Chapter 8: Beneath the Stars

Byakuya leaned back against a sakura tree and wrapped his arms around Renji from behind. Renji rested the back of his head on the noble's warm shoulder and gazed up into the night sky.

"So where would you like me to begin, Renji?" Byakuya asked, running a hand down the redhead's arm and lacing their fingers together.

"How about that one," Renji said, pointing, "That looks pretty interesting. What is it called?"

"Well, that depends on where you are. We know it as Hokutoshichisei, the Great Dipper. It is made up of the seven brightest stars of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. In other parts of the world, it is known as the Plough or Starry Plough, the Butcher's Cleaver, the men's wagon or Great Wagon, the Saucepan or The Seven Great Sages."

"Whew!" sighed Renji, "and I thought I was asking an easy question! Saucepans and cleavers? Ploughs, wagons and sages?"

"Different cultures often see the same thing with varied viewpoints. In any case, if you follow the two stars farthest from the handle, you can find Polaris, the North Star. It is useful in keeping oneself oriented and was used by slaves in North America to find their way to freedom."

"Byakuya, where did you learn all this? Was it in school or did you have a mentor or something?" Renji asked.

"Actually, I learned from the books in our archive. As you know, my parents died while I was still a child and Ginrei was my guardian. He was gone for long stretches and when Shihoin Yoruichi wasn't around to irritate me, I was left with time not devoted to training or other learning. So I would sit near the waterfall at home, looking at the stars. I found a book in the archive on the constellations and learned to find them, then found several others on the related mythologies from around the world. It was a way of keeping busy, I suppose."

"So…you just learned it on your own…but did you ever talk to your friends about them? I mean, it's so interesting to hear you talk about them. They must have really…"

He stopped, noticing the odd look Byakuya was giving him.

"Byakuya…"

The noble gazed at him silently for a moment, then rested his face against Renji's unbound hair.

"Well…I love hearing you talk about it. And someday, you can tell your children about them."

"You mean, our children?" Byakuya whispered.

Renji blinked and then smiled. He nuzzled closer to Byakuya.

"Yeah…our children. So…how is that going to work? I mean, Kisuke's explanation seemed to satisfy the council in the end, but…"

"But you were too unnerved to discover for yourself what was in his notes. Renji…we don't need to talk about that now. I am very satisfied having married you. We don't need to rush into having children. We can wait until you really want to move forward with it. Your comfort with it is every bit as important as mine."

Renji's laugh vibrated warmly against his chest.

"Byakuya, when I married you, I was telling you that I am ready…for all of it. I wouldn't have been able to do what I did if I wasn't. We're married now. Kids…that's like the next logical step, isn't it?" Renji asked.

"Yes, Renji, but it's a pretty big step."

"Well, yeah, but I think I'm ready."

Byakuya pulled away and turned to face Renji.

"Are you sure of that?" he asked, his eyes serious.

"As sure as I can be without knowing how it is going to work. I mean it's not like one of us has to get pregnant, right?" Renji asked, smiling.

Byakuya gazed back at him silently.

"Byakuya…you mean…one of us has to get pregnant?" he asked, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"I take it then that you aren't as ready for that discussion as you thought," Byakuya said quietly, "Well as I said, it isn't something we need to think about now. We have plenty of time to think about it."

"Well, honestly, I don't know I'll be so comfortable with the idea…but …"

Byakuya placed his mouth on Renji's and kissed the words away.

"I said that it can wait. I gave myself to you without conditions, Renji. There are no time limits in our life together. Everything will take place in the time we choose for it, and no sooner. Let us not speak of this for a time. Let us commit not to speak of it again until we reach our first anniversary. I want to enjoy time with just you for a while. Is this acceptable to you?"

"You…are you sure?" Renji asked, narrowing his eyes, "I mean, just a few weeks ago, you…"

"I know. I was confused…about many things. And I was…afraid. I feared that you would leave me, Renji," Byakuya admitted.

Renji blinked in surprise.

"Byakuya, why would you ever think that? I never even thought about leaving you. I love you. I've loved you for a really long time! Why would you doubt that?"

"I never doubted your love," Byakuya explained, "but I took your reticence to mean that you weren't sure it was love…that you had doubts about whether or not you would want to stay with me. Though I long for permanence, the very thought seemed to terrify you."

Renji nodded.

"Okay…I admit I was worried that things might not work out between us, but when I said that, I didn't see myself leaving you. Byakuya, I saw it the other way around! I thought you would end up regretting choosing me. I thought that I would disappoint you."

"You have never been a disappointment to me, Renji…despite what I might have told you in the past. When I said those things to you…I…"

"Byakuya…I know you were different then. You didn't really think that."

"No…" Byakuya admitted, "I didn't. More often, I was merely disappointed in myself. But I wasn't able to deal with those feelings…not at all. Because if I was a disappointment, then I would lose the people around me. And although the ones around me at the time were not the best of people, I judged it better than being alone. You see, Renji, that is what made me fear that you would leave me. Whether by death or by choice, or even by necessity…I am always being left behind. So when I gave myself to you, I did so already fearing that you would leave me…as I had been left before."

Renji felt tears burning in his eyes. It was so sad to learn how alone he had been…that he had really been very isolated growing up. He hadn't had a friend like Rukia had been to Renji…or like any of the ones who had been lost. It was so lonely. And although Renji felt sad thinking back on the friends they had lost in Inuzuri, at least there had been friends. Byakuya had been blessed with nobility and status, but it seemed to Renji that all it had really done was leave his taichou isolated and lonely.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Renji," Byakuya said, nuzzling him warmly, "My early life may have been lonely, but it led me to you. And given that, I would not trade a day of it…an hour…not even a moment."

"But you lost so many people who you loved!" objected Renji, "You can't tell me that you wouldn't go back and stop your parents from dying if you had the power."

"No…" Byakuya whispered, "That isn't what I mean. I just mean that I look back now and I don't feel so bad about the way things were. I was on a pathway that was difficult, but it led me to you…and it was all worth it because of that. Aishiteru yo."

Renji turned and pushed Byakuya back against the sakura tree, invading his mouth forcefully with a hungry tongue. Byakuya's met his with equal intensity and pressure and he found himself grateful that they were out of their gigais and so would not be spotted by any nearby humans…although it wasn't likely they would be out in such a remote place. He let Renji push him down into the soft grass beneath the tree and to slowly relieve him of his clothes, while also removing his own. His tanned hands moved warmly over Byakuya's body with such love and respect that it nearly brought the noble to tears. It was always this way with Renji. He never forgot that Byakuya was his taichou, even though the man was also his spouse and lover. No one had ever touched him the way Renji did…with such care and attention to his emotions. He never let on to others that he even had emotions. But with Renji, he could let go of his tight controls and really be himself.

"Renji!" he moaned into the redhead's mouth, "Renji…aishiteru yo!"

Renji's mouth attacked the soft skin of his throat, sending chills down his spine and making his hungry member twitch longingly. He fell on the powerful chest, tasting and teasing with mouth and searching fingertips. Byakuya caught his breath, and promptly had it taken away again as he looked up and took in the sight of Renji lifting his upper body away and tossing his head back so that he was surrounded in stars and enchanting swirls of red hair. Byakuya placed his hands on the redhead's shoulders, holding him there and letting a smile play over his face.

Renji grinned down at him.

"Byakuya, I think you're eyes are as bright as those stars up there!" he exclaimed.

Byakuya let him fall slowly down again, settling warmly on the noble's bare chest and dropping his head onto a soft shoulder.

"The stars are beautiful out here," Byakuya said, turning to bury his face in the tumbled red hair, "but nothing is more beautiful than seeing your face surrounded by them."

"Damn, Byakuya! When you say stuff like that, it makes me feel like I can't breathe!"

"Then let's become breathless together!" whispered Byakuya, taking hold of Renji and rolling the startled redhead onto his back.

He plunged into Renji's heated mouth, sucking at the redhead's lips and tongue. His hips thrust deeply into Renji's, making him moan into Byakuya's mouth, panting his name and threading his fingers through his taichou's black hair.

"Mmm, Bya…Bya…ah…" Renji moaned, arching his back and thrusting his hips upward.

He parted his thighs and grabbed Byakuya's hips, dragging them more deeply into his own. Byakuya shifted slightly, bringing his thickened arousal to the redhead's entrance and teasing him gently, forcing another heated moan from his lover's lips. He entered the redhead with tantalizing slowness, leaving Renji, panting and flushed. Renji's eyes opened and locked on his, looking wild and star-touched under the night sky. Byakuya gazed warmly down at the redhead's exotic, beautifully stricken features and began to move, biting down on the tattooed throat and sucking deeply. Renji's fingers tangled into his hair and dragged the noble's mouth back up to meet his. The sleek, tattooed body danced against his, the lithe hips rising to meet him thrust for thrust.

Renji threw his head back, moaning loudly as hot seed exploded out of him. He smiled dizzily up at Byakuya, surrounded in about twice as many stars as there should have been. The noble thrust in deeply, trembling with pleasure as he released inside the redhead. He let his body drop onto Renji's, sighing contentedly and capturing his mouth in a warm flurry of sated kisses. He rested contentedly on his lover's chest, still absently tracing the lovely tattoos with his fingertips.

Renji watched as Byakuya's fingers moved more and more slowly and then stopped. The dark eyes were closed and his face looked relaxed and blissful, a sight that Renji was proud to be one of the only ones to ever see. There were few sights he considered as beautiful as the sight of Kuchiki Byakuya asleep in his arms. And here he had an even more wonderful sight…Kuchiki Byakuya completely relaxed and sleeping in his arms under a sky filled with stars. He was glad now that they had come out away from the lights of Karakura Town as Byakuya had suggested, so that the light from the stars would shine brighter for them.

"Byakuya," he whispered, "aishiteru yo."

Byakuya stirred against his chest, then settled again. Renji smiled and held his lover's warm body against his, enjoying the scents of grass, sakura and their lovemaking. He kissed Byakuya's forehead lightly and decided that it wasn't so bad not having gone away somewhere for their honeymoon. There were plenty of beautiful places close to home that they could enjoy…like this.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya's eyes blinked open and he found himself looking into Renji's sleepy brown orbs.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked, shifting and stretching.

"Ah…I don't know, maybe an hour…two…who knows?" Renji sighed.

Byakuya pulled free of Renji.

"We should get back. It's very late and we have to work tomorrow…or is it today?"

"Yeah, all right," Renji said, reaching for his clothes.

They dressed slowly and then stood beneath the stars, exchanging deep, warm kisses, until Renji spotted something odd in the sky and pulled away, staring.

"Byakuya? Byakuya, what's that?" he said, pointing.

Byakuya turned and followed his gaze. His eyes widened.

"Renji…it's Draco…some of the stars…they're pulsing."

Byakuya felt an odd tightening in his chest, then power beginning to build inside him. He stepped back, staring as white light flared brightly around him.

"Byakuya, what's happening?" Renji yelled, stepping back.

"I don't know!" Byakuya gasped softly, "It isn't me. I'm not controlling this!"

"Byakuya…the dragon marking! It's glowing!" shouted Renji over the suddenly rising wind.

Byakuya felt a flash of dizziness and a sense of being overcome. The air around him went dark and everything seemed to explode into blinding whiteness. He felt his hand take hold of Senbonzakura and heard Renji calling his name. There was the hiss of a flash step and he heard Renji gasp in pain. Slowly, Byakuya's vision cleared.

He stood flush with the front of Renji's taut, shaking form…with Senbonzakura buried deeply in his midsection. The startled brown eyes were wide and frightened, staring into his as though he had become a monster.

And so he had…

He felt another presence moving him, raising his hand to Renji's breast…and then the word that came from his lips, but was not spoken in his voice.

"Awaken…"

Still looking into Renji's hazed, shocked eyes, he pulled his weapon free.