Chapter 11: Broken Promise
(Having severe problems with the site, so it was a struggle just to post. I will catch up on shout outs next chapter. Love to all, Spunky)
Byakuya walked silently down the hallway, ringed by hollow guards and followed by Aizen Sousuke. They made their way back into the main building of the fortress, past the training grounds and kitchen, up a flight of stairs and down another hallway, to Aizen's bedroom. The guards stopped at the door, opening it and waiting as Byakuya, then Aizen passed through, then closing it behind them. Byakuya stood just inside the door, facing away from Aizen, unmoving and waiting.
"Take off your clothes and lie down on your stomach," Aizen said in a calm, emotionless voice.
Byakuya suppressed a shiver and removed his clothing, then took his place on the bed. He turned his head away from Aizen. He could hear the sounds of clothing being removed and Aizen moving to join him. The bed moved and Byakuya tensed, waiting for the pain to begin.
He was surprised to feel warm fluid drip onto his back and warmer hands begin to work the fluid slowly into his skin. He relaxed gradually as the gentle motion continued, but remained wary of any sudden change in his unpredictable spouse.
"You are still tense," Aizen said, working at the tight muscles in his shoulders, "Why is that?"
"Why?" Byakuya repeated, "I would think that would be obvious, given that you just found me outside the fortress with Abarai Renji. You did say that I was not allowed to see him or to leave the fortress. I did both."
"What are you talking about?" Aizen asked, smiling, "Byakuya, are you sure? Twice before you were certain he was here, also…and both times it wasn't real. What tells you that it was real this time? If it was, wouldn't I be punishing you?"
Byakuya sighed resignedly.
"Perhaps you are…"
"How am I punishing you?" he asked, moving down to his lower back and deepening his touches.
"You are trying to confuse me," Byakuya said calmly, "but I know that Renji was really here. I am completely certain of it."
"And you weren't the last two times?" Aizen asked, and Byakuya could feel him smirking.
"Not as sure as I am this time."
"And how sure is that?"
"Renji is my soul mate. I realized that there was a different feel to his presence this time. And when he kissed me…"
"You kissed Renji?" Aizen asked in a low, dangerous voice.
His hands paused. Byakuya felt a tremor pass through his body.
"As I said, Renji is my soul mate. Did you expect I would not?"
Aizen took hold of the noble and turned him roughly onto his back.
"Let me make something very clear to you, Aizen Byakuya," he said warningly, "You are married to me. I am the only one you will kiss or touch in any sexual way. I am the only one who you will allow to kiss or touch you in any sexual way…is that clear?"
Byakuya stared up into the almost crazed brown eyes, surprised at the intensity of emotion he saw there. Aizen's hand tightened painfully.
"Byakuya?"
"Hai, Sousuke."
The dangerous eyes held his a moment longer, then he turned Byakuya back onto his stomach and continued to massage his back.
"Mari is a good healer," Aizen said softly, "There will be no scars here."
Byakuya turned his head to look up at him.
"Sousuke…why is it that you have not punished me? The offenses I committed today are worse than those I committed yesterday."
"And you feel that you deserve punishment?"
Byakuya paused, thinking.
"Perhaps you do," Aizen said, nodding in agreement, "and perhaps I am using a different method of punishment this time. Turn over."
Byakuya turned onto his back. He waited for Aizen to take some kind of action against him, but he merely continued to massage oil into the soft expanse of the noble's pale skin.
"Sometimes, Byakuya, the best method of punishing someone is to withhold it."
He moved so that he rested on his side next to the noble and placed a hand on his face, turning it and bringing Byakuya's lips to meet his. Byakuya closed his eyes, but did not resist.
"And sometimes," he whispered, "It is better yet to take that punishment and place it in the last place the guilty one wishes for it to be."
Byakuya's eyes widened.
"What are they doing to Renji?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"No one has touched him yet. They will not until I give the order for them to do so. Before they begin, I want him to see that you are mine…to understand that the only one who touches you…is me."
"Sousuke…"
"Renji has seen everything we have done since we arrived here…and now we are going to make love and he is going to watch. If you cooperate, he will not be hurt and if you resist, Gin will hurt him. Think carefully, Byakuya. What will you do?"
The noble stared at him in silence.
"Perhaps you need some incentive," Aizen said, sitting up and bringing Byakuya with him, then reaching for the television remote that sat on the nightstand.
He pressed several buttons and Renji's immobilized form appeared on the screen. To Byakuya's relief, he did not appear to have been harmed yet.
"Byakuya, I need your answer."
He gazed into the monitor, his eyes locked on the lean, tanned body, naked and restrained with kido. He could see that Renji's head was turned and he was looking at something.
"He watches as you make your decision," Aizen supplied softly, "and how do you choose?"
Byakuya continued to stare, silent and spellbound by the sight of his restrained lover.
"I'll only ask you one more time, Byakuya."
A tremor shook his body and his hands clenched the sheets.
"What is your decision?"
"I have your word that he will not be hurt?" Byakuya asked in a low voice.
Aizen smiled.
"Renji will not be hurt," he said softly, taking the noble in his arms and lowering him onto his back.
Byakuya turned his head aside and closed his eyes. Aizen's hand took hold of his head and turned it back.
"Look at me," Aizen said firmly, "I don't want you to forget who you are with."
Aizen's mouth took hold of his with surprisingly gentle pressure and his hands explored Byakuya's body with equal care. Byakuya was careful not to resist in any way, but he couldn't suppress a shiver, knowing that Renji could see everything that was happening. Aizen took his time, plundering the depths of the noble's perfect mouth, tracing the curves of his face with gentle fingertips, then moving on to tease his throat with wet kisses and warm suction. One hand slid slowly down the length of Byakuya's body and reached for his awakening member. As he touched it, Byakuya felt as though a shock passed through him and suddenly tore himself away. He sat up on the edge of the bed, his fingers clenched and his eyes desperate. Aizen sat up slowly, a curious expression on his face.
"Byakuya, have you changed your mind?"
He looked into the monitor and he could see the fury in Renji's eyes, the way he struggled against his bonds.
"Should I tell Gin to begin?"
"Why are you doing this?" Byakuya whispered, "Why can't you just let him go? I won't try to leave again…I won't…"
"I told you," Aizen said, sitting up and wrapping an arm around him, "This is your punishment for trying to escape…yours and his. I'm afraid it's inevitable. And my patience is growing thin. You need to make your decision and accept the punishment you have chosen."
Byakuya stared at Renji.
"Let me take on his punishment as well…please…"
Aizen's expression darkened.
"Gin," he said quietly.
"No…don't…I'll do it. Just…don't hurt him. You promised you wouldn't."
Aizen brought his face close to Byakuya's, studying the anguish in his features.
"You would do anything to spare him pain, wouldn't you?" he asked.
Byakuya stared into the calm brown eyes.
"I would do anything you ask if you would let him go."
"You love him. You want to spare him pain."
"Yes."
Aizen leaned forward and kissed Byakuya gently on the lips.
"I'm feeling generous today," he said, his eyes unreadable, "Not only will I not require you to make love with me in front of Renji, I will indulge you in your wish that he be spared pain."
He leaned against Byakuya, pressing his cheek gently to the noble's. Byakuya sat, frozen, a sick feeling rising inside as Aizen turned his eyes to the monitor. Byakuya's breath quickened.
"Gin, make sure that you do not hurt Abarai Renji," he said, smirking, "Deliver the punishment gently."
Aizen's hands took hold of Byakuya's wrists and froze him in place with kido.
"What are you doing?" Byakuya gasped.
He nuzzled the noble's ear.
"Punishing you, of course."
Gin approached the restrained shinigami wearing a wide smile. He slithered out of his clothes, letting them drop to the floor, then knelt next to the redhead and pulled his hair tie free, releasing the long red strands. Gin ran his fingers slowly through the long, thick strands, arranging them carefully around Renji's head. The redhead's eyes flared dangerously.
"Get your fucking hands off of me, you freak!" he shouted, straining against the kido that held him motionless on his back.
"Stop!" cried Byakuya, tearing at the kido that held him frozen, "You said you wouldn't hurt him! I told you I would do whatever you said! Don't do this, Sousuke!"
"Shh," hissed Aizen softly, "I'm keeping my promise, Byakuya. Gin will be very careful not to hurt him."
"You lying bastard! You knew what I would think! You planned to do this all along!" Byakuya said, shivering with rage.
Gin leaned over Renji and traced the black tattoos of his face. Smiling down into the redhead's furious, twisted features, he extended his tongue and stroked the black markings of his face, tracing them again with his fingers as he tasted them.
"Just as I've always thought," Gin mused as he continued on to Renji's throat, "Like black fire! Delicious…"
"I'll kill you, you fucking snake!" seethed Renji, his chest heaving as he fought the restraints.
"That would be something to see, now wouldn't it?" Gin laughed softly, "But you have a bit of a problem, being restrained as you are, unless you happen to excel at breaking kido restraints, ne?"
The slender hands worked their way gradually down the length of the lean, tanned body, his mouth following, greedily tasting every inch of the vast expanse of bared skin. Byakuya could see that Renji was shaking with rage and revulsion. His own anger flared inside. Despite the fact that his spirit energy had been sealed away, his eyes glowed with fury. Aizen stared in fascination.
"You're beautiful when you are angry, Byakuya," he breathed against the pale skin of the noble's bare shoulder.
Beneath the seal on his power, the noble's spirit energy seethed and strained, pulsing sharply and bringing sparks to his eyes. Aizen watched, rapt.
"I don't know who is more fun to watch," he whispered, "you or Gin and Renji."
Gin reached down and took hold of Renji's hardened member, pleasuring the area as he sucked warmly at the restrained shinigami's nipples, then ran a trail of kisses down his abdomen. He stopped to stare appreciatively for a moment before leaning forward and continuing his ministrations as Renji released a savage wave of curses. Gin's smile widened and he stroked the long, lean abdomen with soft fingertips as he continued to provide intense suction.
"I don't think I'll offer you my fingers to suck on, Renji," Gin said, laughing, "I might not get them back!"
"You're damned right, you wouldn't get them back!" Renji snapped.
Gin slipped his fingers into his own mouth, making a great show of bathing each in saliva. He loosened the kido slightly to adjust the redhead's legs. Renji chose that moment to put all of his energy into a well aimed kick that struck Gin squarely in the face and sent him flying backwards into the wall behind him.
"Take that, you son of a bitch!" Renji snarled, "Come back for more, if you want it!"
Gin climbed to his feet, wiping blood away from his nose and mouth. His face darkened and the spirit energy flared dangerously around him.
"Gin," Aizen said, smiling at the redhead's spunk, "remember, he is to experience no pain."
Gin's face darkened even more, but he clamped the kido down tightly again, freezing Renji in place. He carefully prepared the furious shinigami as Renji continued to sear his ears with threats and insults. Gin's body shook with barely restrained rage as he slowly entered the redhead and he leaned down as he buried himself in Renji's body and whispered a threat of his own.
"Just wait until he looks away…until you are left alone for a moment. You will pay for that!"
He thrust in as hard as he dared with Aizen watching and reached down with one hand to stroke the redhead in rhythm with his motions.
Byakuya felt his control slipping and descended into mind-bending, killing rage. The kido that held him suddenly exploded and before Aizen could react, Byakuya forced him down onto the floor, bringing his weight down heavily on top of him and summoning his power. Knowing he would, most likely only land one attack, he did his best to make it count.
"Hado #4 Byakurai!"
Power blazed from his extended fingertip and drove Aizen down against the floor, as his own power flared against the sudden attack. Byakuya's hands wrapped around Aizen's throat and began to squeeze as their spirit energy raged and swelled around them. The windows in the room shattered under the onslaught of power and the walls creaked and groaned, weakened by the explosive energy. Byakuya reached for the stand that held Senbonzakura and Aizen chose that moment to throw him down and pin him against the floor. Byakuya rolled free and flash stepped for his weapon as the television and lamps exploded from the force of their combined power. His hand closed around the hilt and he drew it, slashing blindly.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura!"
Pink petal blades filled the air around them, out of control because of the taichou's uncontrolled rage. The blades tore at both of them as Aizen flash stepped away, taking hold of his own weapon as Byakuya came to his feet. Their weapons crossed, flaring with power, crashing against each other and sending showers of sparks outward.
"You won't win, Byakuya," Aizen said calmly, circling slowly.
The noble answered with an onslaught of high speed slashes, then turned and released a more controlled blast of petal blades. Aizen raised his weapon and shattered the petals, then stood, gazing at the noble as he closed in again. He was almost taken off his feet as a blast of blue fire erupted from Byakuya's hands. Aizen flash stepped into it, striking it with his own power and driving it back into Byakuya, throwing the noble backwards. He shot forward and came down on top of the struggling noble as he fell. He buried his blade in Byakuya's shoulder and extended a hand to touch the noble's forehead, sending a shock of spirit energy through him and plunging him into darkness. Byakuya's body went limp beneath Aizen's and Senbonzakura dropped from his nerveless fingers.
Aizen sat for several long moments, breathing heavily and gazing down at the blood that leaked from numerous cuts on his skin and Byakuya's.
"You will regret this…" he whispered, pulling his weapon free of Byakuya's shoulder.
Then he lifted the unconscious taichou into his arms and carried him to the infirmary.
Noting the sudden loss of the feed from Byakuya's room, Gin smiled wickedly down at Renji.
"Ah," he said softly, "Now let's see how much pain I can inflict on your sweet little body without leaving a mark!"