DISCLAIMER: I do not own BLEACH or any of its characters
A story rated M for LEMON means Lemon Explicit You've Been Warned!
Vast and Absolute !!
Chapter 12 - Pride
They had taken a seat in the noble box, Byakuya exhaled in a long, satisfied sigh and smiled dreamily at Yoruichi. The tension had literally been drained from his body. He looked over at his lover as she wiped the corners of her mouth, the last evidence of their most recent union, smiling back at him.
Suddenly applause spread through the crowd as the next set of performers were coming to the stage.
Several giant taiko drums, as big as the Seireitei gatekeepers, had been set up on the stage. The drummers took their positions on either side of the huge instruments. They wore crimson red robes, with white tops and red headbands. They were bare foot and their faces were covered with a long strip of white cloth. They pulled out their thick matching bight red drumsticks.
A hush fell over the audience as the musicians raised their hands dramatically .
A shout of "Junbi!!" came from the lead drummer as the rest of the drummers raised their arms then began to play, forcefully.
Haunting primal pounding beats filled the air. The crowd was united in the one heart beat that was the beating of the drums. Blood-pumping, hearts swelling, clapping in time.
Yoruichi had to move, she had to dance. She felt a warm glow fill and begin to flow through her.
Byakuya watched her with lustful intent as she began to move to the beat of the drums.
The beat was calling her. Yoruichi smiled seductively at Byakuya. the drums, the music, the beat was like and aphrodisiac and she was ready to move.
Hanabi-Odori(Fireworks Dance) began through the crowd, clapping and singing ensued as lines formed for the huge dance. Yoruichi wanted to dance, move and she wanted to do it with Byakuya. She glanced back at him, he was staring at her. When their eyes met it caused her heart to flip with joy. She shuddered with desire. She couldn't contain herself, she wanted to dance to move and she wanted to do it with him.
"C'mon, lets go!" Yorucihi's eyes were twinkling, she was almost giddy and totally sexy. Byakuya's eyes were wide with horror though.
Out of all the things he could do, all the things that he was proficient at, all the things that he made look easy and effortless, dancing was not one of them. His mind flashed to when he was younger and the very woman now asking him to dance was a smiling teenage laughing at him mercilessly at his two left feet.
He shook his head firmly folding his arms in defiance.
"Please Byakuya," He shook his head like a willful child. "I can't believe after last night, you're gonna to say you don't have any rhythm."Yoruichi whispered in his ear, her tongue flicked his earlobe causing a familiar electric thrill to rush up from his groin. His face went completely red and hot. If it was that type of dancing he'd be fine.
She stood up looking down at him with a sultry smile, her hips moving seductively, her wet pink tongue peeked between her moist full lips as she licked them. He opened his mouth gasping in anticipation, his cock roused and eager.
Yoruichi giggled, swaying and wiggling her hips as she moved backward on the dance floor,curling her finger, calling for Byakuya to follow her; but he sat tight, hands on his tented yukata as she was swallowed up by the dance floor and the sensual primitive beat of the drums.
He sat back regretting that he hadn't paid more attention in dance class when he was being taught traditional odori. A longing smile crept on his face as he watched Yoruichi in awe. She was his goddess. Yoruichi's lithe sexy body moved around the makeshift dance floor, effortlessly. She made even the most mundane moves look sexy.
x
Yoruichi danced and clapped with the other revelers. Amai, Nakama and the other girls by her following her moves. The two little girls seemed to shake erratically in stead of moving smoothly. She enthusiastically waved again at Byakuya trying to get him to come down and dance with her, clasping her hands as if pleading with him. He smiled waving shaking his head no. She frowned up playfully, upset that she was turned down again, then continued to dance again with the girls.
Then like dark clouds rolling in on his happy expression, anger and jealousy darkened his face as Urahara danced his way up behind Yoruichi, taking her by the hips.
x
Yoruichi turned with a start at the foreign hands on her hips. Seeing Kisuke, she moved them to up her waist. She smiled and accepted his dance invitation. She readjusted Kisuke's hands again, moments later, to a safer position.
Byakuya nostrils flared with fury as he tried to keep himself seated. He almost split a vein, his fists. He wanted to scream, to lunge and strangle Kisuke. He'd had enough and someone would hear about it.
He watched in horror as Kisuke danced closer and closer to Yoruichi, touching her waist, her arms, her hair in the guise of moving it from her face.
Yoruichi didn't welcome his advances but she also didn't stop him forcefully enough for Byakuya's taste. He fidgeted his seat, seeing only those two dancing, the pounding beat, like a hammer stamping in the image of the two dancing into his memory.
.
Kumiko's face lit up as she followed Byakuya eyes to the dance floor and to Yoruichi and Kisuke as well. Then back at Byakuya as he grew angrier.
She found something . She dashed off from the lamp post she was standing beside and ran through the crowd.
.
Akiko was turning down dance offer after dance offer. Her face frowning up more and more thinking about her miscalculation days before.
"Akiko! Akiko!" Kumiko rushed up to her smiling.
"What is it?" Akiko snapped
"I found something." Akiko shook her head not understanding .
"With... Byakuya.." Kumiko stood taking a deep breath with a smile.
"Wha-..What?" Akiko was intrigued.
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After a long while Yoruichi made her way from the dance floor, her skin dewy with sweat. Amai and Nakama followed her.
Kisuke had tried unsuccessfully to keep her dancing. She flopped down beside the seething Byakuya, not realizing the volcanic anger that was building in him.
"You should have danced with me Byakuya-bo." She reached out for him.
"You seemed to have a partner." He kept his hands in his lap, staring straight ahead trying to conceal his displeasure.
"Amai and Nakama?" She looked sincerely innocent, then she glanced at the tired out girls who were still smiling and wiggling to the music. "Their too short, my back hurt bending down to dance with them."
"I meant Urahara." He glared at her,now his anger beginning to bubbling over, but she hadn't noticed she had rolled on her back and was fanning her face with her hand.
He slowly took in her raw beauty, even in this unrefined position. Her yukata cling to her shapely form. Her breasts almost spilling out from the top as she lay back. How easily he could take her like he had done repeatedly the night before. She was his now.
For the first time this week both the 12 year old and "grown up" Byakuya were in agreement. They didn't like Kisuke, that hadn't changed since the first day he met him."They" would not share her. She would have to choose between them.
"Hmph. He's horrible." Yoruichi continued still fanning herself. "He flails around like a wet fish. Though I think he was over doing it to them laugh." She looked back at the girls.
"Hmph." He stood pulling her up with him, his hand firm; gripping her arm. He pulled her to the side, leading her down a lonely deserted alleyway they were in earlier.
"What is it Byakuya?" Yoruichi said confused straitening up and he cornered her against the wall. She had just now realized the marked difference in his demeanor.
He took a deep breath.
"I don't want you to see him anymore." There was a long silence like a void had been opened . Then the music seemed to slowly flood back into surround them. She was quiet though staring at him in disbelief.
"I don't want you to see him anymore." He repeated himself more firmly, staring into her still incredulous gaze.
She raised her eye brow, tilting her head at his comment, trying to process his demand.
"Yoruichi," He began a third time, becoming irritated and a little concerned that she hadn't replied with anything yet. But he continued just the same. "I don't want you to see Kisuke any more." His breath caught in his throat, he swallowed hard waiting for her to respond.
She still stared silently at him, her eyes narrowed for an instant, and he shuddered expecting the worse. Suddenly her face brightened and she giggled sweetly and kissed him on the cheek.
"You know what.." she said happily, her golden eyes were warm and loving, though there was a faint chill in her smile. "We'll pretend like we didn't have this conversation," she walked away back to the music.
.
Byakuya was distant, cold. His head pounding, swimming, drowning with shock and anger. He didn't want to share. He wouldn't. Why couldn't she understand that. He told her quite clearly she was all his. He meant it. He walked aimlessly though the crowd, smiling faces, laughing couples hugging and holding hands, only annoyed him even more.
A faint sweet voice peeked through the storm of his thoughts.
"What's wrong Byakuya?'
He looked down at Amai like he'd never seen her before.
She stopped in her tracks, chilled to the bone by his cold vacant stare. She stayed where she was as he continued into the crowd.
.
Byakuya kept his distance from Yoruichi and the children for the rest of the afternoon like a spoiled child, prideful child, who was told he had to share his toy and had hastily decided he wanted it no longer. If she wasn't going to make a decision he would.
.
Kisuke watched the tormented Byakuya with a perverse smile. He finally relaxed in his mind seeing his way back to Yoruichi, no matter how long it took, was once again clear. He was set to make his move in.
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Kisuke chatted to the distracted Yoruichi as she scanned the crowd for Byakuya.
"What's it called again?" Amai asked Kisuke about the new experiment the was telling them about. Amai found Kisuke amusing and didn't see why Yoruichi didn't feel the same about the blond headed clown.
"I call it the Hyogyo-.."
"Kisuke! There you are." Kuukaku said coming up to him as he was talking to Yoruichi and Amai.
Yoruichi stiffened, nodding civilly, squeezing Amai's hand in inadvertently.
"Oww... Yoruichi." Amai squealed.
"Oh! Im sorry." She looked at Amai then bent down and kissed her little hand. "I'm sorry." Amai smiled at the warm affectionate attention she received.
Urahara's smile behind his fan sank like a ship broken in half.
"We need your help." She continued to Kisuke. "Mind if I steal him away, Yoruichi." Kuukaku smirked at her statement. Kisuke cringed, his eyes closings at the defeat in this current battle.
Yoruichi bit her lip looking down at Amai to focus and stay calm.
Kisuke waved sweetly to Amai as he left with Kuukaku, and looked apologetically at Yoruichi but she had already turned to go in the opposite direction.
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Byakuya's cold war continued as they headed home for the evening. He was distant, angry silent in the carriage. No matter how Yoruichi tried to warm him up. Pushing off her advances without a word.
"C'mon Byakuya." She said frustrated as they pulled up in front of Shihouin manor. He said nothing letting her out of the carriage and quickly jumping back in. She sighed at her defeat.
She went to visited her father. He could sense she was distracted and pretended to be asleep. She kissed him lightly and headed to her room, hoping to talk things over with Byakuya when he made an appearance. Hopefully he'd be in a better mood once they were both naked.
.
She sat up for hours, naked staring at the open door of her suite, that faced the courtyard. He couldn't be that mad could he?
.
He was still awake staring at the ceiling, the fusuma of his suite facing the courtyard, was closed. He was brooding.
Thoughts had been swirling in his mind for hours, like a whirlpool, dragging him down into depression and jealousy. How she could pick him? That's what her actions showed. Byakuya felt Yoruichi picked Kisuke's friendship over his love.
Love. That's what is was since she'd first smiled at him so long ago. Love. His first love for the rest of their existence and she'd turned her back on it.
He rolled over, in his futon, tangling in the sheets. His face contorted in sadness.
He heard scratching at his door. His heart leapt for an instant. He knew who it was, he stood up........ angrily, he left his room.
.
Waruni, an attendant at the Kuchiki manor was walking the halls. She couldn't sleep, again. She was headed to the kitchen to get something to eat. The short brown eyed maid, crept lightly over the floor of the manor. She drug her fingers through her curly aburn hair. She stopped for a tense instant, hearing the floorboard squeak under her weight. She knew the Captain and Lieutenant would have been able to hear her stomach growling let alone hear her trying to sneak to the kitchen for something to eat, but they hadn't called her on it and she stomach was getting louder. Now all she had to do is stay off the radar of Miss Kaori, the head maid, then she'd be fine.
Her eyes widened as she pulled out some stored rice balls and sweet bean paste. She snuck out of the kitchen to the outside of the manor to savor her food and she'd have a better chance of making it back to her room should Miss Kaori make a trip to the 's when Wauni saw it. A beautiful black cat, sitting quietly in the courtyard by the door of Byakuya-sama's suite.
"Kawaii....." Waruni gushed clasping her hands by her chest, food falling from her mouth. "How cute." She was torn between running over and trying to catch it or going to get milk to try and entice it to come to her.
She decided. She went to get the milk from the kitchen, pouring it in a bowl she walked down the hall headed to the nearest fusuma, near the courtyard.
Then our of nowhere, she began to shake, feeling the reiatsu of Byakuya come up behind her. He normally kept his reiatsu well in check, as not to upset or overpower the attendants, but now it seemed to be seeping off him, like a heavy cologne. It was heavy, furious, dark.
Waruni tried to breath. She stumbled, feeling light headed, almost spilling the milk.
"Where are you going with that?" Byakuya said steadying her by her elbow.
"There's a cat...-" She tried to say, still choking on his reiatsu.
"Don't feed it." He said bitterly. "That's a perfectly good waste of food." With that, he strode down the hall back towards his room.
Waruni took a breath as he disappeared down the corridor, she was heartbroken and left wondering if she should feed it anyway. But she thought better of it and headed back to her room.
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to be continued