Chapter 11: Hidden Fangs

Byakuya felt a rare smile rising on his lips as he woke to the feel of Renji's eyes watching him. It was something old and familiar, yet it had been years since he had felt it. He laid contentedly in the redhead's arms, breathing in his pleasant, masculine scent and enjoying the feeling of those treasured hands as they gently held and caressed him, the touches warm and searching, but stopping short of anything that could be construed as sexual. They were both very cognizant of the rules of his visit to the rogue camp.

"Did you sleep at all, Renji?" he asked softly.

The sleepy red-brown eyes blinked slowly.

"Hell no," he replied, kissing the noble's fingertips, "Couldn't take my eyes off of you. So I just laid here all night looking at you…kissing you some…remembering how it was. Damn it, Byakuya. We have to get you and Kisho out of that place. I want our family to be together…"

"I want that too, Renji," Byakuya said, nuzzling closer.

"Do you have any strategies?" the redhead asked.

Byakuya thought for a moment.

"I'll let him think I've calmed…that I am grateful to him for letting me spend the night here. I'll just train with Kisho…and I will try to get him to believe that the band he placed on me is interfering with my systems. As soon as he removes it, I will meet Kisho in the training room and give you the signal to attack."

"We'll be ready. We slipped in and placed some kido disrupters to weaken the shielding on the training room…and we're set up under cover there. I'll just stay in the area until we get the signal from you to move in and detonate things. Just make sure that you and Kisho shield yourselves from the initial blast. After that, we'll grab you two and the servant woman and get the hell out of here."

Byakuya nodded, but his eyes were guarded.

"But you know that won't be the end of it," he said quietly, "Aizen will throw everything at us to stop us from reaching home."

"Well, it won't do him a damn bit of good since we'll be using Urahara's garganta. We'll be out of here so quick, he won't know what hit him. I just wish we could take out that son of a bitch on the way out. He's been a fucking thorn in everyone's side for too many years…but no one knows what to do with him."

"Ah…too true," Byakuya agreed, "but maybe we are home again, you and I can think of a plan, ne?"

He considered his words a bit more carefully and sighed softly.

"What is it?" Renji asked, kissing a furrowed brow, "You moping again already?"

"No," the noble said quietly, "just realizing that things will be very different when we go home. I have lost my place in the Gotei 13…and the clan has moved on without me. I shall have to take steps immediately to regain my leadership…at least in the clan."

Renji met his eyes calmly.

"But not in the military?" he asked softly, "Because you know I'll stand aside. Squad Six is yours. I'm only in the position because I didn't want you to have to fight to get it back when you come home…"

"I know that, Renji. But…when I consider how quickly Soutaichou allowed me to be abandoned…I wonder how well I could serve them, knowing as I do now how little my service means to them."

"Yeah…" agreed the redhead, "I'm with you on that. I tried to cut them some slack while there were no signs you were alive. But once I had proof, I just couldn't forgive them for not helping to bring you home. And I don't know if I ever will. So…we may both be looking for something else when we go back…that is if I'm not just tossed into the Maggot's Nest for abandoning my duty to come and find you."

"If they attempt that, I will just use clan privilege to stop them."

"But you can only do that once you have regained leadership. I may be taken into custody before then…"

"You?" said Byakuya, raising an eyebrow, "I would be very disappointed in you if you allowed yourself to be caught, Abarai."

Renji chuckled softly.

"I have managed to elude capture for quite a while, ne? Must be that not so wholesome Inuzuri upbringing…"

"Must be," the noble agreed, lacing their fingers together.

They fell silent, knowing how close they were to being separated, but not wanting to acknowledge it. And as the power of the band on his wrist activated and began to steal him back from his lover's arms, the two managed to exchange a single, very intense, parting kiss.

Byakuya felt a strong feeling of disorientation. He felt as though he had begun to fall and closed his eyes. His body seemed to have gone weightless except for the aching heaviness of heart that returned as he found himself again in Aizen Sousuke's bedroom. He stood just inside the room, near the window, facing the bed. Aizen sat up, blinking, but saying nothing as he observed the noble for a moment.

"So…" he said finally, "you have returned. I hope you are calmer now. Your reiatsu seems quiet enough. Why don't you go and shower? I can smell that dog's scent on you from here. You must not have left his arms the whole time you were with him. Go."

He said nothing in return, but quietly turned towards the bathroom and started the shower. He removed his yukata and stepped in under the warm water, hating that he had to wash away the comforting scent, but knowing better than to show it in any way. If he was going to escape, he had to let Aizen think he had won.

He closed his eyes and let the hot water run down his body, wondering in silence if his body would ever feel like it really belonged to him again. He knew it was just the long captivity wearing on him, but he couldn't quite push away the melancholy he felt in returning to Aizen after having spent the night in Renji's arms.

He almost jumped out of his skin when Aizen's hands suddenly touched him…

He was, of course, used to the leader of the hollows appearing suddenly and taking him sexually, but even as he was held under the hot spray and washed thoroughly, then pushed back against the wall, he managed to maintain the calm about him. He silently thanked Renji for helping to strengthen him, then opened his eyes and met the brown, inquisitive eyes of his captor.

"You are still thinking about him, aren't you?" Aizen said in a low voice.

Byakuya was surprised at the hurt in the usually cool, collected voice.

It hurt him to let me go. Why? I thought that all he wanted was this baby…and the power it would give him over my clan…

But, he thought as Aizen moved closer and stared down into his eyes, they had been married for a long time…even if he had spent much of it unconscious…

As his captor's mouth found his and Aizen's hands took hold of him, he felt the pent up emotion and knew he had to do something before the man's anger flared. So as the hardened lips moved against his, he softened his and kissed back. He stepped into the circle of Aizen's arms and let his head drop onto his husband's shoulder, their lips still touching. He felt sudden tension in the other man's body and gazed into his eyes quietly as they kissed again, then separated. He hated how it made him feel, but forced himself to say the words that would calm things between them. He had to, he reminded himself, if he ever wanted to see his home again.

"Arigato, Sousuke," he whispered, barely audible above the sound of the falling water, "It was…difficult…but I am grateful that Renji and I were finally allowed to say goodbye to each other."

He paused, letting his reiatsu flutter fitfully for a moment.

"You were…right. Once he knew you were successful in impregnating me…Renji no longer…"

He broke off and let the emotion rise inside him until a single tear fell. He was very aware of how closely Aizen was watching him, at the tension in the man's body and the intensity in his reiatsu. He continued to watch for several minutes, then wrapped his arms around Byakuya again and brought their faces close together.

"You will accept that you are mine now, ne?" he asked the noble, "You will not resist me anymore? No one is going to rescue you now…so you have no reason left to fight."

He placed a gentle hand on Byakuya's abdomen.

"But even as you accept having lost him, I hope you will realize that although that door has closed, another has opened, Byakuya."

He kissed the noble's frowning lips and took his face in both hands.

"You have resisted me for so long. Will you accept now that there is no other path and finally try to make yourself content here?" he asked.

Byakuya met his eyes wearily.

"It seems I have no choices anymore," he said in a trembling voice, "I have been abandoned by everyone I thought cared for me. I know better than to think you love me, Sousuke. Like those others, you have an agenda…and to you, I am a means to an end. But…I don't want to think about that anymore. It is too much of a weight to bear. I would just like to set it all aside."

He looked down at the band on his wrist.

"And I no longer wish to consider going back."

Aizen touched the band gently with a fingertip.

"Are you certain?" he asked quietly, "Because I will do as I said and allow you to return home once every six months."

Byakuya met his gaze squarely.

"Why would I want to torment myself seeing them again?" he asked bitterly, "It's not like before, when they had no idea I was alive, Sousuke. Those people I cared about abandoned me…knowingly. I…I never want to go back there."

He let his eyes drop and stood quietly, letting the water run down his body and waiting for some kind of response. The leader of the hollows hesitated, studying him carefully, then pulled him close and ran his fingers through the noble's thick, black hair.

"We have something in common then, Aizen Byakuya. Because they abandoned me as well. I had intelligence and power, but they acted as though it meant nothing because I wore a peasant's name. And now that you wear my peasant's name, they have forgotten you as well. But I will not forget you. Come, let us put this unpleasantness behind us. We have more compelling things to do than to think on their ridiculous attitudes any longer. Do not torment yourself. In a matter of months, we will welcome our child into the world…and once we do, then you and I will share a new beginning. We will take what once was a farce of a marriage and turn it into a genuine love affair, ne?"

He brushed away a second tear that had crept onto Byakuya's proud face. Byakuya shook his head slowly and looked away.

"I will never give my heart to anyone again," he said in a low voice, "I know better. Trust is for the unwary and love for the naïve. I have no need for either anymore. But I will stay with you. Our child needs a stable environment…"

He sighed, leaning into Aizen's embrace.

"At very least, he or she should know better than to put faith in the unfaithful…"

Aizen gave him a sympathetic smile and turned off the water. They left the shower and dried off, then moved out into the bedroom to dress. They left the room together and Aizen led him to the throne room, then surprised Byakuya by calling for Kisho and Hekima to be sent.

"What are you doing?" the noble asked quietly.

Guards appeared at the doorway, leading the boy and the servant woman into the room. Aizen looked down at them for a moment, then nodded to the lead guard.

"Take them out into the desert…near where you sensed the rogues. Abarai will scent his son and take him and that useless woman off of our hands. I have no more use for them."

He looked up at Byakuya's surprised expression, "I have all that I need right here."

Byakuya wanted to smile as his son was led away, out into the desert. He knew that Renji was watching and that Kisho would be safe. And now that Aizen no longer had the leverage that he used to, Byakuya planned to make his escape. The last obstacle, he thought, was the band on his wrist. It was the only thing standing between him and freedom now.

But it would not stand in his way for long…

At least, he hoped it would not…

He forced himself to look disinterested as Aizen quietly gazed at him.

"Are you all right?" his captor asked, laying a hand on his arm.

Byakuya nodded briefly and started to climb to his feet. He took a step and swayed unsteadily. Aizen smiled and placed an arm around him.

"It is likely just the pregnancy…" he suggested.

"Perhaps," said the noble, "but it seems as though this band is somehow interfering with me. In any case, I do not need it now anyway, as I am not returning to the Seireitei."

Aizen tilted his head slightly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking down at the band, "You could give it some thought. There must be one among them you would like to see on occasion."

"No," said Byakuya resolutely, "I have nothing to say to them."

The leader of the hollows smiled.

"Very well, then."

He rose from his seat in the throne room and took Byakuya's hands. The noble forced himself not to react as Aizen touched the band and it slowly disappeared. He took Byakuya's hand and laced their fingers together.

"Come," he said invitingly, "I would like to be with you."

Byakuya knew better than to hesitate. He sighed inwardly, thankful that he would soon be able to escape and would never have to feel Aizen's touch again. He walked solemnly at his husband's side, only half listening to Aizen's casual words. They reached the bedroom and passed inside, closing the door behind them.

"You must be missing Kisho, ne?" Aizen asked him, startling him.

"I cannot miss him so much," Byakuya replied, "I was not allowed to be a father to him…so…"

"But you were a friend to the boy…"

"Why does that matter?" Byakuya sighed as he was undressed and lowered onto the bed, "The boy barely knew me. He will forget me as easily as the rest of them did. I will not waste the effort, missing him."

Aizen's fingers stroked his face gently.

"You have become very cynical, Aizen Byakuya. I hope that as we move forward, you learn to trust again. I told you…I will not desert you."

"Yes," said Byakuya, "I have heard those words from many pretty mouths, Sousuke, but they have yet to prove true."

He closed his eyes as Aizen slowly prepared and entered him. The leader of the hollows paused with their bodies joined, touching Byakuya's face lightly and feeding him slow, lingering kisses. He thrust in deeply, smiling at the tightening of Byakuya's hands on his shoulders and the catching of breath. He slid a hand down between them, wrapping his fingers around the noble's length and caressing it in time with their movements. He was less than surprised at the empty look in the noble's eyes, but suddenly found himself wanting to make Byakuya smile. He brought his lips close to the noble's ear and thrust heavily into him.

"I know you are in pain because they abandoned you…and you think that I am just like them, but I will prove I am not. I will, Aizen Byakuya. I will make them pay for not respecting my powers…and I will make them pay for abandoning you…I promise. And that payment will begin very, very soon…"

Byakuya felt an odd chill pass through him at the words. But a moment later, pleasure overtook him and stole the feeling away. Hot seed burned onto his skin and Aizen's dark, unreadable eyes locked on his as heat flooded him inside as well. He tried to reassure himself that things would be all right now that Kisho had been freed…but there was something unsettling in Aizen's words…

"…that payment will begin very, very soon…"

He closed his eyes and rested calmly with Aizen still inside him. Weariness and worry overtook him and he drifted off.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisho and Hekima walked away from the guards and out into the desert. The boy sensed that the rogues were nearby and turned in their directions, leading Hekima along until a lone figure appeared in front of him. The man stepped forward, walking to him and stopping a few feet away. He looked down at Kisho with affectionate red-brown eyes and a smile rose on his lips.

"Kisho…" he said softly.

The boy stepped forward, closing the distance between them. As he did, an odd feeling passed over him and he seemed to lose awareness for a moment. When he regained his senses, he found himself staring into Abarai Renji's shocked eyes and his zanpakutou buried to the hilt in the rogue leader's body. Renji gave a strangled cry as the boy stepped back and tore the weapon free. Kisho's eyes glazed over and father and son collapsed onto the sand together. Hekima's voice rose into a shrill, panicked scream as rogues appeared everywhere around them. Then, as the rogues slowly realized what had happened, the screeches of hollows rose around them. Frantic hands lifted Renji and Kisho from the bloodied sand and turned them towards the encampment, but within moments, the rogues found themselves overwhelmed and running for their lives…

Byakuya woke with a terrified cry, his heart racing as he reached out with his senses and felt Renji's reiatsu weakening. He stared in dismay at the man who sat up next to him, and wrapped his arms around him.

"What did you do?" Byakuya gasped, his eyes wide, "His reiatsu…I can't feel it anymore!"

Aizen smiled.

"I told you I would make them pay," he said calmly, "And Abarai Renji just paid for leaving you so callously. You see, before I sent Kisho to him, I used Kyouka Suigetsu to hypnotize the boy. He was programmed to attack as soon as he was close enough. He appears to have been successful."

Aizen studied Byakuya's stricken expression quietly for a moment.

"I thought that you no longer cared for him…"

"I…Sousuke…just because he left me…it didn't mean I wanted him to die! How…how could you? You knew I was still in love with him!"

"Yes," said Aizen in a low voice, "Yes, I knew. I knew and I wanted him to pay for that. And now he has. Now, Abarai Renji has paid with his life…"

Byakuya stared at him for a moment longer, then tore away from him, scrambling into his clothes.

"What are you thinking that you are going to do?" Aizen asked, watching, "You cannot save him…"

"It's my fault…" Byakuya half-sobbed, "all of this is my fault! Renji is…dying…and Kisho! How could you do that to my son?"

He turned and flash stepped to the window, but was brought to his knees just short of it. Aizen's arms wrapped around him and a shock of kido incapacitated him.

"I know you are upset," he told Byakuya as the noble sank into darkness, "but it had to be done. Rest now. You will feel better after you have rested."

I will never feel better…

Never…

And if Renji dies…

I will never feel anything again…