Chapter 7: Looking Inward
(Thanks to phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Yup, Aizen's one sneaky guy!), Anelir-sensei (That was an eye-opener! Kisuke and Ren are going to have some interesting times, getting to know one another!), Henka-chan (I hope Ren enjoys it!), NamineLily (Ren is going to be noticing some interesting connections to both of his parents!), Anon (Yup, the Bya/Ren/Ichi starts here, with a side dish of Renji/Tetsuya!), Winterheart2000 (I will keep the chapters coming. :) Thanks!), and TehWonderer (Yeah, sometimes I get into a story and forget to come up for air. This update took longer, but RL has been busy. I hope to have more very soon.) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)
Ren struggled to keep his anxious body still as he laid on an examination table in the safe house's laboratory and watched the man he now knew to be one of his parents fuss with the electrodes he had attached to the younger man's body and tap furiously at his computer's keys while closely studying the monitor. He frowned and looked back at Ren for a moment, then continued his work, pausing every now and then to inquire if he was 'doing all right.' Ren gave the expected, 'Fine, thanks.' each time, but inwardly felt conflicting feelings of intense curiosity and equally intense nervousness. Urahara Kisuke was obviously a powerful man and Ren was well aware that even though he had better morals than Aizen, he wasn't above tinkering with dangerous things.
And Ren knew he had been officially classified as dangerous.
I can't even go outside. Being Aizen Sousuke's son is about the most awful curse I can think of. What makes it worse is that I think they're right to be wary of me. What morals did I show, cutting down Tetsuya-san when he never even tried to hurt me? He only tried to defend himself and Arashi. Arashi too never really tried to hurt me. He tried to contain me, but he wasn't doing that so that I could be hurt, These people wanted to help me. But I'm not accustomed to needing help. I've been nothing if not independent. I'm not used to people going out of their way to be good to me. Except for my adoptive parents, no one's given me the time of day.
His thoughts were interrupted as Byakuya and Ichigo entered the room and suddenly, being stripped down to a loin cloth changed from being a little uncomfortable to being almost blush inducing. He wasn't one to wear a blush all that often, but being nearly naked in front of those two seemed to have an unusually strong effect on him. He heard the beeping of the heart monitor speed up and Kisuke glanced at him out of the corner of one gray eye.
"You all right?" he asked, studying Ren for a moment.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Ren assured him, "I guess it's just that, knowing the Gotei 13's looking for me makes me worry it's gonna be them showing up here."
"Right," Kisuke sighed, turning back to his work.
"You don't have to worry," Ichigo said bracingly, "We're all here looking out for you now. We won't let them take you in."
"Well, thanks, but you know, it's kinda hard to get why you'd do that. I haven't exactly endeared myself to you, especially not when I nearly killed Tetsuya-san. He hates me now, doesn't he? I mean, it's not even that I hurt Arashi and him. It's that I hurt someone who wasn't even trying to hurt me."
"My cousin is aware that you were cornered and acted rashly, as sometimes a younger and more impetuous person will," Byakuya answered quietly, his smoky eyes observing Ren closely, "Tetsuya is never quick to judgment. He is still recovering, and your power caused him an emotional setback that is taking longer for him to resolve."
"Y-yeah," Ren sighed unhappily, "Damn it. If there was any way to undo what I did. I didn't realize how much it would mess with his head. And I wasn't really trying to kill them..."
"We know that," Ichigo assured him, "Your powers are new to you."
"You are going to have a period of adjustment," Byakuya added, "And while you do, it is necessary for you to be protected, both from Aizen Sousuke and from the Onmitsukido, who are tracking you."
"Well, I don't know why any of you want to do that," Ren sighed, "I haven't done anything but cause you trouble."
"Well, I have to admit that my reasons have more to do with curiosity than the fact that somehow I was used to make you," Kisuke offered, matter-of-factly, "I want to know how the hell Aizen got his hands on me long enough to do that. And why he did it is another big question."
"I'd like to know those things too," Ren agreed, "so I promise, I won't go running off again, and I'll understand if you want to keep this limiter thing on me. I don't even know what I might do to someone."
"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said reassuringly, "Right now, let's just focus on finding some answers. Relax and let Kisuke do what he does best."
"How am I supposed to do that?" mused Ren, shaking his head briefly, "with Aizen Sousuke looking for me and Central 46 out to get me..."
"Clear your mind of that," Byakuya said soothingly, "Close your eyes and try to picture a calm and peaceful place."
"Calm and peaceful, huh?" Ren chuckled softly, closing his eyes.
The calmest, most peaceful thought he could conjure was a memory of a small, wooded glen that he and Michio had camped in once while between towns during a flu outbreak.
Yeah, we were both ready to drift off and the only sound was a little wind in the trees and the splashing of that little brook that ran through the...
Ren's mind went blank for a moment as he felt the presence of someone else in his inward vision. He still saw himself and Michio, resting on the ground, but nearby stood Byakuya and Ichigo, looking just as surprised to be there as he was to see them.
"What the...?"
Ren's heart froze for a moment in shock as he spotted another dark figure, watching from within the trees, then moving towards them.
Oh no!
Ren's eyes flew open and he sat up suddenly, tearing away the electrodes on his chest and coming to his feet, ready to flee.
"Whoa!" gasped Ichigo, grabbing Byakuya's arm as the two swayed unsteadily and stared at Ren through stunned eyes, "What the hell was that?"
"What happened?" Kisuke demanded, "For a moment there, all three of you faded out and disappeared. Where were you?"
"Ah...it...it was a memory!" Ren panted anxiously, "I was just remembering a peaceful place that Michio and I went before. Then, all of a sudden, those guys were there. Then, Aizen showed up and all hell broke loose!"
"What did you guys see?" the shopkeeper asked, typing furiously as he listened to them.
"I saw a small, moonlit glen in the Rukongai," Byakuya reported, "I did see Ren and an old man there. Then, Aizen emerged from the trees and we were all suddenly yanked back here."
"I saw what he did," confirmed Ichigo.
"Okay, so you were yanked back," Kisuke said, frowning, "Ren, did you do the yanking?"
"Eh, I think so," the younger man said, blinking, then realizing suddenly that his loincloth had slipped off and fallen to the ground.
He didn't miss the fact that, although Kisuke seemed completely oblivious to his full nudity, Byakuya and Ichigo were both blushing and carefully not looking at him. Ren chuckled inwardly and bent over to retrieve his loincloth, turning slightly to offer the two a more blush inducing view of his tattooed bottom. He couldn't see their resulting expressions, but smiled more devilishly at the two small hisses of breath he heard them take. He set the loincloth back in place and sat down on the edge of the examination table again, looking up at Kisuke questioningly.
"Sorry about my reaction before," he apologized, "I was just a little freaked out that Aizen showed up. But it's kinda weird that those two did also, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Kisuke said, frowning more deeply, "It's like they were pulled into your thoughts somehow. But, if that's the case, why them and not me? I think I want to do a few tests on the three of you, if that's okay."
"What? You want to examine Byakuya and me too?" Ichigo mused, "But we're not the ones with the problem, here!"
"Take it easy," Kisuke chuckled, "I just need samples of reiatsu, a little bit of blood and some mental imaging with the three of you together and apart. That should tell me if there's some reason the two of you were drawn into his thoughts and I wasn't. But, what worries me is that, if Aizen was drawn into Ren's thoughts, he might have had insight into Ren's mind."
"Shit! That could lead him here, couldn't it?" Ichigo gasped.
"I do not remember having any connection with Ren's mind," Byakuya said calmly.
"I didn't either," added Ichigo, "That's good, right?"
"Yeah, it's good for a starters, but I have a lot I've gotta do before I'm anywhere near sure about what happened. Remember, Ren's under a limiter...and yet, this power or ability still affected, not just him, but you guys and maybe Aizen too."
"Well, I know you'll get to the bottom of things," Ichigo said, flinching at his use of the word 'bottom' just as he met Ren's eyes again.
"I will," Kisuke promised, moving over to where the three waited, "You two will need to undress too."
Ren bit his lip as a flush roared over Ichigo's skin and Byakuya coughed anxiously.
"V-very well," Byakuya said, stepping into a curtained area to comply.
"Um, Ichigo?" Kisuke said, glancing at the shinigami substitute.
"I'm going! I'm going! Sheesh!" the youth complained, following the noble into the curtained area.
Ren was careful not to look directly at the two as they emerged, dressed in loincloths, as he was. His heart quickened, making the monitor chirp again as he observed Byakuya's creamy, pale flesh and the long strands of silken hair that danced around his muscular shoulders. Ichigo was taller and more slender, but shapely in all the right areas, with a more feral look than his noble boyfriend.
Gods, they're both so good looking! I'd like to...
He paused, noting the noise his heart monitor was making, and carefully reined in his thoughts.
"Okay," said Kisuke, joining them and setting electrodes on each, "Let's just see if we can't figure out what's going on here."
XXXXXXXXXX
"How are you feeling now?" Renji asked, hooking his chin over Tetsuya's shoulder from behind and pressing his warm, naked body up against the noble's back, "You seemed to sleep better that time."
"I did," Tetsuya agreed, yawning, "You really didn't have to stay with me all of that time, Renji-san. I was having terrible flashbacks, but I have been through post traumatic stress before. I will be all right. It just takes time for me to work through everything."
"Well, this way, you don't have to tough it out alone, right?" the redhead said, reaching a hand around to caress Tetsuya's soft belly, then letting the hand drift downward slowly.
Tetsuya blushed sweetly, his heart quickening as Renji slowly approached his nether region, then stopped, just short. Tetsuya glanced back at him over a slender shoulder.
"Why did you stop?" he asked softly.
"Well," Renji said, teasing the fine hairs, just above Tetsuya's flushed and aroused genitals, "I know that part of what happened to you in that prison was sexual. I just...didn't know if I should...you know, touch you like that while you're still dealing with things."
Tetsuya gave the redhead a sweet, gratified smile.
"Why, Renji-san," he said, blushing, "just because I was touched against my will by those men doesn't mean that I don't want to be touched by you. The way it feels when Renji-san touches me is completely different. Renji-san's hands are strong, but they are gentle and they seek only to convey appreciation and love. There was no love in the way those guards in the prison touched me. But, no, your touches do not make me remember the bad things. Always, they make the bad things seem farther away."
"Th-that's good," Renji said, a little breathlessly, causing Tetsuya to give a beautiful little sigh as he finally touched the noble and began a warm stimulation.
"It is good," Tetsuya sighed, closing his eyes, "All of the bad things diappear when Renji-san touches me. It makes my heart feel much lighter."
"Good," Renji said, smiling and making a line of kisses along the side of Tetsuya's blushing neck, "Cause, I really like touching you. I just don't want to offend you. I want to get this right, because I think I've really fallen in love with you, Tetsuya."
"I feel the same," Tetsuya confessed, turning over and seeking Renji's warm, biting mouth for several long, wet kisses, "Though, I wonder why someone like you ever noticed me. I remain nearly invisible much of the time. While you accompany Byakuya-sama onto the battlefield, my focus is only ever on protecting him. I am not in the military and have earned no recognitions..."
"You're beautiful," Renji said, kissing him to stop the words, "And it doesn't matter that you're not in the military and that you haven't won honors for doing battle. You're strong, loyal and there's nothing you won't do to protect the ones you love. I think that's more important than winning honors or having lots of people notice you. This way, you're like...a real rare flower that's hidden among the more common ones in a great big field. And I'm the guy lucky enough to have looked more closely and found you."
"That's a lovely image," Tetsuya sighed, closing his eyes and moving his hips slowly to increase the pleasure of Renji's increasingly amorous caresses, "I am happy that Renji-san noticed me."
"I'm glad you finally let me get closer to you. At first, I wondered if you ever would."
"I am sorry for keeping you waiting so long," Tetsuya apologized, "I am not used to people noticing me like you did. And much of what I do depends on not being noticed. I had no trouble noticing you. You have proven yourself in battle, and you have proven your loyalty to my cousin."
"But those aren't the reasons you are falling in love with me..."
"No," Tetsuya confessed, "Renji-san's eyes that are so fierce in battle are very friendly when he is not fighting. I first noticed your friendly eyes. Then, I noticed the way you adore little children, how you always smile at them and you always give them something to make them smile. Your kindness to them is touching."
"Yeah, well, growing up in the Rukongai, I tried to protect the littler ones. It was hard, and by the time Rukia and I left for the shinigami academy, all of our friends we grew up with were dead."
"I know. It must have been so difficult. I was a prisoner, growing up, but you too faced a kind of imprisonment in Inuzuri."
"Yeah, you and I didn't have it easy growing up, did we?" Renji mused, kissing a flushed earlobe, then seeking Tetsuya's lips again, "But things are good now. We're out of those dark places and we have each other. And I'm really looking forward to knowing you better, Tetsuya."
"Ah, I feel the same. But...there is something that you should probably know before we...erm...get any closer, Renji-san. You see, when I was in the prison, I was...experimented on by some scientists who used forbidden methods and techniques."
"Oh?"
"Y-yes. And...because of their manipulations, I...well...I once became pregnant."
"Y-you...?" Renji stammered, sitting up quickly.
"I was beaten severely by the guards for some transgression and I lost the child, but...there is the chance that if we are intimate, I could become pregnant again. I hope that...that Renji-san isn't..."
"What? Me?" Renji said, flushing brightly, "No, not at all! I'm glad you told me. I mean, I'm not exactly ready to be a dad right now, you know? But, I would really like to be one someday. And I have to tell you, if I did have kids, I'd want to have them with someone like you...beautiful, loving, protective. I love you, Tetsuya. Nothing's going to change that now."
"I'm so glad to hear you say that!" Tetsuya said, relief spreading all over his youthful face, "I was afraid that if I told you about my...difference, it might change your mind about wanting to see me romantically."
"No way!" Renji laughed, moving so he laid on top of the slighter shinigami, "We'll just be careful and save the babymaking until we're both ready, okay?"
"Okay, Renji-san!" Tetsuya answered, smiling widely and rubbing a soft pale cheek against Renji's golden tanned one.
"Right," Renji laughed, "Now, we just have to find ourselves a protection charm!"
