Chapter 11: Protected
Kisuke waited as the delivery driver wheeled in several carts of supplies for the shop, then quietly signaled Renji and Byakuya to move. The two slipped into a wooden shipping container and were loaded onto the delivery truck. As the truck rumbled away, Kisuke stood alongside Yoruichi, Ichigo and Rukia, watching as it disappeared into the distance. After it had gone, Kisuke turned to Yoruichi.
"So you say that Shuji died of unnatural causes, eh?" he asked.
"It was a very well rendered scene, quite professionally and coldly carried out. Whoever did this was ruthless and powerful…and he must really despise Byakuya. He's covering his tracks now, but that doesn't mean that he is done with his moves against Byakuya. If he worked with Shuji and he learns of Tadashi, he might try to take advantage of Tadashi's situation to hide his own involvement.
"And," Kisuke added, "if there was anyone else who had knowledge of the connection between this mystery guy and Shuji, he'll probably eliminate them as well."
Yoruichi nodded and chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip.
"Renji told me that Shuji was hired by the Kuchiki Council of Elders to assist them in trying to counter the bad press about Byakuya with a series of opposing articles. He said that the council member most responsible was Orochi Kuchiki. He is Byakuya's cousin and in line for clan leadership if anything happens to Byakuya," Yoruichi explained.
"I'd say that makes him pretty high on the list of suspects," said Kisuke, "and it also means that we're going to have one hell of a time working against him. Do we know how Orochi found Shuji?"
"Renji said that Shuji told Byakuya that he was recommended to Orochi by the newspaper administrator."
"The one who was most responsible for the bogus article that set this whole thing off, right? Interesting. I'd say that Orochi's plan was to use 'Creepy' to either set Byakuya up for a media slaying or to set him up to be abducted at some point. Whether publicly humiliated or imprisoned by the freak…or both, Byakuya was being set up."
"So," said Yoruichi, "we need to get to that administrator before he does."
"Good thinking," said Kisuke, "and while you do that, Ichigo and I will slip away from here and go stand guard on the lovers. They may not have Shuji to worry about, but as soon as word gets out that Byakuya is alive, Tadashi will be back. But we'll try to keep his survival quiet as long as we can. We'll officially report him missing…and I have a friend at the newspaper here who will run an article that reports the finding of a body in that alley. Maybe that will throw Tadashi off."
Yoruichi nodded and turned to Rukia.
"Come Rukia, we need to move quickly…before Orochi gets to that administrator!"
The two flash stepped away.
Kisuke turned back to Ichigo.
"Well," he said, smiling, "looks like you and I have a few hours to kill before we follow the lovebirds out to their hideaway. Care to join me for a cup of tea?"
"Tea?" said Ichigo, narrowing his eyes, "It's the first time we've been alone in almost a week and you want tea?"
"Well," Kisuke said, letting a smile creep onto his face, "I never said what we'd do after the tea."
Ichigo laughed softly and turned to follow Kisuke inside. As Kisuke turned toward the kitchen, Ichigo took hold of him from behind and flash stepped toward the bedroom. Kisuke chuckled softly.
"No tea then?" he complained.
He had, he found, no complaints about being thrown down on the bed and attacked by Ichigo's hot, eager mouth and the hands that quickly deprived him of his clothes.
"Whoa, there," he laughed softly as the substitute soul reaper released his lips and bit down on his throat, "Give a guy a chance to catch up or this will be over with before it starts!"
"What are you talking about?" Ichigo said between warm, wet kisses and sharp, playful nips, "You said we've got a couple of hours, right?"
"Yeah, I said that…so?"
"So there's time for more than once," Ichigo said, grinning.
"Or," Kisuke said, turning swiftly and pinning the ginger haired shinigami to the bed beneath him, "We can slow this down and make this one really shake the foundation…know what I mean?"
Ichigo gave it a moment of thought…and selected option two.
XXXXXXXXXX
The delivery truck rumbled to a stop at the end of a long driveway. The driver got out and removed a large wooden crate from the truck. He wheeled it to the back door of the beach house and left it. There was a long pause as the driver returned to the truck and drove away, then the crate shifted and the side opened. Renji slipped out, followed by a somewhat unsettled looking Byakuya.
"That's strange, you getting motion sickness like that," Renji said sympathetically, "but it's better now, isn't it?"
"I'm fine, Renji. I am glad we're here though. This looks comfortable."
"Yeah, there were several possibilities, but I liked this one best. The weather is going to be good over the next few days, so we should be able to relax and enjoy it while we're here."
Renji unlocked the door and stepped back to let Byakuya enter the house. He stepped past Renji and into the entry, stopping inside to admire the earthen colors, the dark wooden trim, the comfortable looking furniture and the openness of the tri-level home's floorplan.
They set their bags down in the entry.
"Kisuke had someone come and prepare the place for us, so there's food and all of the supplies we'll need. All we really have to do is to relax and try to enjoy this place."
Byakuya nodded.
"If enjoyment is possible under the circumstances," Byakuya said, dropping onto the sofa.
Renji sat down next to him.
"Well," he said, brushing the stray hairs away from Byakuya's face, "I think I can be of some help in that department."
He pressed his lips warmly to the dark haired captain's.
"I was thinking that it would be nice to take a walk on the beach. I think a little bit of sand between your toes might just relax you a little."
"You think so?" Byakuya asked noncommittally, "What makes you think that?"
Renji shrugged.
"I've been to the beach with Ichigo. He says that walking on the beach is really soothing."
Byakuya stood, bringing Renji up with him.
"Then if you think it will help, we should give it a try. But having been to the beach a few times before, I don't know how it differs in value from walking the trails at home."
Renji smiled.
"You've never walked on the beach in human form, have you?" he asked.
"No," said Byakuya, "I can't say that I have."
"Well, let's go then. And you can tell me if Ichigo's right or if he's full of shit."
"Renji," Byakuya said, narrowing his eyes, "I would think that the answer to that is quite obvious."
Renji started to laugh, then stopped himself and stared at Byakuya.
"Good one, Byakuya! I think this human form is improving your sense of humor!"
"Renji," Byakuya said in a quieter, more serious tone, "why are you doing this?"
Renji blinked.
"Doing what?"
"Why are you so interested in pointing out the differences now that I am in human form? Do you think that I don't notice them? Need I remind you that I'm not accustomed to having trouble controlling my impulses and emotions? I don't enjoy the harsher sensations of physical life. I liked things as they were. And the sooner I am out of this form and back in my own, the better I will feel."
Renji followed Byakuya quietly out the door and down onto the beach. They walked down to the wet sand and walked slowly up the beach, enjoying the feel of the cold water rushing around their feet and ankles.
"I'm sorry, Byakuya," Renji said, slipping an arm around him, "I know this isn't easy for you. I guess I was just asking because when Ichigo said what he did, it made me wonder if it was really true…that there is a difference in the way humans and shinigamis experience things. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."
Byakuya was silent for a moment, then he stopped and turned Renji around.
"You want to go back now?" Renji asked.
Byakuya looked at him out of the corner of one gray eye.
"Renji," he said softly, "Look back at our tracks in the sand."
Renji followed his gaze to where the water was rushing in and out, slowly covering the signs of their passing.
"Yeah?"
"Humans and shinigamis both leave footprints in the sand when they walk there…but in this living world, the water sweeps them away more quickly. If Ichigo told you that the sensations and emotions are deeper…perhaps the reason that seems to be true is because human life is much more fleeting than ours. In general, the less of something there is, the more precious we perceive it to be."
"So you're saying that the emotion makes it feel different?" Renji asked.
"I would have to agree that is true," Byakuya replied, digging his toes into the sand, "and that being the case, the sensations of human life aren't just more intense for me…they are nearly overwhelming."
"Why?"
Byakuya turned into Renji's arms and rested his head on the redhead's shoulder. Renji ran his fingers through the dark hair and rested his chin on top of Byakuya's head.
"Think about it, Renji. My life has come down to what happens in a relatively small number of heartbeats. Each as it comes is one less moment we have to find a way out of this. And while everyone is scrambling, trying to find a way to help me…all I am capable of doing is sitting here and watching the clock run down to zero. Do you have any idea how that feels?"
"No," said Renji, sliding a hand under his chin and raising his eyes, "and no matter what you think, Byakuya, neither do you. Because you are not just sitting here marking time. You have the most important task of all of us. We're the ones who feel helpless. Because as much as we do to find a way out of this, we can't keep you alive. You have to do that. You have to take care of yourself. And thinking that your life as a human is worthless, that you are useless, isn't going to help you stay alive so we can help you. Understand?"
Byakuya dropped his head back onto Renji's shoulder and was silent for several long minutes. Finally, he sighed softly and nuzzled more firmly into the redhead's embrace.
"I understand. I will do everything I can to lengthen the time we have to find our answers…but Renji, you must understand that if a means cannot be found in time, that this time we have now…here…has become priceless."
"Don't talk like that," Renji said, swallowing the knot of fear that was rising in his throat, "We're going to get you out of this, I promise you!"
Byakuya said nothing, but nodded silently in response. He leaned against Renji wearily. The redhead turned and drew him into a long, passionate kiss.
"I swear to you, Byakuya. I won't let you die. I waited too long and suffered too much to find you. I'll be damned if I'll let go of you now! Trust me…I need you to trust me. Can you do that? Can you trust me?"
Byakuya said nothing, but nodded into the redhead's strong shoulder. A moment later, he was lifted off his feet and carried back over the expanse of sand to the beach house. He held on, with his eyes closed and his head rested on Renji's shoulders as he was carried up the stairs and deposited on a soft bed.
Renji dropped down with him, fastening his mouth on Byakuya's and kissing him repeatedly. He kissed away the weary expression and traced the lines of his lover's face with his lips. He tilted Byakuya's head back and nuzzled beneath his chin, tasting the skin of his throat.
Byakuya's hands took hold of him and pushed him away. Renji stared down at him questioningly.
"Renji," Byakuya said softly, "remove your gigai. I may not be able to see you in shinigami form…but I can feel everything. I just want to be with you the way you really are…the way I remember you."
Renji nodded slowly, then stood and slipped out of the gigai. He slipped back into bed and wrapped his body around Byakuya's.
"Is that better?" he whispered into the shell of an ear.
"Yes," Byakuya said, closing his eyes and running his hands down the redhead's body, "This is the way I remember you, Renji. This is how you really are…and when I'm with you like this…it isn't so hard to remember myself, the way I was."
Renji kissed him warmly.
"The way you will be again."
Byakuya rubbed his cheek against Renji's.
"The way I will be again," he agreed softly.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kisuke felt the soft brush of a hell butterfly touching his nose and his eyes blinked open. He nudged a snoring Ichigo aside and sat up, listening as the butterfly delivered its message. The tone of Yoruichi's voice left him uneasy and the message did nothing to ease the feeling.
Kisuke, Rukia and I went directly to the newspaper administrator's office, but it looks like we were too late. They said that the administrator looks to have died of natural causes and because there were no signs of foul play, they don't plan any further investigation. I think they're making a mistake. I managed to purloin some samples from the body that I'm bringing them back so Tessai can study them. But you and Ichigo should follow the plan to join Byakuya and Renji at the safe house. I just have a bad feeling about all of this…and we still don't know where Tadashi is. He's probably waiting somewhere in hiding until he is sure that Byakuya is dead. Once he emerges, you can be sure that Orochi will track him down and make sure he knows that Byakuya is still alive. There was no way to hide the fact he survived from the council. They have ways of knowing when their clan leader dies. Things are going to get even more dangerous now. Be careful.
"Well…that wasn't real reassuring, was it?" Kisuke muttered.
He turned and nudged his sleeping lover awake. Ichigo squinted up at him, looking offended at having been awakened.
"What is it?" he asked, yawning.
"We should go now," Kisuke said, "We shouldn't leave them unguarded."
Ichigo nodded and rolled to his feet. They dressed quickly and made their way out into the evening darkness. They moved away at flash step speed.
A slim, hooded figure turned as they flashed by and silently moved to follow.