he was drowning in a radiant gray sea.

"Well, why not?" he relented. "You asked for it." He pulled the dream walker closer, and kissed him. He hardly expected it, but he felt those soft, supple lips part and give way to his tongue. Their kiss was a lot like the one they shared in the dream, but still it was nothing like it. The heat of the flesh, the moist and the texture, none of these were palpable in the dream world.

Reluctantly, Renji pulled back from the kiss. Byakuya's eyes were still closed, his hair tousled, lips invitingly parted. When those grey eyes opened, Renji could see nothing but resentment in them. Byakuya pushed him away.

"You bastard," he muttered, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

"What?" Renji interjected.

"You and your damn dreams, your god-forsaken transference!" A lie.

"It's not like I invited you in, Kuchiki-sama. You violated my dreams. It's your fucking fault if some of my desires and feelings rubbed off on you."

He turned to leave the room, realizing that his master was perfectly well once again. Byakuya just stared after him, knowing that Renji was right, and that it was all his fault.

"We'll just forget about it. I'll forget about you invasion, and you'll forget about what you experienced during that invasion."

With that, Renji closed the door, and left Byakuya alone with his thoughts, trying te determine where Renji's feeling ended, and his own started.


The days that followed melted into each other. The summer heat found its way into the darkest, coolest crannies of the monastery. Everything and everyone seemed more peaceful, weighed down by the hot humidity. The deal made between the head of the Kuchiki household and its main servant was upheld most vigorously. The servant carried in the tray, took it away, he announced, invited, cleaned up. The master ignored, avoided eye contact and held himself aloof, as much as he could. The two felt that business was going as usual, but in their immense effort to keep up appearances with each other, they had forgotten that they were never alone, and that people around them noticed.

Renji bumped into Shuhei as he was leaving Byakuya's office.

"Oi, Renji! I was just thinking about you."

"I'm flattered," was his reply, which made the deacon chuckle.

"C'mon. You, me, Ikkaku, maybe some of the other deacons, common room, sake. Badmouthing Byakuya and other high priests...Remember?"

Renji shrugged. When they last spoke of it, he was really looking forward to spending some fun time with them (no Yumichika allowed was the only rule), but now he did not feel like it. He especially did not feel like getting drunk, losing his inhibitions and saying things that will get both him, and Bykakuya into a world of trouble.

"What? Something wrong?"

"It's the heat, man. It's killing my desire to do anything but crawl into a dark cool corner and beg for relief." Renji thought it was a nice excuse. Simple, but believable and well composed. Shuhei did not agree. He noticed that Renji's behaviour had become strange lately. He seemed more composed, in control of himself. There was no trace of that, once prevalent, fury in his eyes.

"Whatever. If you change your mind, you know where to find us."

"Yeah, sure," Renji said encouragingly.

He finally felt relieved when he entered his room. He could take off his mask, and stop being so damn calm and undisturbed. What he did not expect was seeing Yumichika in the middle of his sanctuary.

"Whatdayawant?"

"How eloquent. You and your master have been invited to the emergency council meeting taking place...now," Yumichika declared, grinning victoriously for some reason.

"Me? Why me?"

"I don't know. I'm sure you're in some sort of trouble. There's been a lot of commotion lately, and you and your master were too occupied to notice."

Renji swore inwardly, well aware of the efforts put in presenting the normal image to the people around. Both him and Byakuya made one terminal mistake: they forgot to actually heed the people they were trying to fool.

"You inform your master. That is hardly my duty," Yumichika chirped, pouting his lips significantly as he stylishly walked out of Renji's room.

"Motherfucker..." Renji said, more to himself, than to Yumichika who had already closed the door. He desperately needed a rest. What he most certainly did not need was to attend a council meeting with Byakuya. It's not like he had a choice. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for breaking the bad news to his master.

He walked into the office, finding Byakuya immersed into that familiar heap of paper.

"What do you want, Abarai?" Byakuya asked in his usual tenor.

"We're in trouble, Kuchiki-sama," Renji simply stated.

"Meaning?"

"Yumichika just paid me a visit. We are both invited to attend the council meeting."

Byakuya's eyes widened. He felt as if the earth beneath his feet shattered.

"Oh."


AN - It took me some time to revise this chapter. I hope I managed to mend some of the flaws in my style, and I hope you'll enjoy it (it is a bit longer). From now on, all the plot taking place in the dream world will be in italics to make it easier to follow.

I dedicate this chapter to tellie and Sscullys who helped me with their reviews and comments. Thank you for reading/reviewing!