Chapter 10: Negotiation
"You think that there is potential in suggesting a love triangle between them?" Aizen queried, looking more closely at the three young men, "As much as the idea seems viable, I have already said that Abarai Renji is barred from returning to the company. His behavior before, as well as the damage he caused to my studio suggests a destructive personality that would quickly become a liability."
"Be that as it may," Gin said, eyeing the three, "There is something about them that strikes a very powerful chord. Certainly Grimmjow comes off well as the bad boy type and Tetsuya-kun makes a lovely fallen angel. But having a good guy hero type adds a lovely twist. And a good guy who was once in the thrall of a bad boy, working to rescue the unsuspecting angel is perfect! Sousuke, I do not often question your decisions, but I know for a fact this is the way to go. You are going to make mountains of money on this, I guarantee you."
"He won't make anything," Tetsuya insisted, stepping forward, "because I am having none of this. Nothing is happening at all until I see my cousin! Where have you taken him? I know you have something to do with his disappearance, Aizen Sousuke, as certainly as you seem to have engineered mine! Now, tell me Byakuya-sama is!"
"Byakuya and I are negotiating. And for as long as those negotiations continue, we need to be accorded privacy. Surely you can understand that."
"What I understand is that you are holding my cousin hostage to force him to accept your terms about me working for you. And I assure you, it will not happen! I am not going to agree to anything as long as you continue to hold my cousin against his will. And you, most certainly will not make any headway with Byakuya-sama, using such tactics to force him to do what you want!"
Aizen's lips curved upward.
"Tetsuya, I must commend you on your courage and determination, of course, but...you are mistaken in your perspective."
"What?"
"Byakuya has no desire to be freed right now. As I said, we are negotiating. And you are keeping me from those negotiations with your refusal to cooperate. However, if you will meet me halfway, I think that we can resolve things to everyone's satisfaction."
"How?" Tetsuya snapped angrily.
"Record a sample. We will make A/V clips and I will show these to your cousin. And we will let the decision rest with him."
"Huh," Tetsuya huffed sarcastically, "What, have you brainwashed him now?"
Aizen shook his head.
"You insult me. I do not need to resort to that to make Byakuya understand your potential, Tetsuya. The evidence is clear. And the sample will prove that to the satisfaction of everyone involved, or we will not complete the recording."
"You make it sound so reasonable," scoffed the younger man, "but it really amounts to extortion. You know that, don't you?"
"I must disagree with you, I am afraid. But this argument is getting us nowhere. We are at cross purposes and we need to negotiate if we are to bring this to an amicable conclusion. Let us just look at what each of us wants. You want to speak to your cousin. I wish to show him a sampling of your ability so that we can conclude our negotiations. To achieve what everyone wants, I will offer you a room here, where you can comfortably complete the sample and await Byakuya's decision. You see, there is no need for anger and threats and everyone's needs will be met."
"I will not stay under your roof and neither will I leave without my cousin," Tetsuya said stubbornly, "If you refuse to release Byakuya-sama, I will inform the family that my cousin is being held against his will here! You cannot use extortion and abduction to get what you want from us, Aizen Sousuke. The Kuchiki family will not accept that. As soon as they know what you have done..."
"You assume that they would believe that Byakuya was abducted by me and did not come here willingly."
"What are you talking about? Byakuya-sama..."
"He has already defied them once because of me," Aizen said quietly, "It had an impact...made an impression. And even though he left me and returned to them, the fact remains that I was able to lure him away from them. In addition to that, there is not a shred of evidence that Byakuya has been abducted. Did he not inform everyone as to his whereabouts? Is it really unusual for him, the CEO of a major music studio that is in financial trouble, to be working overtime to negotiate to save the company? I would suggest to you that Byakuya is simply doing what he needs to do, and you need to do your part to make his decision easier. So, if you will agree to remain as a guest, here at my manor, and make the sample of the song and video, I will provide you with the first possible opportunity to speak to Byakuya, as soon as we have concluded our negotiations."
Tetsuya's frown deepened.
"You speak like you are offering a compromise, but you are really just forcing me to go along with your wishes, aren't you?" he said accusingly.
"Why do you say that?" Aizen asked calmly, "If I wanted to use force, then I could threaten you and your cousin. I have not done that. I have offered to make you my guest here so that we can come to agreement together. But, I need the sample of your talent to convince Byakuya that this project is the right thing to do. He needs to be assured that it will not have to interfere with your launch at Kuchiki Studios."
"And how are you going to manage that?" Tetsuya asked skeptically, "I am sure that my cousin has told you that if I am seen performing in a rock band, I will not be taken seriously in the opera arena after, so how will you...?"
"I can answer that question for you, but I will need you to complete the sample I asked for so that I can convince you. So, Kuchiki Tetsuya, will you agree to remain here and to make the sample?"
Tetsuya closed his eyes for a moment and took a few slow breaths, thinking the other man's words over carefully.
This is a dangerous man we are dealing with and he has made it clear that he wants this deal very badly. But the fact that he needs the sample suggests that Byakuya-sama is at least willing to listen to him...or is in a position where he must listen in order to secure his freedom. And Aizen was right that Byakuya-sama defied the family before, which means he was suggesting that they wouldn't necessarily believe that he was abducted by Aizen, but might think he was seduced again by the man. I know that if I summon the authorities, this man is crafty enough to make sure that there is no evidence to prove he has done anything. It seems that he has me cornered. And the sample is not a full recording, but just a piece that is useless unless we agree to finish it. Before that happens, I will be able to see Byakuya-sama and to determine what he really thinks about all of this.
It seems that I have no choice.
But...
"Aizen Sousuke," Tetsuya said, his voice calm and his tone even, "I do not accept for a moment that Byakuya-sama willingly came here or that he has agreed to even see and hear this sample, but it seems that we cannot move forward without it, so...I will agree to remain here at your manor and to complete the sample. However, I will do so only if Abarai Renji is allowed to remain at my side, as my bodyguard for the duration of these dealings."
"Hmmm," Aizen said, looking less than pleased, "I do not think that you understand how much inconvenience that man caused me. But Gin also seems bent on having him about, so I suppose I shall have to make that concession to keep things amicable. But you will also have an attendant of mine to 'assist' you and to keep Renji from causing trouble."
He nodded in the direction of the guard who had accompanied Tetsuya into the building.
"Miki will accompany you while you are here. And, as I said, as soon as I have shown Byakuya the sample and we have finished our negotiations, you may speak to him."
"Very well," Tetsuya said unhappily, "I don't seem to have much choice. I just want Byakuya-sama to come home safely."
He flinched and caught his breath in surprise as Aizen's hand touched his shoulder and the man's deceptively gentle eyes fixed on his.
"I am not going to harm Byakuya," he said solemnly, "I confess that I am still in love with your cousin and I truly hope that he and I can resolve our differences and agree to work together. It would truly be best for everyone...and...it would bring peace for Byakuya and me to claim our freedom from that unpleasantness from before."
"And you just don't care at all about the money, ne?" Tetsuya muttered angrily, "I would say that the money is what this is all about, and you don't care at all about my cousin or me!"
He went silent, a chill breath making his heart pound as Aizen's eyes darkened and glared down at him.
"If this was about the money, then there are a hundred easier ways to get it, Tetsuya," he said in a voice that betrayed an edge of dangerous anger, "Think carefully before you make such a statement again."
A long, pregnant silence followed, before Aizen's expression calmed and the air around the group grew breathable again.
"Now then, why don't you go and speak with Gin to get you started? The sooner we have the sample, the sooner everyone gets what they want."
"And where are you going?" Tetsuya asked, "Aren't you going to...?"
"I have business to see to. Gin will inform me when the sample has been completed."
He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Tetsuya staring after him.
"Well!" Gin said in a pleased voice, smiling at the three bemused young men, "Let's get started then. Grimmjow-kun, you have the music prepared?"
"Y-yeah, it's in there."
"Very well. Why don't you start working with those other two boys and see if we can't turn that lovely duet into a much hotter trio!"
"Eh...right," the blue-haired vocalist said, scratching his head and looking back at his two angry companions, "Though, if things get much hotter around here, it may be more than Aizen's doors that are in danger of being kicked in..."
"Oh, don't worry about them," Gin laughed, grinning widely, "I am sure that once we get started, they'll forget about everything but the lovely sexual tension between the three of you."
"Huh..." Grimmjow muttered, shaking his head, "This I've gotta see."
He nodded to the other two and regained a somewhat cockier smile.
"Well, you heard the man. Let's go and see if we can't make gold out of this mess."
Tetsuya and Renji exchanged glances, then moved reluctantly to join him.
"We'll watch out for each other," Renji said, under his breath, "Don't worry, Tetsuya. Aizen Sousuke isn't going to get his way this time."
I want to believe that...but that man is so dastardly!
Byakuya-sama, I hope you are all right.
XXXXXXXXXX
As the haze around Byakuya began to lift, he could sense immediately that something seemed very, very wrong about his situation. Although he could feel the soft rise and fall of his chest, he could not seem to move. He was sure that his eyes were open, but could only discern a field of gray. Blinking slowly, he was able to determine that a blindfold had been placed over his eyes. And as he continued to try to move, he could feel that he had somehow been securely restrained.
And in a very undignified position.
Damn you, Sousuke!
"Ah, you are awake," a soft male voice whispered in his ear, heating the earlobe and making it blush instantly, "We can begin our negotiations, ne?"
Byakuya flinched as warm lips brushed against that same earlobe and the warm breath tickled his throat.
"I am not going to negotiate anything with you, restrained like this," he answered furiously, "Unbind me at once, Sousuke! I will hear nothing that you say until you take these things off of me!"
"You won't hear me, you say?" Aizen purred, teasing the other man's throat with his lips, then running his teeth lightly against the blushing flesh, "Well, if you won't hear me, I suppose I am forced to use other means than speech to reach you."
"You heard me, you bastard!" Byakuya hissed, "Unbind me now!"
He was surprised at the silence that followed, then soundly shaken as something slid down the side of his face and he caught the rich scent of leather.
"Sousuke!"
He renewed his struggle, but found that he could only make very small adjustments to his position. And as it settled over him just how helpless he was, he could feel the other man's eyes raking his fully revealed flesh.
"Sousuke!" he exclaimed, breathlessly, "I know that you hate me for leaving you...but...don't do this. Don't...humiliate me like this."
He is probably filming this as well...
"Humiliate you?" Aizen whispered, his lips brushing briefly against his captive's and his fingers caressing the silken strands of raven black hair, "Byakuya, I have no intention of humiliating you. I am only attempting to adhere to your wishes. You said that you would not hear me...but apparently you can feel me. And that being the case, I have no choice but to speak to you through touch, ne?"
"Sousuke...!"
Byakuya was left speechless as Aizen's hand slid down his torso, meandering slowly along flesh beginning to dampen with sweat and playing lightly over the leather straps that held him down. He tried again to speak, only to be silenced by a warm bite on his bared shoulder, a tracing tongue sliding along a fine collarbone.
"Very well, I understand!" he managed, breaking through the fire that seemed to be burning its way down his throat, "You have made your point, Sousuke. Now, stop this!"
To his surprise and dismay, there was no verbal answer, but a soft, snapping sound and the blossoming of a slight stinging, somewhere near his hip. The tongue that had teased his collarbone, made a scorching line down over his breast, making him stiffen and pant.
"Sousuke, stop this," Byakuya reasoned with his former lover, "I said that I would listen to you. You have made your point. Now, please unbind me so that we can talk. I am not going to negotiate with a rapist. And I have not given my consent to this!"
"You have not given your consent?" Aizen queried, moving on, "Is that so?"
Devilishly soft lips and frisky, nipping teeth blazed a trail down the soft, white expanse of the restrained man's midsection. Then, that devouring tongue slid into Byakuya's navel, loving it thoroughly before sliding slowly out again.
"S-sousuke!" Byakuya panted, swallowing hard and trying to slow his increasingly labored breathing.
"But, you did give your consent," Aizen went on, "When you said that you wouldn't hear me, you invited me to speak to you another way. But...do not worry. I am no rapist. I will not have sex with you against your will."
"Sous...!"
"My only goal is to express to you without words, my deep and abiding love for you, and my appreciation for your beauty. So...if you will not consent to allow me to make love to you, I shall simply have to continue showing my appreciation and love for you until you understand me. I love you. It was a mistake for me to ever let you go, and…I am going to do whatever it takes to bring you back to me!"